Accents and Pronunciation

Pronunciation  Spanish is one of the easiest languages in the world to learn. This is because it is very consistent. To see how consistent it is, try these English words first:  Bough  Cough  Dough  Enough  Though  Through  Thought

Rules  There is a set of (again, very consistent) rules that tell you how to pronounce words in Spanish. As you become more and more comfortable with Spanish, you will pick up these rules naturally.  Right now, there are a few basic things that you must be able to say correctly in order to ensure that a Spanish speaker understands you.

Vowels  Each vowel in Spanish has ONE sound. Period. It does not matter where it is in a word. It is the same sound. (Written accents don’t change the sound—they just tell you where the stressed syllable is.)  Agradable  Dramática  Trabajadora

Vowels  Each vowel in Spanish has ONE sound. Period. It does not matter where it is in a word. It is the same sound. (Written accents don’t change the sound—they just tell you where the stressed syllable is.)  Detective  Elegante  Semejante

Vowels  Each vowel in Spanish has ONE sound. Period. It does not matter where it is in a word. It is the same sound. (Written accents don’t change the sound—they just tell you where the stressed syllable is.)  Difícil  Iniciar  Similar

Vowels  Each vowel in Spanish has ONE sound. Period. It does not matter where it is in a word. It is the same sound. (Written accents don’t change the sound—they just tell you where the stressed syllable is.)  Coordinar  Microondas  Obsoleto

Vowels  Each vowel in Spanish has ONE sound. Period. It does not matter where it is in a word. It is the same sound. (Written accents don’t change the sound—they just tell you where the stressed syllable is.)  Humano  Jugo  Universidad *If an unaccented ‘u’ follows a ‘g’ or ‘q’, don’t pronounce it. The ‘u’ is considered one unit with the ‘q’ or ‘g’. Guisantes Porque

Consonants  Most consonants in Spanish sound like English. There are some subtle differences that are not critical, and you will pick those up the more you are exposed to native speakers. Here are the sounds that you must be able to distinguish from English in order to get your point across.

G  Before a/o/u, the ‘g’ has a harder sound:  Ganar  Mago  Gustar  Before e/i, the ‘g’ sounds like an ‘h’ in English:  General  Girar

H  The ‘h’ in Spanish is silent. Always. Just don’t say it. Ever. Cross it out on your paper if you have to. Pretend that it’s not there.  Hermano  Huir  Ahogar  Rehusar

J  The ‘j’ sounds like an ‘h’ in English, no matter what follows it. Any time that you are confused about the sound, just remember:  Jalapeño  Fajitas  Videojuegos

LL  The ‘ll’ has a variety of sounds depending on where someone is from. Just remember not to say it as the single ‘l’ in English.  Amarillo  Calle  Llamar  Pollo

Práctica When you get the talking piece, say the word that’s on the screen.

teatro

usted

madurez

húmedo

héroe

Jalisco

Guadalajara

biología (bi-o-lo-gí-a)

geología (ge-o-lo-gí-a)

geometría (ge-o-me-trí-a)

hielo

especialización (es-pe-cia-li-za-ción)

Quijote

refrigerador

callar

hallar