Nombre__________________________ Clase_________ Fecha_____________
THE SPANISH ALPHABET AND PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
Key: Letter (Spanish name of letter) /English pronunciation/
A – (a) /ah/
EL ABECEDARIO ESPAÑOL
B –(be) /bay/
C –(ce) /say/
*CH –(che) /chay/
D –(de) /day/
E –(e) /ay/
F – (efe) /efay/
G – (ge) /hay/
H –(hache) /achay/
I –(i) /ee/
J –(jota) /hota/
K – (ka) /kah/
L –(ele) /elay/
*LL –(elle) /ay yay/
M –(eme) /emay/
N –(ene) /enay/
Ñ – (eñe) /en yay/
R – (ere) /eray/
U –(u) /oo/
Y –(I griega)
/ee gree ey gah/
O –(o) /oh/
P –(pe) /pay/
*RR – (erre) /erray/
V –(ve o uve) /vay/
Q –(cu) /coo/
S –(ese) /esay/
W – (doble ve)
/doblay vay/
T – (te) /tay/
X –(equis) /eh keez/
Z – (zeta) /zayta/
* These are really just two letters that make one sound. Although they are presented in the above
alphabet, these will not be present in the official Spanish speaker’s alphabet.
** The Spanish alphabet consists only of SHORT sounds. Spanish-speakers typically do speak
faster than English speakers because of the short sounds and the fact they often slur their words
together. (ex. este elefante - this elephant)
PRONUNCIATION CLUES
Be especially careful with the following consonants:
G:
ga (hard) garaje
ge (soft) gente
gi (soft) girar
go (hard) gozar
gu (soft) gusano
H:
ALWAYS silent!
ex. hola, hospital, hipopótamo
J:
LL:
similar to the English "h" or the hard Spanish "g" similar to English “y”
ex. jardín, jarra, jícama
ex: llamo, llegar, llorar
……………………………………………………..otro lado………next side………………
Ñ:
Pronounce this letter as if you were trying to get peanut butter off the roof of your mouth
("Nya!")
ex. señor,
Q:
the "q" is almost always followed by “u” and a vowel. (q and u stick together like glue)
ex. quesadilla, queso, quien (pronounced like the English letter "k" - kay)
RR:
ahhh, the double r, roll your tongue
ex. churro, perro, aburrido
note: The single "r" can also be rolled if it appears at the very beginning or end of a word
(cantar, rasgos)
W:
The "w" in Spanish is very seldomly used.
It's pronounced like the English "b"
ex. wáter, Wilfredo,
X:
The "x" in Spanish is not often used.
It's pronounced like our "x", except in words of nahuatl (Aztec language) origin
Ex: examen, Cineplex
exception: Xochiquetzal (nahuatl)
Accents:
- words with a written accent (always on a vowel) must be stressed with more emphasis on that
accented letter.
ex. avión, difícil, Málaga
Diéresis (ü):
- The diéresis is placed only on the "u" and makes a sound similar to the English "w"
ex. vergüenza, bilingüe
Dipthongs:
- A dipthong is the phenomenon of the blending of two vowel sounds together.
ex. Europa, caigo, puedo
*** Those are the basics of Spanish pronunciation... not too bad! YOU CAN DO IT! NO
MORE TALKING LIKE A GRINGO! ***