The below chart tells you how to pronounce letters in Spanish. As you’ll learn, not only can a letter like ‘a’ sound a bit different, letters like ‘j’, ‘h’, ‘e’, and ‘i’ are completely different from English to Spanish. And then there are the double letter sounds, such as the well-known ‘rr’ and ‘ll’, but also the lesser-known sounds, ‘ga’, ‘ge’, ‘gi’, ‘go’, & ‘gü’.
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How to Pronounce Spanish Letters and Sounds
| Letter | Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing | Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English) |
|---|---|---|
| a | AH (It's a soft "ah" like in "aha!) | Acaba (Just) Adelante (Ahead/Come in) Amistad (Friendship) Alumno (Student) Avión (Airplane) Azul (Blue) El Alumno se fue de vieja en un Avión Azul (The student travels in a blue airplane) |
| b | BEH (like the ‘b’ in ‘bay’) | Bueno (Ok) Bacan (Great) Biblioteca (Library) Bote (Boat) Leer es bueno. (Reading is good) La biblioteca esté cerca. (The library is good) |
| ba | BAH | Bailar (To dance) Ballena (Whale) A Maria le gusta bailar. (Maria likes to dance) |
| be | BEH | Beso (Kiss) Belleza (Beauty) Ellos se dan un beso al saludarse. (They kiss when greeting each other) |
| bi | BE | Bienvenida (Welcome) Bigote (Mustache) Mi papa tiene el bigote largo. (My dad has a long mustache) |
| bo | BOW | Bonita (Pretty) Botella (Bottle) La botella esta vacia. (The bottle is empty) |
| bu | BOO | Buscar (To look for) Burro (Donkey) Fui a buscar a mi mamá. (I went looking for my mom) |
| c | CEH (Like the ‘sa’ in ‘say’) (Like the ‘th’ in ‘thay’ in Spain) This letter has exceptions with Ce and Ci (When is followed by “e” or “i”, it is pronounced either as “th” in “think” or as “s” in “son”. ) In all other cases it is pronounced as “k” in ‘key’ | Carcajada (Loud laugh) Carro (Car) Criminal (Criminal) Celular (Cell Phone) Cielo (Sky) El carro esta estacionado. (The car is parked) El celular debe estar apagado. (The cell phone must be turned off) |
| ca | KAH | Cama (Bed) Calamidad (Calamity) Me voy a mi cama. (I go to my bed) |
| ce | CEH | Cena (Dinner) Cerebro (Brain) El cerebro es una órgano. (The brain is an organ) |
| ci | SEE | Cilantro (Cilantro) Ciudad (City) La ciudad que nunca duerme. (The city that never sleeps) |
| co | COH | Coco (Coconut) Compromiso (Commitment) El helado de coco es mi favorito. |
| cu | KOO | Cuerpo (Body) Cupido (Cupid) Me duele el cuerpo. (My body hurts) |
| ch | CHE (Like the ‘ch’ in chair) | Chocolate (Chocolate) Chao (Bye) Chao! Nos vemos mañana. (Bye! See you tomorrow) |
| d | DEE (Like the ‘da’ in ‘day’) Sounds similar to the d in english but the thought should be against your upper teeth instead of the roof of your mouth when pronouncing it. | Dios (God) Decisión (Decision) Dado (Dice) Dedo (Finger) Dormir (Sleep) El matrimonio es una decisión importante. (Marriage is an important decision) Anoche me dormi tarde (Last night i went to sleep late) |
| e | EH (Pronounced like the ‘e’ in ‘bet’) | Elefante (Elephant) Educación (Education) Economy (Economia) Eliminar (Delete) Ejercicio (Exercise) No me gusta hacer ejercicio. (I don’t like to exercise) La economía se ve afectada por la cuarentena. (The economy is affected by quarantine.) |
| f | EFE (EH-fay phonetical) (In words it’s similar to the english f, like ‘f’ in ‘fox’) | Fuerza (Force/Strength) Firma (Firm/Signature) Fuerte (Strong) Fantasma (Ghost) Ferreteria (Hardware store) Unidos somos más fuerte. (United we are stronger) Necesito una buena firma. (I need a good signature) |
| g | HEH (The pronunciation depends on its position in the word. This letter usually sounds much like an English g.) (Before e or i, it sounds like a harsh English h. It's very similar to the j in Spanish.) | Gracias (Thanks) Gritar (Scream) Globos (Balloons) Gramatica (Grammar) Gigante (Giant) Muchas gracias por la ayuda. (Thank you very much for the help.) Compre globos morados (I bought purple balloons.) |
| ga | GAH | Gato (Cat) Galleta (Cookies) El gato es negro. (The cat is black) |
| ge | HEH | Gente (People) Gelatina (Jelly) Me gusta la gelatina. (I like jelly) |
| gi | HE | Gigante (Giant) Girasol (Sunflower) El girasol esta en el jardin. (The sunflower is in the garden) |
| go | GOH | Gordo (Fat) Gorila (Gorilla) El hombre es gordo. (The man is fat.) |
| gu | GOO | Guapo (Handsome/Gorgeous) Guante (Glove) Juan se quitó el guante. (Juan took his glove) |
| gue | GEH | Guerra (War)(war) Guepardo (Cheetah) Nadie gano a guerra (No one won the war.) |
| gui | GHEE | Guitarra (Guitar) Guión (Script) Quiero aprender a tocar la guitarra. (II want to learn to play the guitar.) |
| h | AAH-cheh (but in words it is silent, like in “honour” in English.) (However, in words from other languages, the breathy aspiration is maintained. For example Hawaii) | Hola (Hello) Hornilla (Burner) Hechizo (Spell) Huevo (Egg) Hada (Fairy) Huevos revueltos. (Scrambled eggs) Las hadas existen (Fairies are real) |
| i | EE (Like ‘ee’ in ‘see’ but shorter) | Iguana (Iguana) Iglesia (Church) Isla (Island) Invierno (Winter) Impuesto (Tax) La iglesia esté cerrada. (The church is close) Los impuestos se paga el final del año. (The taxes are paid at the end of the year.) |
| j | HOTA (Sounds close to the English h sound) | Joven (Young) Jirafa (Giraffe) Joya (Jewel) Jugo (Juice) Juguete (Toy) El joven toma jugo de manzana. (The young man drinks apple juice.) Las jirafas viven en África. (Giraffes live in Africa.) |
| k | KAH (is an uncommon letter in Spanish, but sounds much like the English k. Like the ‘k’ in ‘ask’) | Kiwi (Kiwi) Kayak (Kayak) Koala (Koala) Kiosko (Kiosk) Kimono (Kimono) El koala es muy tierno. (The koala is very tender.) Los kiwis son una excelente fuente de vitamina C. (Kiwis are an excellent source of vitamin C.) |
| l | ELE Phonetically EH-leh (In words like “l” in “line” but shorter.) (Instead of the tongue touching the roof of the mouth behind the teeth, it should touch the tip of the teeth themselves.) | Lago (Lake) Limon (Lemon) Leche (Milk) Láminas (Sheets) Lingote (Ingot) La vaca da leche. (The cow gives milk Las láminas son cobre. (The sheets are copper.) |
| ll | ELLE (in most places, pronounced as Y. In certain dialects, pronounced as S sound in English word "vision") (It’s not considered a letter anymore by the RAE) | Llave (key) Me llamo (My name is...) Lluvia (rain) Llama (Llama) Pollo (Chicken) Se me han perdido las llaves. (I’ve lost the keys) Quiero comer pollo. (I want to eat chicken.) |
| m | EME Phonetically EH-may (Like “m” in “mine”.) (In words sounds similar to the english M) | Madre (Mother) Milagro (Miracle) Mapa (Map) Montaña (Mountain) Mano (Hand) Las montañas son altas. (The mountains are tall) Mi madre cree en los milagros. (Mi mother believes in miracles.) |
| n | ENE Phonetically EH-neh (Like “n” in “now”.) (In words sounds similar to the english M) | Nachos (Nachos) Nombre (Name) Naranja (Orange) Niño (Kid) Nube (Cloud) Mi nombre es Diego. (My name s Diego) El niño es muy amable. (The kid is very kind). |
| ñ | ENYE Phonetic EH-nyay (Like “gn” in the Italian word “gnocchi” or in english this letter sounds much like the ni in onion or the ny in canyon.) | Ñame (Yam) Piñata (Piñata) Mañana (Morning/Tomorrow) Español (Spanish) Ñandú (Rhea - animal) El ñandú es una ave sudamérica. (The rhea is a South American bird) En España se habla español. (Spanish is spoken in Spain) |
| o | OH (Close to “aw” in “saw”.) (This letter sounds close to the o in so, but shorter.) | Oso (Bear) Oscuridad (Darkness) Organizar (Organize) Orgullo (Pride) Ojo (Eye) Ella tiene los ojos cerrados. (She had the eyes closed.) No me gusta la oscuridad. (I don’t like darkness.) |
| p | PE (Like “p” in “park”.) (This letter sounds close to the English p, but with less breath.) | Papa (Potato) Publicidad (Advertising) Pera (Pear) Pez (Fish) Payaso (Clown) Las papas crecen en el suelo. (Potatoes grow in the soil.) El pez nada en el océano. (The fish swims in the ocean) |
| q | KOO (sounds like English k when used in a word.) | This letter must be with an ¨u¨ To create a word. |
| que | KEH | Queso (Cheese) Quemar (To burn) El queso esté caliente (The cheese is hot.) |
| qui | KEY | Quito (The capital of Ecuador) Quieto (Still) Es mejor quedarse quito. (It’s better to stay still.) |
| r | ERE (pronounced as a shortened eh reh) This letter has two different sounds, this depends on its position Rosa (Rose), if it’s at beginning sounds like rr with a strong sound. Caro (Expensive), if it’s in the middle of word sounds softer | Primo (Cousin) Caminar (Walk) Gris (Grey) Caro (Expensive) Jugar (Play) El rinoceronte es gris (The rhino is very gray) Voy a jugar (I will play) |
| rr | ERRE Phonetically eh reh (This is a very unique sound to spanish. The key is practice. Practice tip: you can practice it by saying the tt sound in butter over and over.) Trilled R sound. Trills can also occur at the beginning of words that start with R. | Carro (Car) Rueda (Wheel) Radio (Radio) Rey (King) Tierra (Earth/dirt/land) El rey se sienta en su trono (The king sits on his throne) La tierra de las maravillas. (The land of wonders.) |
| s | ESE Phonetically EH-seh (It sounds like the English letter "S") | Sopa (Soup) Sabiduria (Wisdom) Sandia (Watermelon) Silla (Silla) Sol (Sun) El sol esta brillando hoy (The sun is shining today) La silla es de madera. (The chair is of wood.) |
| t | TEH or TAY (It’s softer in sound to the english T. Like ‘t’ in ‘table’) | Tomate (Tomato) Taza (Cup) Teléfono (Phone) Tiger (Tiger) Tenedor (Fork) Mañana te llamaré por teléfono. (Tomorrow I will call you over the phone.) La taza de té esté caliente. (The tea cup is hot) |
| u | OOH (Like ‘oo’ in ‘food’) | Uva (Grape) Uña (Nail) Unicornio (Unicorn) Universo (Universe) Util (Useful) La uva está en el viñedo. (The grape is in the vineyard) El universo se sigue expandiendo (The universe continues to expand) |
| v | OOH-bay (This letter sounds much like the Spanish b. The lips do not touch and there is less aspiration.) | Vaso (Glass) Vaca (Cow) Ventana (Window) Viento (Wind) Vino (Wine) Quiero un vaso con agua. (I want a glass of water) El viento sopla fuerte (The wind blows strong) |
| w | DOH-blay OOH-bay (This letter is not native to Spanish most of the words with this letter come from different languages.) (sounds similar to English ‘w’.) | Whisky (Whisky) Wi-fi (Wi-fi) Waffle (Waffle) Web (Web) Watt (Watt) La web es muy grande. (The web is very big.) Quiero la clave del wi-fi. (I want the wi-fi password.) |
| x | EH-kees (This letter is pronounced like the ‘ks’ in ‘socks’.) | Xilofonista (A person who plays the xylophone) El xilofonista es muy talentoso. (The xylophone player is very talented.) |
| y | YAY (or ‘i griega’ in spanish) (Most of the time, this letter sounds like the ‘y’ in English ‘yes’. At the end of a word, it sounds like the letter i in spanish.) | Yate (Yacht) Yeso (Cast) Yegua (Mare) Yema (Egg yolk) Yelmo (Helmet) El yelmo estaba en el suelo (The helmet was on the floor) Me compre un yate lujoso. (I bought a luxurious yacht.) |
| z | ZETA (Sounds just like s, but can sound like the th in English in parts of Spain.) | Zebra (Zebra) Zapato (Shoe) Zanahoria (Carrot) Zorro (Fox) Zurdo (Left handed) Migue es zurdo. (Miguel is left handed) ¿Donde esté el zorro? (Where is the fox?) |
Letter:
a
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
AH (It’s a soft “ah” like in “aha!)
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Acaba (Just) Adelante (Ahead/Come in) Amistad (Friendship) Alumno (Student) Avión (Airplane) Azul (Blue) – El Alumno se fue de viaje en un Avión Azul. (The student went on a trip in a blue airplane.)
Letter:
b
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
BEH (like the ‘b’ in ‘bay’)
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Bueno (Ok) Bacan (Great) Biblioteca (Library) Bote (Boat) Leer es bueno. (Reading is good.) La biblioteca esté cerca. (The library is nearby.)
Letter:
ba
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
BAH
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Bailar (To dance) Ballena (Whale) A Maria le gusta bailar. (Maria likes to dance.)
Letter:
be
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
BEH
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Beso (Kiss) Belleza (Beauty) Ellos se dan un beso al saludarse. (They kiss when greeting each other.)
Letter:
bi
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
BE
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Bienvenida (Welcome) Bigote (Mustache) Mi papa tiene el bigote largo. (My dad has a long mustache)
Letter:
bo
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
BOW
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Bonita (Pretty) Botella (Bottle) La botella está vacía. (The bottle is empty.)
Letter:
bu
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
BOO
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Buscar (To look for) Burro (Donkey) Estaba buscando mi libro. (I was looking for my book.)
Letter:
c
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
CEH (Like the ‘sa’ in ‘say’) – Like the ‘th’ in ‘thay’ in Spain. This letter has exceptions with Ce and Ci (When it is followed by ‘e’ or ‘i’, it is pronounced either as ‘th’ in ‘think’ or as ‘s’ in ‘son’. ) In all other cases, it is pronounced as ‘k’ in ‘key’
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Carcajada (Loud laugh) Carro (Car) Criminal (Criminal) Celular (Cell Phone) Cielo (Sky) El carro está estacionado. (The car is parked.) El celular debe estar apagado. (The cell phone must be turned off.)
Letter:
ca
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
KAH
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Cama (Bed) Calamidad (Calamity) Me voy a mi cama. (I am going to my bed.)
Letter:
ce
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
CEH
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Cena (Dinner) Cerebro (Brain) El cerebro es un órgano. (The brain is an organ.)
Letter:
ci
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
SEE
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Cilantro (Cilantro) Ciudad (City) La ciudad que nunca duerme. (The city that never sleeps.)
Letter:
co
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
COH
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Coco (Coconut) Compromiso (Commitment) El helado de coco es mi favorite. (Coconut ice cream is my favorite.)
Letter:
cu
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
KOO
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Cuerpo (Body) Cupido (Cupid) Me duele el cuerpo. (My body hurts.)
Letter:
ch
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
CHE (Like the ‘ch’ in chair)
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Chocolate (Chocolate) Chao (Bye) Chao! Nos vemos mañana. (Bye! See you tomorrow.)
Letter:
d
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
DEE (Like the ‘da’ in ‘day’) Sounds similar to the ‘d’ in English but the tongue should be against your upper teeth instead of the roof of your mouth when pronouncing it.
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Dios (God) Decisión (Decision) Dado (Dice) Dedo (Finger) Dormir (Sleep) El matrimonio es una decisión muy importante. (Marriage is a very important decision.) Anoche me dormí tarde. (Last night I went to sleep late.)
Letter:
e
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
EH (Pronounced like the ‘e’ in ‘bet’)
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Elefante (Elephant) Educación (Education) Economy (Economia) Eliminar (Delete) Ejercicio (Exercise) No me gusta hacer ejercicio. (I don’t like to exercise.) La economía se ve afectada por la cuarentena. (The economy is affected by the quarantine.)
Letter:
f
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
EFE (EH-fay phonetical) (In words it is similar to the English ‘f’, like ‘f’ in ‘fox’)
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Fuerza (Force/Strength) Firma (Firm/Signature) Fuerte (Strong) Fantasma (Ghost) Ferreteria (Hardware store) Unidos somos más fuerte. (United we are stronger.) Necesito una buena firma. (I need a good signature.)
Letter:
g
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
HEH (The pronunciation depends on its position in the word. This letter usually sounds much like an English ‘g’. Before ‘e’ or ‘i’, it sounds like a harsh English ‘h’. It’s very similar to the ‘j’ in Spanish.)
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Gracias (Thanks) Gritar (Scream) Globos (Balloons) Gramatica (Grammar) Gigante (Giant) Muchas gracias por la ayuda. (Thank you very much for the help.) Compré globos morados (I bought purple balloons.)
Letter:
ga
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
GAH
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Gato (Cat) Galleta (Cookies) El gato es negro. (The cat is black.)
Letter:
get
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
HEH
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Gente (People) Gelatina (Jelly) Me gusta la gelatina de fresa. (I like strawberry jelly.)
Letter:
gi
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
HE
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Gigante (Giant) Girasol (Sunflower) El girasol está en el jardín. (The sunflower is in the garden.)
Letter:
go
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
GOH
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Gordo (Fat) Gorila (Gorilla) El perro es gordo. (The dog is fat.)
Letter:
gu
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
GOO
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Guapo (Handsome/Gorgeous) Guante (Glove) Juan se quitó los guantes. (Juan took off his gloves.)
Letter:
gue
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
GEH
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Guerra (War) Guepardo (Cheetah) Nadie ganó la guerra. (No one won the war.)
Letter:
gui
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
GHEE
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Guitarra (Guitar) Guión (Script) Quiero aprender a tocar la guitarra. (I want to learn to play the guitar.)
Letter:
h
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
AAH-cheh (but in words it is silent, like in “honor” in English.) (However, in words from other languages, the breathy aspiration is maintained. For example, Hawaii)
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Hola (Hello) Hornilla (Burner) Hechizo (Spell) Huevo (Egg) Hada (Fairy) Huevos revueltos. (Scrambled eggs.) Las hadas existen (Fairies are real.)
Letter:
i
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
EE (Like ‘ee’ in ‘see’ but shorter)
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Iguana (Iguana) Iglesia (Church) Isla (Island) Invierno (Winter) Impuesto (Tax) La iglesia esté cerrada. (The church is closed.) Los impuestos se pagan al final del año. (The taxes are paid at the end of the year.)
Letter:
j
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
HOTA (Sounds close to the English h sound)
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Joven (Young) Jirafa (Giraffe) Joya (Jewel) Jugo (Juice) Juguete (Toy) El joven toma jugo de manzana. (The young man drinks apple juice.) Las jirafas viven en África. (Giraffes live in Africa.)
Letter:
k
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
KAH (is an uncommon letter in Spanish, but sounds much like the English k. Like the ‘k’ in ‘ask’)
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Kiwi (Kiwi) Kayak (Kayak) Koala (Koala) Kiosko (Kiosk) Kimono (Kimono) El koala es muy cariñoso. (The koala is very affectionate.) Los kiwis son una excelente fuente de vitamina C. (Kiwis are an excellent source of vitamin C.)
Letter:
l
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
ELE Phonetically EH-leh (In words like “l” in “line” but shorter.) (Instead of the tongue touching the roof of the mouth behind the teeth, it should touch the tip of the teeth themselves.)
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Lago (Lake) Limon (Lemon) Leche (Milk) Láminas (Sheets) Lingote (Ingot) La vaca da leche. (The cow gives milk.) Las láminas son cobre. (The sheets are copper.)
Letter:
ll
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
ELLE (in most places, pronounced as Y. In certain dialects, pronounced as S sound in English word “vision”) (It’s not considered a letter anymore by the RAE)
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Llave (key) Me llamo (My name is…) Lluvia (rain) Llama (Llama) Pollo (Chicken) Se me han perdido las llaves. (I’ve lost the keys.) Quiero comer pollo. (I want to eat chicken.)
Letter:
m
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
EME Phonetically EH-may (Like “m” in “mine”.) (In words, it sounds similar to the English M.)
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Madre (Mother) Milagro (Miracle) Mapa (Map) Montaña (Mountain) Mano (Hand) Las montañas son altas. (The mountains are high.) Mi madre cree en los milagros. (My mother believes in miracles.)
Letter:
n
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
ENE Phonetically EH-neh (Like “n” in “now”.) (In words sounds similar to the English M)
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Nachos (Nachos) Nombre (Name) Naranja (Orange) Niño (Kid) Nube (Cloud) Mi nombre es Diego. (My name is Diego.) El niño es muy amable. (The kid is very kind.)
Letter:
ñ
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
ENYE Phonetic EH-nyay (Like “gn” in the Italian word “gnocchi” or in English, this letter sounds much like the ‘ni’ in ‘onion’ or the ‘ny’ in ‘canyon’.)
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Ñame (Yam) Piñata (Piñata) Mañana (Morning/Tomorrow) Español (Spanish) Ñandú (Rhea – animal) El ñandú es una ave sudamérica. (The rhea is a South American bird.) En España se habla español. (Spanish is spoken in Spain.)
Letter:
o
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
OH (Close to “aw” in “saw”.) (This letter sounds close to the ‘o’ in ‘so’, but shorter.)
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Oso (Bear) Oscuridad (Darkness) Organizar (Organize) Orgullo (Pride) Ojo (Eye) Ella tiene los ojos cerrados. (She had her eyes closed.) No me gusta la oscuridad. (I don’t like darkness.)
Letter:
p
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
PE (Like “p” in “park”.) (This letter sounds close to the English p, but with less breath.)
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Papa (Potato) Publicidad (Advertising) Pera (Pear) Pez (Fish) Payaso (Clown) Las papas crecen en el suelo. (Potatoes grow in the soil.) El pez nada en el océano. (Fish swim in the ocean.)
Letter:
q
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
KOO (sounds like English k when used in a word.)
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
This letter must be with an ¨u¨ To create a word.
Letter:
que
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
KEH
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Queso (Cheese) Quemar (To burn) El queso esté caliente (The cheese is hot.)
Letter:
qui
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
KEY
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Quito (The capital of Ecuador.) Quieto (Still) Es mejor quedarse quieto. (It’s better to stay still.)
Letter:
r
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
ERE (pronounced as a shortened eh reh) This letter has two different sounds, and it depends on its position. Rosa (Rose), if it’s at the beginning it sounds like rr with a strong sound. Caro (Expensive), if it’s in the middle of the word it sounds softer
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Primo (Cousin) Caminar (Walk) Gris (Grey) Caro (Expensive) Jugar (Play) El rinoceronte es gris (The rhino is very gray.) Voy a jugar (I am going to play.)
Letter:
rr
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
ERRE Phonetically eh reh (This is a unique sound to Spanish. The key is practice. Practice tip: you can practice it by saying the ‘tt’ sound in butter over and over.) Rolled R sound. Rolled r’s can also occur at the beginning of words that start with R.
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Carro (Car) Rueda (Wheel) Radio (Radio) Rey (King) Tierra (Earth/dirt/land) El rey se sienta en su trono (The king sits on his throne) La tierra de las maravillas. (The land of wonders.)
Letter:
s
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
ESE Phonetically EH-seh (It sounds like the English letter “S”)
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Sopa (Soup) Sabiduria (Wisdom) Sandia (Watermelon) Silla (Silla) Sol (Sun) El sol está brillando hoy. (The sun is shining today.) La silla es de madera. (The chair is of wood.)
Letter:
t
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
TEH or TAY (It’s softer in sound to the english T. Like ‘t’ in ‘table’)
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Tomate (Tomato) Taza (Cup) Teléfono (Phone) Tigre (Tiger) Tenedor (Fork) Mañana te llamaré por teléfono. (Tomorrow I will call you over the phone.) La taza de té esté caliente. (The tea cup is hot.)
Letter:
u
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
OOH (Like ‘oo’ in ‘food’)
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Uva (Grape) Uña (Nail) Unicornio (Unicorn) Universo (Universe) Útil (Useful) La uva está en el viñedo. (The grape is in the vineyard.) El universo se sigue expandiendo (The universe continues to expand.)
Letter:
v
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
OOH-bay (This letter sounds much like the Spanish b. The lips do not touch and there is less aspiration.)
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Vaso (Glass) Vaca (Cow) Ventana (Window) Viento (Wind) Vino (Wine) Quiero un vaso con agua. (I want a glass of water.) El viento sopla fuerte (The wind is blowing strong.)
Letter:
w
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
DOH-blay OOH-bay (This letter is not native to Spanish, most of the words with this letter come from different languages.) (sounds similar to English ‘w’.)
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Whisky (Whiskey) Wi-fi (Wi-fi) Waffle (Waffle) Watt (Watt) ¿Tienes la clave del Wi-Fi? (Do you have the Wi-Fi password?)
Letter:
x
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
EH-kees (This letter is pronounced like the ‘ks’ in ‘socks’.)
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Xilofonista (A person who plays the xylophone.) El xilofonista es muy talentoso. (The xylophone player is very talented.)
Letter:
y
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
YAY (or ‘i griega’ in Spanish) (Most of the time, this letter sounds like the ‘y’ in English ‘yes’. At the end of a word, it sounds like the letter ‘i’ in Spanish.)
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Yate (Yacht) Yeso (Cast) Yegua (Mare) Yema (Egg yolk) Yelmo (Helmet) El yelmo estaba en el suelo. (The helmet was on the floor.) Me compré un yate lujoso. (I bought a luxurious yacht.)
Letter:
z
Pronunciation in English & Tips for Pronouncing
ZETA (Sounds just like ‘s’, but can sound like the ‘th’ in English in parts of Spain.)
Words in Spanish w/ this Sound (translation in English)
Zapato (Shoe) Zanahoria (Carrot) Zorro (Fox) Zurdo (Left-handed) Migue es zurdo. (Miguel is left-handed) ¿Dónde está el zorro? (Where is the fox?)