[jɛs] | yes | |
[ˈjɛlo] | yellow | |
[kjut] | cute |
The IPA [j] symbol represents the y sound, just like the letter j usually does in German.
(The IPA symbol [y] does not represent this sound. It represents a non-English vowel sound -- [i] pronounced with your lips rounded -- as in French lune [lyn] 'moon'.)