Confusing inconsistencies

I am enjoying the program, but get frustrated with pronunciation... is it "Yo" (with a y) or "Jo" (with a j)? Also, is "b" pronounced as a b or a v? Both of these seem to be pronounced one way or another during the audio lessons. Thanks.

Hola Lensman. Bienvenido al foro. I remember being confused about these seeming inconsistencies, too, when I started learning Spanish. The answer, quite simply, is that in some places v and b are pronounced differently, while in others they're indistinguishable. And in some places, you'll hear "yo" pronounced as "yo," in others "jo," and in others, "zho." That's also true for the double l--llamo (I call) can sound like yahmo, jahmo, or zhahmo, depending on where the speaker is from. But any Spanish speaker will almost certainly understand all these pronunciations.

Muchas gracias! I will be back in Costa rica in January and, although most Ticos speak English, I will make a greater effort to speak Spanish, which I feel is only polite. I am getting a lot out of Rocket Spanish, but unfortunately do not have any Spanish-speaking friends with whom I could practice. I will feel better about asking people there "Puedo sacar su photograph?" :-) I am still confused by indirect objects too, but I don't understand them any better in English :-) I do have some CR photos on my site: http://www.wjr-image.com Bill