J (letter): Difference between revisions
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'''J, j''' is a letter of the [[Latin alphabet]]. It is the tenth letter of most variants of the Latin alphabet, being placed after [[I (letter)|I]] and before [[K (letter)|K]]: for instance it is the case in the [[English alphabet]]. Its English name is pronounced [ˈdʒeɪ], like that of the bird ''jay''. | '''J, j''' is a letter of the [[Latin alphabet]]. It is the tenth letter of most variants of the Latin alphabet, being placed after [[I (letter)|I]] and before [[K (letter)|K]]: for instance it is the case in the [[English alphabet]]. Its English name is pronounced [ˈdʒeɪ], like that of the bird ''jay''. | ||
==Use in English== | ==Use in English== | ||
'''j''' combines the two sounds '''d''' (as in '''dóg''') and '''zh''' (as in '''[[Leonid Brezhnev|Brézhnev]]''' or like '''z''' in '''ázure''' or '''s''' in '''pléasure'''). Many languages, including French, German, Portuguese and Arabic, do not have this sound. (Russian and Spanish have the unvoiced version of it, t + sh, which is spelt '''ch''' in both English and Spanish, whence '''mácho'''.) | '''j''' combines the two sounds '''d''' (as in '''dóg''') and '''zh''' (as in '''[[Leonid Brezhnev|Brézhnev]]''' or like '''z''' in '''ázure''' or '''s''' in '''pléasure'''). Many languages, including French, German, Portuguese and Arabic, do not have this sound. (Russian and Spanish have the unvoiced version of it, 't' + 'sh', which is spelt '''ch''' in both English and Spanish, whence '''mácho'''.) | ||
'''j''' likes to occur initially (the accents show stress and pronunciation: see [[English phonemes]]): '''jét, jázz, jíg, jést, jêep, jólly, jàr, jám, Jásper, Jóhn, Jêsus, Jeŵish, Jím, Jâmes, Jíll, Jáckson, Jéffrey''' (= '''Géoffrey''') and after a prefix: '''disjŏinted, disjúnctive, injúnction, unjúst, injústice, outjúmp'''. Foreign learners, for example francophones, often mispronounce '''j''' as zh: its normal sound is dzh. | '''j''' likes to occur initially (the accents show stress and pronunciation: see [[English phonemes]]): '''jét, jázz, jíg, jést, jêep, jólly, jàr, jám, Jásper, Jóhn, Jêsus, Jeŵish, Jím, Jâmes, Jíll, Jáckson, Jéffrey''' (= '''Géoffrey''') and after a prefix: '''disjŏinted, disjúnctive, injúnction, unjúst, injústice, outjúmp'''. Foreign learners, for example francophones, often mispronounce '''j''' as zh: its normal sound is dzh. | ||
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The normal spelling for the '''j''' sound finally is ('''d''')'''ge''': '''bádge, grúdge, plédge, dódge, gâuge, câge, pâge, wâge, sìêge, wâge, sâge, gàrbage, lúggage'''. | The normal spelling for the '''j''' sound finally is ('''d''')'''ge''': '''bádge, grúdge, plédge, dódge, gâuge, câge, pâge, wâge, sìêge, wâge, sâge, gàrbage, lúggage'''. | ||
And '''g''' | And '''g''' occurs more often than '''j''' before front vowels: '''Géoffrey, Gíllian''' (cf. Jíll), '''gîant, gigántic, Gërmany, géneral, George, géntle''', and is much more common inside words: '''âgent, págeant, pígeon, rêgion'''. | ||
'''j''' does not begin consonant clusters, and the only '''jj''' is in '''hàjj''' (which may also be spelt '''hádj'''). | '''j''' does not begin consonant clusters, and the only '''jj''' is in '''hàjj''' (which may also be spelt '''hádj'''). | ||
Revision as of 12:04, 24 December 2008
J, j is a letter of the Latin alphabet. It is the tenth letter of most variants of the Latin alphabet, being placed after I and before K: for instance it is the case in the English alphabet. Its English name is pronounced [ˈdʒeɪ], like that of the bird jay.
Use in English
j combines the two sounds d (as in dóg) and zh (as in Brézhnev or like z in ázure or s in pléasure). Many languages, including French, German, Portuguese and Arabic, do not have this sound. (Russian and Spanish have the unvoiced version of it, 't' + 'sh', which is spelt ch in both English and Spanish, whence mácho.)
j likes to occur initially (the accents show stress and pronunciation: see English phonemes): jét, jázz, jíg, jést, jêep, jólly, jàr, jám, Jásper, Jóhn, Jêsus, Jeŵish, Jím, Jâmes, Jíll, Jáckson, Jéffrey (= Géoffrey) and after a prefix: disjŏinted, disjúnctive, injúnction, unjúst, injústice, outjúmp. Foreign learners, for example francophones, often mispronounce j as zh: its normal sound is dzh.
j is rarely found alone, between two vowels, inside a word: cajôle, ajàr, rejéct. The normal spelling for the j sound here is g or dg: pígeon, dúdgeon. So júdge is pronounced *júj.
j renders the d in ad- redundant: adjûdicate, ádjunct, ádjective, adjöurn, adjúst.
j is only used finally in words from Hindi: Ràj, Ámritràj. The normal spelling for the j sound finally is (d)ge: bádge, grúdge, plédge, dódge, gâuge, câge, pâge, wâge, sìêge, wâge, sâge, gàrbage, lúggage.
And g occurs more often than j before front vowels: Géoffrey, Gíllian (cf. Jíll), gîant, gigántic, Gërmany, géneral, George, géntle, and is much more common inside words: âgent, págeant, pígeon, rêgion.
j does not begin consonant clusters, and the only jj is in hàjj (which may also be spelt hádj).