Thread: Soft consonants

I don't quite get this. ля doesn't sound the same as лья, and yet all the ь does is make the л soft. But я is a soft vowel, meaning it should soften the л itself, right? What's the difference between a softened consonant with ь and just a consonant preceding a soft vowel?

I would say ля is pronounced as one sound because one syllable while лья is two distinct sounds but pronounced together as one syllable. I hope this is making sense to you.
Maybe someone will post a recording of the two sounds.

OK this should be in pronunciation and accent.

Ь seperates the Я from the Л.

ля = льа
Soft L, then A

лья = льйа
Soft L then Ya

Я is jotated in Лья as it is not attached to a consonant.

Ok, I get it. Thanks