ll (in dialects without yeísmo, e.g. llave, calle) — merged with /ʝ/ in most modern Spanish
/ʎ/
Start with one sample audio file for laterales - /ʎ/.
Let air flow along the sides of your tongue.
/ʎ/
llave
calle
lleno
llorar
lluvia
Put the middle of your tongue against the hard palate and let the air flow along the sides, like a soft palatal l.
Este sonido es nuevo para la mayoría de hablantes de inglés; el más cercano es /lj/ como en million en algunas pronunciaciones.
Today's hand-picked vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation page for Spanish. Bookmark this section — it refreshes every day.
Subscribe to SmartWords daily picks. Choose the topics you want — we send one short email per day.
Six word games built around our real vocabulary — free in the browser, no install.
Open the game hub →
Match the center word under time pressure and keep the combo alive.
Play now →
Fly through the correct gate before the speed ramps up.
Play now →
Slice the goal-language words, avoid the main-language decoy, and chase the announced bonus target.
Play now →
Trace a single path across the board, hit each letter anchor in order, and fill every open cell.
Play now →
Pick the word that doesn't belong from a topic-driven set — every tap reveals all four meanings and images so the round becomes a flash-card too.
Play now →
Flip and match goal-language words to their main-language meaning before your lives run out.
Play now →