READING IN SPANISH

The objective of this page is to help you understand the pronountiation of Spanish. This page acts as a support of what you have already learned in class. I hope you enjoy it and improve your skills!
 

• Let's start with the vowels. Spanish grammar has five vowels:

• Vowels' sound NEVER change no matter the consonant that goes next to them. So let's start learning how these sounds are like:
• 
   

• "a" in Spanish sounds like "a" in America,  parachute, cap, tap, and fraction. Now say:

• "e" in Spanish sounds like "e" in bet, and hen. Now say:

•   "i" in Spanish sounds like "ee" in heel, sheep, feet, or
• 
  - "i" in foreing, live, lit, or
  - "ea" in teacher, leave, peach. Now try saying:

• "o" in Spanish sound like "o" in form, fork, monkey, money. Now, try to say:

• "u" in Spanish sounds like "oo" in foot, book, tool, mood. Try to say:

• Remember: As seen in the "word structure" hand-out, vowels are divided into strong (a,e,o) and weak (i,u). If two strong vowels are together, say aéreo, each strong vowel form a different syllable: a-é-re-o.
  In contrast, if one strong and one weak vowel are together, they will form what is known as dipthong. For example the proper name Jaime. Jaime will be divided into two syllables: Jai-me, instead of three. Please go bak to the word-structure hand-out for further info.
   
   
   

• There is one consonant which sound is like the vowel "i". The consonant "y" is ONLY pronounced as "i" when ending a word. For example,

• Now, let's start with the consonants. Consonants in Spanish are not as consistent as Spanish vowels, but they are more consistent that English consonants.

• B for example, sounds the same as an English B when beginning the word. For example: bat, bed, begin. Try to say:

 
- B also sounds exactly the same as an English B when preceding an m. For example, ambition, amber, ambulance. Now, try to say:

• C sounds like an English K when followed by the vowels a, u, and o.

• - And it sounds as an s when it is before e and i.
   

  cesped

  cigarrillo

  
   
   

• CH sounds like an English CH in words such as China, chops, chips, chocolate; but not in choir, chord. For example,

• D sounds like English D as in day, dinosour, dollar. Now, try to say:

 
- A th sound is pronounced when the consonant  D is at the end of the word. For example,

• F sounds like ph in pararaph.Try saying:

• G sounds like English g in words such as ground, gotzilla, gosh!, goose, when it is before a, o and u.

- If e or i precede g, its sound becomes like English h as in harmonica, hen, have, horn, house. For example,

• - When g and the vowel u are put together AND followed by the vowels e or i (e.g. gue, gui), the sound of the vowel u becomes silent.
   
   
   

  guitarra

  guerrero

  guisar

  guía

  
   

  - UNLESS there is diéresis, two little dots on top of the u  (e.g. "güe", "güi"), the vowel u is pronounced. For example,
   
   

  pingüe

  pingüino

  antigüedad

• H is silent in Spanish. The vowel next to it, is the one making the sound. Now, try saying:

• J is like the English h as in ham, high, hill, honey. It usually sounds like h after a, o, and u.

• K sounds like English K. This consonant is barely used.

•  

  kilo

  kiosko

  kilate

  
   
   

• L is pronounced as English L as in Lord, loop, light, but never as ll as in fall. Try to say:

• Ll is like an English J as in January, June, jar, juice, joy. However, most people in Latin America pronounce the "ll" as the consonant "y" as in yard, yield, year. Now, try to say:

• M is pronounced as an English m as in mother, May, middle. For example:

•  

  música

  mamá

  mico

  Madrid

•  

  - There are few words ending in m, which sound will be as an n. For example,
   
   

  albúm

• N is like English n as in night, null, nurse. For example,

•  
• Ñ is like ny in canyon. Now, try saying:

• P is like English P but there is no puffing of air. Try saying:

• Q sounds like the English K. There is no puffing of air. For example:

• R is pronounced in two different ways depending on its position within the word.

• - Words beginning with R will be trilled as well as the words having double R (rr) in the middle. For example:

 

- Words having only one r in the middle will be tapped. Tapped r is like American d of saddle.
For example:

- Consonant R at the end of a word will be tapped. For example:

• S is like English s in sun or yes. Never like z of rose. Try saying:

• T is like English T of teacher. Now try saying:

• V sounds like b. V is an homograph letter;  that is, two letters that make the same sound. For example:

• X sounds like ct in action, or cc in access. Try saying:

• Y sounds like y in yard, yield, year. Now try saying:

• - Remember: double l (ll) has the same pronunciation as the consonant y in most Latin American countries.
   
   
   

  lluvia

  llorar

  llano

  calle

  tullido

  
   

  - Y at the end of a word is i.
   

  hoy

  hay

  
   
   
   

• Z is like s of sun; never like an English z as in zebra. Try saying:

I hope you learned from this han-out. Remember: the best way of learning a foreign language is being practicing it at all times. No matter the mistakes! You will learn from them!!!
 

Created by Silvana Mendez
Foreign Language Lab / University of Houston