The alphabet

Spanish is a very phonetic language, you will learn how to adjust your entonation (the rise and fall of your voice) to convey meaning.

VOWELS

Spanish vowels are pronounced staccato, that is short and hard.

• a : ah, as in father

                 eg. año (year), hablar (to speak)

• e : eh, as in bet

                 eg. queso (cheese), médico (doctor)

• i : ee, as in seen

                eg. iglesia (church), igual (equal)

• o : oh, as in old

                eg. ojo (eye), ocho (eitght)

• u : ooh, as in moo

                eg. usted (you), jugo (juice)

CONSONANTS

Many Spanish consonants have the same sound as English (See, you already know a little Spanish!)

• b : a cross between b and v

                 eg. bueno (good), banco (bank)

• c : sound of k when in front of a, o and u; sound of s when in front of e and i.

                 eg. casa (house), centímetro (centimeter)

• d : same English sound

                eg. dulce (sweet), discurso (discourse)

• f : same English sound

      eg. foco (focus), familia (family)

• g : sound of g when in front of a, o and u; sound of h when in front of e and i (this h is more gutural than the English h)

                eg. gafas (glasses), gustar (to like), gerente (manager), gigante (giant)

• h : silent, no sound

                eg. hola (hello), hombre (man)

• j : sound of h as in hello

                eg. jugo (juice), coraje (courage)

• k : same English sound

                eg. kilo

• l : same English sound

                eg. luz (light)

• m : same English sound

                eg. madre (mother)

• n : same English sound

                eg. nadie (nobody)

• ñ : ny, like the sound of nio in the word onion

                eg. niño (kid), mañana (tomorrow)

• p : same English sound

                eg. pueblo (people)

• q : sound of k

                eg. queso (cheese)

• r : sounds like a double dd in the word ladder (american pronunciation) 

                eg. rosa (pink), radio (radio)

• s : same English sound

                eg. santo (saint), suerte (luck)

• t : same English sound

                eg. trabajo (job), transporte (transport)

• v : a cross between b and v

                eg. vaca (cow)

• w : same English sound

                eg. whisky

• x : same English sound

                eg. exámen (test)

• y : y as in yellow or ee at the end of the word

                eg. playa (beach), hoy (today),

• z : sound of s

                eg. zapato (shoe)

In Spanish, the following doubleletter combinations for unique sounds:

• ch : just as in English

                eg. chico (boy), cuchara (spoon),

• ll : sound of y

                eg. calle (street), llamar (to call)

• rr : trilled r

                eg. perro (dog)