The sound represented by the letter 'j' is in fact a combination of two consonants, the first of which is indeed a 'd' sound. The second is represented in dictionaries and pronunciation guides by the symbol /ʒ/ . The /ʒ/ sound is what the 's' in words like leisure and televisions sound like. Put the two sounds together and you get /dʒ/ . So, the name 'Jim', for example, is pronounced /dʒ i m /.