Pronunciation of じょ and よ


Spanish is my mother tongue and I almost can't differentiate じょ and よ sounds.
Maybe the same thing happens to English native speakers. How do you solve that
problem in English... is there a common English word that uses the sound じょ
and another that uses the sound よ?




For equivalent English sounds, you can find the Japanese じょ sound in certain
names and words:

  * Joe
  * Joad
  * joke

You can also find the Japanese よ sound in certain words:

  * yo-yo
  * yo _(slang)_

Here is an example of a phrase in Japanese that uses **longer forms** for each
of the sounds じょ and よ on this website: [JOUYOU
KANJI](http://www.forvo.com/word/%E5%B8%B8%E7%94%A8%E6%BC%A2%E5%AD%97/)

On that page is an audio recording of someone named "akitomo" speaking a
phrase that includes both the じょ and the よ sounds: "JOUYOU KANJI". _(In that
recorded phrase, can you hear the difference between the first part "JOU" and
the second part "YOU"?)_

As your native language is Spanish, you could almost think of Brazilian
Portuguese pronunciation for _(at least some cases of)_ the letter "j" when it
comes to pronouncing the じょ sound, as well. Do keep in mind, however, that the
Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation might be slightly different _(i.e. more of
a softer "j" sound)_ than the Japanese pronunciation of じょ.




For equivalent English sounds, you can find the Japanese じょ sound in certain
names and words:

  * Joe
  * Joad
  * joke

You can also find the Japanese よ sound in certain words:

  * yo-yo
  * yo _(slang)_

Here is an example of a phrase in Japanese that uses **longer forms** for each
of the sounds じょ and よ on this website: [JOUYOU
KANJI](http://www.forvo.com/word/%E5%B8%B8%E7%94%A8%E6%BC%A2%E5%AD%97/)

On that page is an audio recording of someone named "akitomo" speaking a
phrase that includes both the じょ and the よ sounds: "JOUYOU KANJI". _(In that
recorded phrase, can you hear the difference between the first part "JOU" and
the second part "YOU"?)_

As your native language is Spanish, you could almost think of Brazilian
Portuguese pronunciation for _(at least some cases of)_ the letter "j" when it
comes to pronouncing the じょ sound, as well. Do keep in mind, however, that the
Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation might be slightly different _(i.e. more of
a softer "j" sound)_ than the Japanese pronunciation of じょ.

