Alphabet and pronunciation

Lesson

The Spanish Alphabet and Pronunciation

Welcome to the world of Spanish! 🇪🇸 The good news is that Spanish pronunciation is very regular, and in most cases, you 'read what you see'. It's much easier than in many other languages! Let's explore the basics so you can start speaking correctly straight away.

1. The Spanish Alphabet

The Spanish alphabet has 27 letters. Most are similar to English, but some have unique names or sounds.

2. Vowels – Always the Same!

In Spanish, there are 5 vowels: a, e, i, o, u. Their pronunciation is always the same and never changes, regardless of the surrounding letters. They are short, clear, and distinct!

Casa, coche, libro

House, car, book

3. Consonants – Key Rules

• The letter H is always silent. We never pronounce it! (e.g., hola, hablar)
• The letters C and Z: C before a, o, u sounds like 'k' (e.g., casa). Before e, i and Z (always) it sounds like the 'th' in 'thin' (in Spain) or like 's' in 'sit' (in Latin America). E.g., cinco, zapato.
• The letters G and J: G before a, o, u sounds like 'g' in 'go' (e.g., gato). Before e, i and J (always) it sounds like the 'ch' in Scottish 'loch' (e.g., gente, joven).
• The combinations GU and GÜ: GU before e, i has a silent 'u' (e.g., guerra). When 'u' has two dots (a 'diéresis'), you do pronounce the 'u' (e.g., pingüino).
• The combination QU: the 'u' is silent, pronounced like 'k' (e.g., queso, aquí).
• The letters LL and Y: In most of Spain and Latin America, they are pronounced the same (this is called yeísmo), often like the 'y' in 'yes' (e.g., calle, yo).
• The letter Ñ: Sounds like 'ny' in 'canyon' (e.g., niño, España).
• The letters R and RR: A single R is a soft, single-tap 'r' (e.g., caro). RR (or R at the beginning of a word) is a strong, rolled 'r' (e.g., perro, rosa).
• The letters B and V: In Spanish, their pronunciation is very similar, almost identical, like a soft 'b' or 'v' between vowels. Correct spelling is important (e.g., bien vs. vivir).

4. Accents (Tildes) – Where to Put the Stress?

A written accent (la tilde, e.g., á) indicates which syllable should be stressed more strongly. If there isn't a written accent, these simple rules apply:

1. If a word ends in a vowel, 'n', or 's', the stress falls on the second-to-last syllable. E.g., casa.
2. If a word ends in any other consonant (not 'n', not 's'), the stress falls on the last syllable. E.g., hotel.
3. If a word has a written accent (tilde), the stress always falls there, regardless of the above rules. E.g., café, estación.

Practice makes perfect! The more you listen and speak Spanish, the easier it will be to master these rules. ¡Mucho ánimo! 💪