In Spanish, vowels are pronounced with consistent sounds. In English, vowel sounds can change from word to word. Each vowel in Spanish 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 |
In Spanish, consonants can have unique sounds that differ from their English counterparts. 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 difference between these combinations will help with proper pronunciation.
| 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 |