Pronunciation and spelling
How letters are read, ñ, j, ll, written accents and the upside-down ¿ ¡.
Spanish is read almost exactly as it is written: once you know the rules, you can pronounce any word correctly. It has only five pure vowels (a, e, i, o, u), always pronounced the same way.
| Letter | Sound | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| c + e, i / z | «th» as in «think» (Spain), «s» (Latin America) | cena, cinco, zapato |
| c + a, o, u / qu + e, i | «k» | casa, queso, quiero |
| g + e, i / j | harsh «h», like Scottish «loch» | gente, jamón, jugar |
| g + a, o, u / gu + e, i | hard «g» as in «go» | gato, guerra, guitarra |
| h | always silent | hola, hotel, ahora |
| ll / y | «y» as in «yes» | llamar, calle, yo |
| ñ | «ny» as in «canyon» | España, niño, mañana |
| v / b | the same sound: «b», softer between vowels | vino, beber, uva |
| r / rr | a single tap / a strong roll | pero (but) / perro (dog) |
Stress and written accents
- Words ending in a vowel, -n or -s are stressed on the second-to-last syllable: casa, hablan, libros.
- Words ending in any other consonant are stressed on the last syllable: hablar, ciudad, español.
- Every exception carries a written accent: café, canción, árbol, música.
- ¿Cómo te llamas?What's your name?
- Mañana voy a la playa con mi perro.Tomorrow I'm going to the beach with my dog.
Test yourself
-
Is the h in «hola» pronounced?
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No, h is always silent. -
How is the j in «jamón» pronounced?
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like a harsh h (as in «loch») -
What is the difference between «pero» and «perro»?
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pero = but (single tap), perro = dog (rolled rr) -
Why does «café» have an accent?
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It ends in a vowel but is stressed on the last syllable, so it is an exception.