The /j/ sound: y as in yes

Consonant
Voiced
Medium priority

Hear it

in yes

Lips: Relaxed
Tongue: Middle of the tongue up to the hard palate
Voice: On: feel your throat buzz
Air: Flows freely through the mouth

The sound on its own: recording by Wikimedia Commons contributor, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons. Credits

How to make /j/

1
Start from the /iː/ 'ee' position, tongue high and forward.
2
Glide quickly into the next vowel.
3
Keep it light, no friction, no d-like contact.

Sounds like: a very quick 'ee' gliding into the next sound

/dʒ/ vs /j/: jet vs yet

Every pair

/j/ is a frictionless glide from the 'ee' position; /dʒ/ starts with a firm tongue contact. If your tongue touches the roof of your mouth on 'yes', it will come out as 'jess'.

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Which word do you hear?

How /j/ is spelled

y
u
ew
i

The usual mistake

Hardening it to /dʒ/ so 'year' sounds like 'jeer' and 'yet' like 'jet', common for Spanish speakers. Also hides after some consonants: 'few' /fjuː/, 'music' /ˈmjuːzɪk/.

Words to practise

Say it and get scored

Read yes, you, year, music, opinion aloud. Free, no account.

Check my /j/

Questions

How do you pronounce the /j/ sound?

Start from the /iː/ 'ee' position, tongue high and forward. Glide quickly into the next vowel. Keep it light, no friction, no d-like contact.

What is the most common mistake with /j/?

Hardening it to /dʒ/ so 'year' sounds like 'jeer' and 'yet' like 'jet', common for Spanish speakers. Also hides after some consonants: 'few' /fjuː/, 'music' /ˈmjuːzɪk/.

Which spellings make the /j/ sound?

Common spellings include “y”, “u”, “ew”, “i”, as in yes /jes/, you /juː/, year /jɪə/.

Does /j/ matter for IELTS?

It matters moderately. Errors are noticeable but only sometimes affect understanding. Fix the high-priority vowel contrasts and final consonants first, then polish this one.