pronunciation.g-j
G and j: gato, gente, jugo
G before a/o/u = hard g (gato); before e/i = the j sound (gente). J is always that rough-h (jugo, trabajo) — softer in Latin America than Spain. Gue/gui mute the u: guerra, guitarra; güe/güi sound it: pingüino.
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Explanation
The j/ge/gi sound in Latin America is close to a strong English h: jamón ≈ 'hamón'. Don't import English j (judge) — jugo never starts like 'juice'.
Spelling machine: to keep hard g before e/i, insert u (pagar → pague); to sound that u, add diaeresis (vergüenza, güisqui). Between vowels, g softens like b/d: amigo with a light touch.
Two spelling machines fall out of this: to keep a hard g before e/i you insert a silent u (pagar → pague, seguir → sigue), and to make that u sound again you add a diaeresis (vergüenza, pingüino). The j/ge/gi sound is a soft throat-h in Latin America (jamón ≈ 'hamón') — never the English j of 'judge'.
Examples
People play in the garden.
Region: global
Pay here, please.
Region: global
I paid for the guitar, but the penguin cost me more out of embarrassment.
Region: global