In Spanish, vowels are pronounced with (generally) consistent sounds. In English, vowel sounds can change from word to word. Each vowel in Spanish (usually) has a single, specific sound.
| Letter | Spanish Example | Sounds Like... |
|---|---|---|
| A | La casa (the house) | Sounds like the a in father |
| E | La mesa (the table) | Sounds like the e in set |
| I | Lisa (Lisa) | Sounds like the i in Lisa |
| O | El oro (gold) | Sounds like the o in gold |
| U | Uno (one) | Sounds kind of like the u in dude |
A common mistake in beginner Spanish classes is saying the word "de" like /di/ or "dee". The "e" in "de" sounds like the "e" in the chart above.
In Spanish, consonants can have unique sounds that differ from the same letter in English. Below are some common consonants and consonant combinations with examples and their corresponding English sounds.
| Letter or Letter Combination | Spanish Example | Sounds Like... |
|---|---|---|
| Ll | La llama (the llama) | Sounds like the y in Yes or in some places like the j in Jeans |
| Ñ | El niño (the boy) | Sounds like the ny in canyon |
| V | La vaca (the cow) | Sounds kind of like the b in Bat |
| Rr | El perro (the dog) | Sounds like a trilled r |
| H | Hola (hello) | Silent (No sound) |
| J | El jugo (the juice) | Sounds like the h in Hot |
| Z (Latin America) | El zapato (the shoe) | Sounds like the s in Sun |
| Z (Spain) | El zapato (the shoe) | Sounds like the th in Thing |
In Spanish, certain consonant combinations with vowels produce distinct sounds. Understanding the differences in these combinations will help us sound a lot better when we speak Spanish.
| Letter Combination | Spanish Example | Sounds Like... |
|---|---|---|
| Ce, Ci - "C before 'e' or 'i'" | Cero, Cinco (zero, five) | Sounds like the s in Sun (Latin America) or th in Thing (Spain) |
| Ca, Co, Cu | Casa, Con, Cumpleaños (house, with, birthday) | Sounds like the c in Car, Cold, Kite |
| Ge, Gi - "G before 'e' or 'i'" | Generoso, Inteligente (generous, smart) | Sounds like the h in Hot |
| Ga, Go, Gu | Gato, Gordo, Guapo (cat, fat, handsome) | Sounds like the g in Go or Get |