How to Pronounce Spanish Words

The first step to learning Spanish is understanding the pronunciation of parts of the alphabet. Luckily, Spanish uses the same letters as the English alphabet, but the pronunciation is different. Learning any new language has its up-front work. With practice and by knowing the different pronunciation rules, you will be well on your way.

Part 1
Part 1 of 2:

Saying Your Vowels

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    Know the five vowels. The Spanish language uses the same vowels that are used in the English language, "a," "e," "i," "o," and "u." There are five vowel sounds that you should become familiar with. Unlike the English language, each of these vowels always makes the same sound in every single word. Also remember that vowels are never silent when you are pronouncing Spanish words.
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    Say the letter "a." The letter "a" in Spanish is sounds like the "a" in the word "father." If a Spanish word has more than one "a," all of the "a"s will make the same sound (e.g. mañana). "Mañana" sounds like "mah-nya-nah" The long "a" found in words such as "blame" or "name" is never used when you speak Spanish.[1]
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    Pronounce the letter "e." The letter "e" in Spanish sounds like the "e" in "weigh" or the "a" in the word "late." For example, "pero" should sound like you are saying "pay-ro." The long "e" sound in words like "need" or "speed" are not used when you are speaking Spanish.
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    Practice saying the letter "i." The letter "i" in Spanish sounds like the "i" in the word "machine." The Spanish "i" also sounds like the long "e" in the word "be." Never pronounce "i" with the sound used in the word "hide," "if," or "hit."[2] For example, "hija" sounds like "ee-ha."
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    Say the letter "o." The letter "o" in Spanish is always pronounced as a long "o" in the English language. Spanish "o"s sound like the "o" in the word "no." Avoid pronouncing the "o" that is used in the word "opportunity" and "other." [3] For example, "como" sounds like "koh-moh."
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    Be careful with the letter "u." The letter "u" in Spanish is pronounced like the "u" in the word "lunar." This letter only makes one sound in the Spanish language. In English, words that begin with the letter "u" (e.g. useful, utilize) make a "y" sound. However, do not use this pronunciation of the letter "u" when you pronounce Spanish words. "Cúrcuma" sounds like "koor-koo-mah."
    • The letter "u" never makes the sound found in the word "flutter" or "ultimate" either.[4]
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    Do not drag out the sound. Native English speakers have a tendency to drag out vowel sounds. Spanish vowels should be pronounced using short sounds. For example, in English you may pronounce the word "hey," as "heeeeey." Instead, keep the pronunciation short as if you are saying "late."[5] Elongating the sound of your vowels when you speak Spanish will alert others that you are not a native Spanish speaker and can make it more difficult for other people to understand what you are saying.
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    Practice diphthongs. A diphthong is two vowels next to each other. When you see this, pronounce the sound of the first vowel and then pronounce the sound of the second vowel. Practice until you can say the two sounds as one syllable. You will have to make the sounds quickly and not drag out the sounds of each individual vowel.[6]
    • For example, "feo" sounds like "feh-oh,"cuando" sounds like "kooahn-doh", and "suizo" sounds like "sooee-soh."[7]
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Part 2
Part 2 of 2:

Pronouncing Consonants in Spanish

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    Know the similarities with the English language. Some consonants are pronounced the same in English and Spanish including the letters: "d," "f," "k," "l," "m," "n," "p," and "t." The letter "b" is also pronounced the same in both English and Spanish.
    • Note that the letter "b" and "v" are pronounced the same when you speak Spanish. For example, the word "vaca" sounds like "baca."[8]
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    Make your "h" silent. There is no sound for the letter "h" in the Spanish language. When you see an "h," pronounce the word as if it is not there at all. For example, ignore the "h" in words such as "hola" and "hombre." The only exception to the silent "h" is if you see "ch" together. Say "ch" as you normally would in English (e.g. cheers, child). The "ch" sound is the "ch" from the Scottish language.
    • "Hola" sounds like "oh-la."
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    Pay attention to the letter "c". In most instances, the letter "c" is pronounced as a "k" in the English language (e.g. case, careful, carpet). Words such as "casa," "cosa," and "cuota" follow this rule. If the "c" is before the letter "e" or "i" (e.g. cielo, acento), pronounce is as an "s" like in the word "sin."
    • You also use the "k" sound when you see the letters "qu." For example, you would pronounce "quiero" as if it is spelled "kiero."
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    Pronounce "j" as an "h". The sound of the English "j" in words like "judge" and "jump" is never used when you speak Spanish. Most native English speakers are able to pronounce a "j" as a strong "h"[9] . For example, "jugar" would sound like "hoo-gar."[10] However,this is not the exact sound that a native Spanish speaker would make. The Spanish "j" makes the same sound as the "ch" in the Scottish word "loch," but we do not have this sound in the English language so it is more difficult.[11] The "ch" sound is similar to an "x"[12] or "ks" sound used in the word "box."
    • The "j" sound is difficult and will take practice to pronounce correctly.[13]
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    Roll your "r"s. The letter "r" is always rolled when you speak Spanish.[14] This may be difficult for some native English speakers because this sound does not exist in the English language. To practice rolling your "r," say "brr" but use your tongue instead of your lips to make the sound. Your tongue should touch your upper teeth/roof of your mouth to help make the sound.
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    Look out for double consonants. The double consonant "ll" has a unique sound. Treat "ll" as the letter "y" as in the English word "yes" or "you." For example, the word "llama" should be pronounced as if it is spelled "yama." The Spanish "pollo" sounds like "poy-yoh."[15] You are probably used to pronouncing "ll" correctly when you say the word "tortilla." Just keep this in mind when you see any other Spanish words with an "ll."
    • "R" and "rr" make different sounds. Flap your tongue against the roof of your mouth to make the "rr" sound. The "rr" sound is called a trilled sound.
    • You may sometimes see a "cc." You will only see this in front of an "i" or an "e." Pronounce the "cc" as a "ks." The word " acción" would be pronounced as " aks-ión."
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    Pronounce "x" like a "j" or an "sh". This pronunciation usually applies to Mexican names such as "Mexico," "Oaxaca," "Texas," and "Xochimilco." You may see the words "Mexico" and "Texas" written as "Mejico" or "Tejas." In the word "Xochimilcho," the letter "x" is pronounced like as "s." If you see an "x" in a word that is not some sort of name (e.g. exito, taxi, explicar), pronounce the "x" as you normally would in English.
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    Be careful with the letter "g". The sound the letter "g" makes will depend on the letters around it. If the "g" is before an "a," "o," or "u," pronounce it as a hard "g" sound like in the word "golly." Spanish words like "gato" and "agonia" follow this rule. If the "g" is before an "e" or an "i," it sounds like the Spanish "j." Spanish words like "gente," and "gigante" are pronounced using the Spanish "j" sound. The combination of "gu" makes a single sound and changes depending on the letters around it as well.
    • If "gu" is before an "i" or an "e," it makes the hard "g" sound. Words like "guerra" and "guisar" are examples of this.
    • If "gu" is before an "a" or an "o," it sounds like a "gw." Examples of this rule include words like "guante," "guapo," and "ambiguo."
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    Adjust how you say "z". The pronunciation of the letter "z" will vary depending on the type of Spanish that you are speaking. In Spain, "z" is pronounced as a "th" like in the words "they" or "there." In other Spanish speaking countries, the letter "z" is pronounced exactly like the letter "s." The Spanish "z" never sounds like the English "z" in the word "zone."
    • For example, "zapato" may be pronounced as "sapato" or "thapato" depending on the dialect.
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    Recognize the difference between "n" and "ñ". The Spanish "ñ" is pronounced as an "ny." It sounds the same as when you say the "ny" in the word "canyon." This distinction is important because it can change the meaning of a word. For example, "ordeñar" means to milk something. While "ordenar" means to organize.[16]
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    How would I pronounce "super" in Spanish?
    Donagan
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    "soo-PEHR."
  • Question
    How would I say, "Where is my hotel room?"
    Donagan
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    ¿Dónde está mi habitación de hotel?
  • Question
    How do I pronounce a "ch" as in Barcha?
    Donagan
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    Pronounce it the same way it's pronounced in English.
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References

  1. ↑ http://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2343&context=honors_theses
  2. ↑ http://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2343&context=honors_theses
  3. ↑ http://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2343&context=honors_theses
  4. ↑ http://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2343&context=honors_theses
  5. ↑ http://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2343&context=honors_theses
  6. ↑ http://www.spanishdict.com/topics/show/115
  7. ↑ http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/detecting-diphthongs-in-spanish.html
  8. ↑ https://www.superduperinc.com/handouts/pdf/82_commonArticulation.pdf
  9. ↑ https://www.tomzap.com/sp_key.html
  1. ↑ https://takelessons.com/blog/how-to-pronounce-Spanish-words
  2. ↑ http://www.donquijote.org/culture/spain/languages/j-in-spanish
  3. ↑ http://www.donquijote.org/culture/spain/languages/alphabet
  4. ↑ http://www.donquijote.org/culture/spain/languages/j-in-spanish
  5. ↑ https://www.tomzap.com/sp_key.html
  6. ↑ http://www.fluentu.com/spanish/blog/learn-spanish-pronunciation/
  7. ↑ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/one-spanish-letter-changes-these-words_560466ece4b00310edfab1bb

About This Article

Diana Con Webber
Co-authored by:
Diana Con Webber
Teacher
This article was co-authored by Diana Con Webber. Diana Con Webber is a Teacher in Arizona. She received her Standard Elementary Education, K-8 Certificate in 2017. This article has been viewed 77,790 times.
19 votes - 99%
Co-authors: 22
Updated: September 16, 2022
Views: 77,790
Categories: Pronouncing Spanish
Article SummaryX

To pronounce Spanish words, keep in mind that vowels make the same sound in every single word, so you don't have to worry about multiple pronunciations. For the vowels "a" and "e," use the short forms of the letters. To pronounce the letter "o," use the long form of the vowel. For "i," pronounce it like a long "e," and for "u," pronounce it like you would pronounce "oo." For more tips from our Spanish co-author, like how to pronounce Spanish consonants, scroll down!

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