The J Sound Workout

ENWelcome back to The Sound Lab.

ENI'm Martin.

ENAnd I'm Julia.

ENToday we are working on the engine of English energy.

ENThe J sound.

ENMartin, why is this sound so essential?

ENBecause without it you cannot tell a joke.

ENYou tell a yoke.

ENAnd you cannot just say just.

ENYou say hust or yust.

ENThis episode is going to advance your level of English by fixing one of the most stubborn sounds in the language.

ENYou will start pronouncing more

ENfluently.

ENYou will sound proper.

ENAnd you will gain confidence because you are going to realize that this sound is everywhere.

ENIt does not matter what your native language is.

ENOur drills are designed for every English student around the world.

ENBut if you speak Spanish, French or Italian.

ENIf you speak Swedish, German or Russian.

ENOr any European language.

ENOr even Japanese, Arabic or Farsi.

ENYou are going to feel that this episode was designed specifically for you.

ENSo

ENlet's step in and enjoy.

ENJulia, why do I call this the engine sound?

ENBecause it requires ignition.

ENIt is explosive.

ENTo make this sound your tongue must act like a wall.

ENListeners, try this.

ENPut the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth.

ENJust behind your top teeth.

ENPress it hard.

ENBlock the air completely.

ENNow build up pressure behind your tongue.

ENAnd finally, release it with a vibration in your throat.

ENYou.

ENIt's like a

ENjump.

ENYou stop and then you spring forward.

ENListening.

ENChallenge one.

ENNow relax your mouth.

ENWe are going to test your ears.

ENI will tell a very short story about a man named Jerry.

ENClose your eyes.

ENCount how many explosive J sounds you hear.

ENReady?

ENJerry just jumped over a giant jar of jam.

ENHe joked that the jam was joyfully juicy, but the judge didn't enjoy the joke.

ENHow many did you hear?

ENJerry just jumped.

ENGiant.

ENJar.

ENJam.

ENJoked.

ENJoyfully juicy.

ENJudge.

ENEnjoy.

ENJoke.

ENThat was 12 explosions in one sentence.

ENPart two.

ENThe global diagnosis.

ENWhy is this so hard?

ENBecause your native language probably trick us you.

ENLet's look at the map.

ENIf you are Spanish or Latin American, your brain wants to breathe out.

ENYou turn the J into an Y.

ENYou say just instead of just.

ENSolution.

ENDon't breathe.

ENBlock the air.

ENIf you are German, Scandinavian, or Eastern European, your brain wants

ENto slide.

ENYou say job instead of job.

ENSolution.

ENToughen up.

ENMake it hard.

ENIf you are French, Portuguese, or Brazilian, you make the sound too elegant.

ENYou say zines like measure instead of jeans.

ENSolution.

ENYou are missing the D sound at the start.

ENAnd for our listeners in China and Japan, you often confuse this with the unvoiced CH or Z.

ENYou might say choke or zoke instead of joke.

ENSolution.

ENTouch your throat.

ENIf it's not vibrating,

ENit's not a J.

ENListening.

ENChallenge two.

ENTime for another listening test.

ENThis one is tricky.

ENI am going to speak with a lazy J.

ENPeter will mimic the common mistake where the J becomes a Y.

ENTry to translate what I am saying into correct English in your head.

ENYesterday, I ate a yellow yelly with a young gentleman.

ENDid you catch it?

ENHe meant I ate a yellow jelly with a young gentleman.

ENThe Y sound makes you

ENsound unsure.

ENThe J sound makes you sound confident.

ENPart three.

ENThe code.

ENSpelling rules.

ENNow, before we practice, how do you spot this sound?

ENIt hides in three main disguises.

ENDisguise number one.

ENThe letter J.

ENJump, Job, July.

ENThis is usually at the start of words.

ENDisguise number two.

ENThe letter G.

ENBut be careful.

ENThis only happens when G is followed by E, I, or Y.

ENWe call this the soft G.

ENLichen, General, Giant, or Gym.

ENDisguise number three.

ENThe letters D, G, E.

ENYou find this at the end of words.

ENLichen, Bridge, Judge, Edge.

ENThe D protects the short vowel, but the sound is pure J.

ENListening challenge three.

ENLet's test your spelling detection.

ENPeter will say a sentence.

ENIt focuses on the soft G disguise.

ENListen carefully.

ENEvery J sound here is actually spelled with a G, or D, G, E.

ENThe general crossed the bridge to find the giant ginger cat.

ENDid

ENyou hear it?

ENGeneral, G.

ENBridge, D, G, E.

ENGiant, G.

ENGinger, G.

ENNo letter J in that sentence, but the sound was everywhere.

ENPart four.

ENThe pattern practice.

ENCollocations.

ENLet's go to the gym.

ENWe will practice ten natural collocations and micro sentences.

ENWe will say each one three times.

ENMartin starts, I follow, Martin finishes.

ENWe will leave a 1.5 second gap.

ENUse it to explode the sound.

ENJust a joke.

ENJust a joke.

ENJust a joke.

ENJob

ENinterview.

ENJob interview.

ENJob interview.

ENEnjoy the journey.

ENEnjoy the journey.

ENEnjoy the journey.

ENGeneral manager.

ENGeneral manager.

ENGeneral manager.

ENGiant region.

ENGiant region.

ENGiant region.

ENGym logic.

ENGym logic.

ENGym logic.

ENKnowledge and judgment.

ENKnowledge and judgment.

ENKnowledge and judgment.

ENHuge budget.

ENHuge budget.

ENHuge budget.

ENMajor subject.

ENMajor subject.

ENMajor subject.

ENSchedule the education.

ENSchedule the education.

ENSchedule the education.

ENListening challenge.

ENFour.

ENGood workout.

ENNow relax your jaw.

ENHere is a riddle.

ENThe answer contains a double

ENJ sound.

ENListen.

ENI am a person who decides who goes to jail.

ENI wear a robe and hold a hammer.

ENWho am I?

ENThink about it.

ENIt starts with J and ends with DGE.

ENThe answer is a judge.

ENPart five.

ENThe Trap.

ENMinimal pairs with definitions.

ENNow we refine your ear and your vocabulary.

ENWe will go through the pairs again, but slowly.

ENWe will define the words so you can connect the sound to the meaning.

ENI

ENwill say the pair.

ENPeter will define them.

ENI will say the pair again.

ENFocus on the difference.

ENGroup one.

ENJ versus Y.

ENYam.

ENJam is sweet fruit on toast.

ENA yam is a vegetable like a potato.

ENJam.

ENYam.

ENJet.

ENYet.

ENA jet is a fast plane.

ENYet means not until now.

ENJet.

ENJoke.

ENYoke.

ENA joke is a funny story.

ENYoke is the yellow part of an egg.

ENJoke.

ENYoke.

ENJeep.

ENYeep.

ENA Jeep is a type of

ENcar.

ENYeep is just a noise, not a real word.

ENJeep.

ENYeep.

ENUse.

ENJuice is a liquid you drink.

ENUse means to employ something.

ENJuice.

ENUse.

ENJello.

ENYellow.

ENJello is a gelatin dessert.

ENYellow is a color.

ENJello.

ENYellow.

ENMajor.

ENMajor is a military rank.

ENMayor is the leader of a city.

ENMajor.

ENMayor.

ENGroup two.

ENJ versus C.

ENH.

ENJoke.

ENJoke.

ENJoke is for laughing.

ENJoke is when you cannot breathe.

ENJoke.

ENJoke.

ENJeep.

ENCheep.

ENJeep is a car.

ENCheep means it costs very little money.

ENJeep.

ENCheep.

ENJug.

ENChug.

ENA jug is a container for water.

ENChug means to drink very fast.

ENJug.

ENChug.

ENJill.

ENChill.

ENJill is a woman's name.

ENChill means to relax or be cold.

ENJill.

ENChill.

ENGin.

ENGin.

ENGin is alcohol.

ENChin is the bottom part of your face.

ENGin.

ENChin.

ENRidge.

ENRidge.

ENRidge is the top of a mountain.

ENRidge means having lots of money.

ENRidge.

ENRidge.

ENLarge.

ENLarge.

ENLarge means big.

ENLarge

ENis a type of tree.

ENLarge.

ENGroup 3.

ENJ vs. Z or H.

ENJob.

ENJob.

ENJob is your work.

ENJob is not a word in English.

ENJob.

ENJob.

ENRaid.

ENRage.

ENRaid is an attack.

ENRage is extreme anger.

ENRaid.

ENRage.

ENBad.

ENBadge.

ENBad is the opposite of good.

ENBadge is a pin you wear, like a police officer.

ENBad.

ENBadge.

ENSue.

ENJew.

ENSue is a legal action or a name.

ENJew is a person of Jewish faith.

ENSue.

ENJew.

ENPays.

ENPage.

ENPays is when you give money.

ENPage is a sheet of paper.

ENPays.

ENPage.

ENListening challenge 5.

ENFinal challenge.

ENThe trap story.

ENI am going to tell a story that uses J, Y, and CH.

ENYour brain will try to mix them up.

ENSeparate them.

ENCharlie the Chimp ate yellow jam in a cheap Jeep.

ENThat was mean, Martin.

ENI know.

ENLet's do it again slowly.

ENCharlie.

ENC.

ENH.

ENChimp.

ENC.

ENH.

ENYellow.

ENY.

ENJam.

ENJ.

ENCheap.

ENC.

ENH.

ENJeep.

ENJ.

ENThat was a workout.

ENIf your tongue isn't tired, you were being too polite.

ENRemember, English articulation is muscular.

ENLet's recap with 5 new words.

ENTry to identify the spelling rule as you say them.

ENOne.

ENPassenger.

ENSoft G.

ENTwo.

ENAdjust.

ENSilent D.

ENThree.

ENSoldier.

ENThe D becomes a J.

ENFour.

ENVegetable.

ENSoft G in the middle.

ENFive.

ENProcedure.

ENThe D U becomes a J.

ENExcellent work today.

ENYou are not just learning sounds, you are building a

ENnew identity in English.

ENOne that is louder, clearer, and more confident.

ENIf you enjoyed this workout, please write a small comment before you go.

ENYour comments tell the algorithm that our community is real, active, and growing.

ENThis support is crucial for us to continue creating new episodes every week.

ENTell us, is your J sound more of a Y, an H, or a CH?

ENWe want to know where you are starting from.

ENYour voice and comments will

ENshow us the right path.

ENThank you for listening.