Question about Hungarian pronunciation

[Irusejka]

What is the difference between "o" and "a"; and between "j" and "ly"?

[peter.kristof.hu]

Here is a good description for pronunciation with sound files:
http://www.hungarianreference.com/Hungarian-alphabet-phonetic-pronunciation.aspx

[Irusejka]

Thank you!

[Djenthallman]

About j and ly: they represent same phoneme /j/ (like y in yellow).

Ly used to represent a different sound, but nowadays it doesn't.

[Irusejka]

Thank you! What about "o" and "a"?

[wyqtor]

Hungarian A is like American English au in caught

[Djenthallman]

O — like in force.

A — there's no such sound in English. I'm a learner just as you, so I may be wrong: it is close to a in call but with more rounded lips.

[Alsweetex]

A - there is such a sound in English, and it's very much like the A in "Father". That is to say that it's like when the dentist tells you to say "AH" and not like the A in "Cat".

[Irusejka]

Thank you!