Looking for a way to improve your pronunciation? Don't miss the Spanish alphabet and the letter sounds that will make you sound amazing.
The Spanish Alphabet
At first glance, the Spanish and English alphabets look the same. But let me show you the big differences, what really matters for beginning learners.
According to Real Academia Española there are 27 letters in the Spanish alphabet. Ñ is the only additional letter to the English alphabet. CH and LL, the double digit letters have been gone since 2010.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N Ñ O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Each of the 27 letter symbols have a letter name and at least one letter sound. The letter names and letter sounds have different uses. Both are part of beginning Spanish phonics.
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Spanish Letter Names
The letter names are important for spelling and alphabetizing. A traditional alphabet song is a good way to learn the letter names. Here's a good video:
Spanish Alphabet Song - video and song
How to say the letter names
ah - be - ce - de - eh - efe - he - hache - i - jota - ka - ele - eme - ene - eñe - oh - pe - ku - ere - ese - te - u - ve - uve doble - equis - i griega - seta
Create a Spanish alphabet banner
Spanish Alphabet Sounds
Next, the main focus for the alphabet is on the letter sounds. English letter sounds are very different from the Spanish ones. Good pronunciation comes from learning these sounds from the beginning.
Pronouncing the Spanish Alphabet - spanishdict.com
- This guide has sound explanation and audio clip for each letter sound.
Spanish Alphabet Pronunciation for Kids - You Study Spanish
- For each letter, there is a cute picture with pronunciation of letter and word.
The 5 Spanish Vowel Sounds
One sound for each vowel makes Spanish really easy to read. But, first you must learn the correct sounds for each vowel through repetition. Practicing the vowel will make correct pronunciation of vowels automatic.
Letter Symbol A - E - I - O - U
Letter Sound AH - EH - EE - OH - OO
Pronunciation Tip - All of the vowels sounds are very short, meaning said quickly and clipped (not drawn out).
The 22 Consonants
For the consonants, some are the same, similar or completely different sounds from English. The best way to approach the Spanish consonants is to watch and listen to a native speaker. Some of them have different tongue and lip positions. Imitate until you get it right!
Learn how to say the letters and sounds in Spanish Butterfly Spanish Video
List of Spanish Consonant Sounds
Letters with Similar Sounds
For the most part, these letters are close to English
C - k or s
F - f
K - k
L - l
M - m
N - n
P - p (short, clipped)
S - s
T - t (softer)
W - w
Different Sounds
G - g or h
J - h
Q - k
X (usually) - h (or occasionally ks / s)
Y - y (same sound for LL) or ee
Z - s
New Sounds
B and V - b
D - th
H - silent
Ñ - ny
R - r or rr (tapping sound close to a t or tt)
As you can see, there are a lot of difference in the the letter sounds between both languages. Taking the time to focus on learning the correct Spanish pronunciation will give a solid foundation for vocabulary.
In sum, use what you have learned by doing some sound activities.
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