Spelling Words in Spanish: Lessons and Lists with “J”

Spanish is a beautiful language. If you eventually want to master this language, take baby steps; learning little by little is the key! Today, we’ll focus on spelling words in Spanish that start with or include the letter “j,” learn their pronunciation, and understand how can they be used in a sentence. Let’s get started!

Pronunciation

Some letters in Spanish have different sounds than the same letters in English. “J” is no exception. In Spanish, this letter has a hard sound, similar to the “h” in the word “house.” It never sounds like the “j” in the English words “judge” and “July,” but if you’d like to say a word with that sound in Spanish, you’d have to use the “ll” combination, for example in lluvia, llorar, and llamada.

In Spanish, the pronunciation of “j” as you know it in English only exists with the “ll”, but not with the “j” itself. For example, if you say the word “jewel” (which means joya), in Spanish it would sound as “hoya”, with the sound of a hard “h” in English.

However, it’s important to mention that there are exceptions when it comes to foreign words. Words like “jeep,” “jiu-jitsu,” and “jumbo” sound exactly the same in English than Spanish. This is also the case for names like “Joseph” and “Jack.” But remember these are rare cases that break the rule; in general, the “j” in Spanish sounds like if you’re making a hard “h” sound with your throat.

Spelling Words in Spanish that Start with “j”

Now, let’s get to some spelling words in Spanish. Check out this chart of words that start with “j.”

Here are some example sentences that include several of these words.

• Mi jefe me pidió que viniera a la oficina el sábado en la mañana. – My boss asked me to come to the office on Saturday morning.
• Recuerda lavarte las manos con mucho jabón. – Remember to wash your hands with a lot of soap.
• Me encanta ver las jirafas en el zoológico. – I love to see the giraffes at the zoo.
• Júpiter es el quinto planeta del sistema solar. – Jupiter is the fifth planet in the solar system.
• Quiero conocer las ruinas de Petra, Jordania. –  I want to go to the ruins of Petra, Jordan.
• En todas las empresas existe una jerarquía que debe de seguirse. – There is a hierarchy in all companies that must be respected.

Spelling Words in Spanish with “j” in the Middle

Let’s keep going with more spelling words in Spanish! Here’s another chart with some words with “j,” but this time it’s in the middle.

Examples

• Me encantan sus ojos color verde. – I love his green eyes.
• Ayer me picó una abeja, y me dolió mucho. – Yesterday I was stung by a bee, and it hurt a lot.
• Durante la semana de finales me salen ojeras, porque me duermo muy tarde esos días. – During finals week I get dark circles, because I go to sleep very late on those days.
• Me encantan los paisajes de Guatemala; parecen de película. – I love the landscapes in Guatemala; it’s like they’re from a movie.
• De niña me gustaba mucho jugar con burbujas. – When I was a child I loved to play with bubbles.
• Él se enrojece cada vez que habla sobre ella. – He blushes every time he talks about her.

Spanish Cognates with the Letter “j”

Cognates are words in different languages that have the same linguistic derivation as others. See our Easy Cognates post to get deeper into this topic. The following list of spelling words in Spanish with the letter “j” that have the same roots as English.

• Japonés – Japanese
• Jarra – Jar
• Jubilación – Jubilation
• Judiciario – Judiciary
• Junio – June
• Julio – July
• Justo – Just
• Justicia – Justice
• Justificar – Justify
• Jungla – Jungle
• Juvenil – Juvenile
• Jocoso – Jocose, Humorous
• Justificado – Justified

¡Tenemos justo lo que necesitas!

You’ve got what you need to know about spelling words in Spanish with a “j”! Now, it’s time to bring it to life by holding friendly conversations in Spanish. Homeschool Spanish Academy offers fun Spanish classes for students of all ages, and our native Spanish-speaking teachers from Guatemala will be happy to guide you on the amazing path of learning Spanish. Sign up for a free trial today to see how fast you’ll reach fluency by talking to a professional Spanish teacher!

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Mariana Gómez

Freelance writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy

Native Spanish speaker and Industrial Psychology student in Guatemala, I love studying the nuances of Latin culture, its family values, and the Spanish language. Writing is my passion; it's my avenue for connecting ideas and sharing important information with readers. My goal is to make of this world a better place with far more multilingual people!

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