Pronunciation of "D"

¡Hola! Having just started with the course things are still a bit daunting... I've noticed that the pronunication for "d" does not seem to be standard and sometimes sounds more like "the". Ons spanish.about.com I found a reference that this could be the case when "d" is between two vovels. However in the conversation course I also hear the "the" sound when the "d" is the first letter of the word. Maybe it's not quite "the" ... it almost sounds like a soft "d" with the tounge against the upper teeth? I see my other problem about "b" and ""v" has been covered elsewhere ... but am still unsure whether it is "por faBor" or "por faWor"! Adios Johan Ps. What is the "rule" regarding pronunciation of foreign names in Spanish? e.g. Does my name stay "YOHAN" ("j" pronounced as "y" & "h" not silent) or does it become something like "Joan" ( :D not the English lady name) or "Juan"?

The d sound is just like in the words _that_, _mother, father, brother..._. For the rest i'm not really sure, however I have never heard "por fabor" only "favor".

[quo]*Quote from * Johan1FS Ps. What is the "rule" regarding pronunciation of foreign names in Spanish? e.g. Does my name stay "YOHAN" ("j" pronounced as "y" & "h" not silent) or does it become something like "Joan" ( :D not the English lady name) or "Juan"?[/quo] I don't think there's a "rule." Most people I know, including myself, try to pronounce names the way they'd be pronounced in the person's native language. Thus, even if I were speaking Spanish, I'd say YOHAN. It's possible, though, that _some_ native Spanish speakers might say something that sounds more like "Juan." I've heard them pronounce "Joan" JO-AHN or YO-AHN, even when they're trying to pronounce the name in English.

Hola, Johan1FS. The "Visual Link Spanish" pronunciation guide, refers to the letter "d" as having a hard and soft sound. The hard "d" has the sound of the English "d", except the tongue makes contact with the teeth, instead of the roof of the mouth. The "d" is hard after an "n" or "l", when it begins a sentence or phrase, and after a pause. The soft "d" is pronounced like the "th" in the English word 'these'. It is soft when following a vowel, and following any consonant except "n" or "l". The same goes for the letters "b" and "v". Both are hard, after an "m" or "n", at the beginning of a phrase or sentence, and after a pause. Both are soft, after a vowel, after a consonant except "m" or "n".

[quo]*Quote from * C_Norita Hola, Johan1FS. The "Visual Link Spanish" pronunciation guide, refers to the letter "d" as having a hard and soft sound.[/quo] Muchas gracias! This explanation summarises what I've read in the meantime in several dictionaries, but none of them put it so clear. A LOT of them just simply say that B & V is pronounced the same!

De nada.

hola

Hola !!