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How to Pronounce Spanish Words
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One of the most difficult parts of learning a new language is learning how different letters are pronounced. Foreign language grammar can be made even more difficult if you don’t have a master knowledge of your own. Here is a quick reference guide you can carry with you to help you learn how to pronounce Spanish words in seconds. Most of the pronunciations listed here will be taught in the average Spanish class within the first few days or weeks. You can get a real head start on your very first Spanish class by learning the following pronunciations now.
First, vowel pronunciation is key in learning Spanish, just like it is with any other romance language or any other language that makes use of the Phoenician alphabet.
The letter A is pronounced like “ahhh” as if you were saying the word father in English. A good example of this would be the Spanish word Gracias.
While the letter A tends to be pronounced long, the letter E is pronounced as a hard A in english like "aay", as if you were saying the words sorbe or valet in English. This pronunciation can be seen in the Spanish word ingles (pronounced "een-glayce").
The letter I also gets the long treatment and is pronounced like a pair of e’s would be in English, like in the words wheel, bee and feet. This style of pronunciation can be seen in the Spanish word for yes, “si”.
You should think of the Spanish O as being similar to the O in the English word no.
The letter U becomes stretched out so that it is pronounced like a double O sound, as in pool or fool.
Now that you know the first part of how to pronounce Spanish words, you can move on to consonants.
The letter B has a much softer sound that is often pronounced quietly and without the urgency that English speakers use. It's almost as if you are combining a B and a V into a single sound.
The letter C is complicated and often used in different ways depending on the word. In some cases, it is pronounced like the letter K, with a hard, overly emphasized style, but in some cases, it is a soft C, just like English. Making things even more complicated, residents of Spain pronounce the letter one way, while residents of South America who speak Spanish tend to pronounce it a different way.
If you should happen to come across a double C, you would pronounce it like accident in English.
The letter D is pronounced as the English "th" as in "breathe", "them", and "the". In many cases, Spanish speakers don’t put as much emphasis on every syllable as English speakers do, instead choosing to say each word as a whole.
The letter G varies greatly depending on the vowels in front of it. Sometimes, the G is pronounced like the G in the word Get, as in "gracias", while other times, it sounds like a combination of and English K and H - kind of like clearing your throat.
English speakers may be familiar with silent E’s, but in Spanish, the silent letter is always H.
The H can afford to be silent because the letter J is always pronounced like an H is in English as in the Spanish name "Jose".
If you should happen to come across a double L, you would pronounce it like a Y in the word yes.
Many Spanish words make use of a rolled R sound. It might take practice, but you can learn to roll your R’s correctly.
The letter V is similar to the letter B in which it is pronounced by combining a B and a V into a single sound.
Finally, the Spanish Z is pronounced like an S in most cases.
Learning how to pronounce Spanish words isn’t difficult when you are given the correct tools in which to work with. By memorizing this list now, you can jump ahead of all of your classmates and you’ll be one step closer to mastering this beautiful language. Learning how to pronounce Spanish words can be fun!
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