Understanding Spanish Pronunciation Rules

Spanish pronunciation rules are precise and consistent, and today we will learn about them!

Vowels

The Spanish language has 5 vowels: a, e, i, o, u. Listen to the pronunciation of each vowel and practice.

• a

• e

• i

• o

• u

Consonants

The Spanish language has 22 consonants. Listen to the pronunciation of the following consonants and practice. 

• d – Daniel (like the “th” in “they”)

• f –  Fernando (like the “f” in “fit”)

• h – Honduras (it is always silent)

• l –  Laura (like the “l” in “lie” but without curving the tongue)

• m – Mario (like the “m” in “mom”)

• n –  Naty (like the “n” in “nice”)

• ñ –  España (like the “ny” in “canyon”)

• p –  Perú (like the “p” in “pig”)

• t – Tati (like the “t” in “Tim”, but don’t make it so plosive)

• w –  Walter (like the “w” in “Walter”)

• x –  Alexa (like the “ks” in “desks”)

Rules for the Sound [g]

The sound [g] is written with the letter “g” before the vowels a, o and u.

Before the vowels e and i, this sound is written with a silent u after the letter g. The vowel u is silent in the word “guitarra“.

Pronounce the u in this combination only when you see two little dots (umlaut) of top of it. For example, pronounce the u in “pingüino.”

Listen to the pronunciation of the following letters and practice. 

• ga

• gue

• gui

• go

• gu

• güe

• güi

Rules for the Sound [x]

The sound [x] which is pronounced like the “h” in “ham” is written with the letter “j” in Spanish. Listen.

• ja

• je

• ji

• jo

• ju

The letter “g” is also pronounced like the “h” in “ham” when it appears before the vowels e and i. 

• ge

• gi

Practice the Sounds [g] and [x]

Read the following words out loud. Then, listen to the audio and check your answers. 

• gato

• guerra

• guitarra

• goma

• gusano

• bilingüe

• pingüino

How did it go? Did you pronounce the words well? Let’s practice some more! 

• jamón

• gimnasio

• genética

• jota

• gigante

• jueves

Did you pronounce the above words well? Fantastic! We are still missing some more pronunciation rules. Let’s learn about them!

Rules for the Sound [k]

Before the vowels a, o and u, and at the end of a syllable, this sound is written with the letter “c“. 

The digraph “qu” can only be followed by the vowels e and i, and it corresponds to the sound [k] as well.

The letter “k” also corresponds to the sound [k], but this letter is rarely used in Spanish.  

• ca

• que

• qui

• co

• cu

Rules for the Sound [s]

The letter “c” is pronounced as [s] when it is accompanied by the vowels e and i.  

The letters “z” and “s” also correspond to the sound [s]. Listen. 

• za

• ce

• ci

• zo

• zu

And, of course, the letter “s” also sounds as [s]. 

• sa

• se

• si

• so

• su

Practice the Sounds [k] and [s]

Read the following words out loud. Then, listen to the audio and check your answers.

• casa

• queso

• quilo

• coma

• cincuenta

• cebolla

• cima

• zona

How is it going so far? You are on your way to sound like a native Spanish speaker! Let’s learn a few more rules!

Rules for the Sound [b]

The letters “b” and “v” are pronounced like the “b” in “big”. When these letters appear between vowels, the sound [b] becomes softer.

• vaca

• Victor

• boca

• beso

• Victoria

Rules for the Sounds [r] and [rr]

When the letter “r” appears at the beginning of a word or after n, s or l, it is pronounced with a strong [rr].

It is also pronounced with a strong [rr] when there is a double “r” in the middle of a word. 

• rueda

• Enrique

• Israel

• alrededor

• arroz

If you only see one “r” in the middle or at the end of a word, pronounce “r” with a soft sound. 

• amor

• caro

• raro

• tren

• coro

Rules for the Sound [j]

The letter “y” and the digraph “ll” are pronounced like the “y” in “you“. 

• lluvia

• callo

• yeso

• yo

You are almost done! What’s missing? You need to learn where to put the strength of your voice within words. Let’s learn about it! 

Stress Rules

Where should you put the strength of your voice within words? All you need to know is 3 Spanish stress rules. They are simple. Here they are!

1. If a word ends in a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) or the consonant n or s, put the strength of your voice on the next to last syllable. Listen.

• mañana

• volumen

• tomates

2. If a word ends in any consonant other than n or s, put the strength of your voice on the final syllable. Listen.

• amistad

• mujer

• vegetal

3. If a word has the Spanish accent mark or tilde, then put the strength of your voice in that syllable, ignoring the rules above. 

• teléfono

• difícil

• café

And that was it for today! Here’s a little chart that can help you remember Spanish stress rules!

Oh! One more thing, would you like to learn when to use the Spanish tilde or accent mark? Click here.

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