lleísmo

Lleísmo is a Spanish phonological feature in which the sounds represented by the letters ll and y are kept distinct. In varieties that exhibit lleísmo, the digraph ll is pronounced as the palatal lateral approximant [ʎ], while the letter y is pronounced as the palatal approximant or fricative [ʝ]. This creates a phonemic distinction between /ʎ/ and /ʝ/, unlike in yeísmo, where ll and y share the same sound.

Geographically, lleísmo is preserved in certain regional varieties, notably in parts of Spain and in some Andean Spanish varieties. Today, yeísmo has become dominant in most Spanish-speaking areas, and the distinction between ll and y is less common. The presence and strength of the contrast can vary within regions and even within communities, with some speakers maintaining the difference in careful speech or formal contexts.

Phonetic details can vary by dialect. The /ʎ/ sound is a palatal lateral, somewhat similar to the “lli” in Italian. The /ʝ/ sound is a voiced palatal approximant; in some dialects it may be realized as a fricative or affricate in certain phonetic environments.

Examples illustrating the contrast include words like calle (in lleísmo [ˈkaʎe]) versus rey (with y as [ʝ], [ˈreʝ]); lluvia or lluvia (depending on analysis, often [ˈʎuβja]); and llama ([ˈʎama]) contrasted with typical y-words such as ya or yo, which would use [ʝ]. Actual realizations vary by dialect, and several communities report ongoing shifts between lleísmo and yeísmo.