Language
English
Unit
Consonants
IPA
/j/
Practice words
5

Sample pronunciation audio — Open the full phoneme overview

Start with one sample audio file for approximants - /j/.

Quick tip

Approximants are made with a narrow gap, but not enough to cause friction.

Letters and IPA

Letters

j (yes)

/j/

Practice words

  • yes

  • you

  • year

  • yellow

  • music

Minimal pairs

How to produce this sound

Raise the front of your tongue close to the hard palate and glide into the next vowel; do not make full friction.

Common mix-ups

Closest comparison

yes, yellow, yoga, music, few

Hear "yes" pronounced by English natives

Listen to native speakers and see real-world usage on these reference sites. Each link opens in a new tab.

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