Pronunciation Guide to Castilian Spanish
The following pronunciation guide is excerpted from the six volumes of Canciones de España—Songs of
Nineteenth-Century Spain, edited by Suzanne Rhodes Draayer, Scarecrow Press, 2003, 2005, 2007.
The great Spanish explorers brought with them the Castilian language and pronunciation from the Castille
region of Spain to the “New World” in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Just as British English
underwent tremendous changes in vocabulary and pronunciation in its colonies, the Spanish language
experienced the same evolution. When singing the vocal literature of Latin America, Latin American
pronunciation or Standard American Spanish (SAS) is proper, but when singing the vocal literature of
Castilian Spain, Standard European Spanish (SES) is necessary. The determining factor is the place of
education of the poet.
Letter in
Alphabet
International Placement
Phonetic
in Text
Alphabet (IPA)
Symbol
Spanish
Example
International Pronunciation
Phonetic
Example
Alphabet (IPA)
Transcription
a
a
all positions
casa
'ka.sa
similar to a
in father
ai, ay
aj
all positions
vainilla
hay
baj.'ni.¥a
aj
lie
au
au
all positions
caudillo
kau.'Di.¥O
count
b
b
initial in phrase
or sentence
(after a breath)
brazos
'b|a.TOs
brave
b
following m
emblema
un beso
”m.'bl”.ma
um 'b”.sO
emblem
B
in all other cases
debajo
d”.'Ba.xO
none in
English—soft b
with lips lightly
touching
T
preceding e, i
impaciencia
im.pa.'Tj”n.Tja
thank
k
preceding a, o,
u, & consonants
clamor
kla.'mOr
call
kT
always
acceso
ak.'T”.sO
none in
English—k as in
call, T as in thank
c
cc
1
Letter in
Alphabet
International Placement
Phonetic
in Text
Alphabet (IPA)
Symbol
Spanish
Example
International Pronunciation
Phonetic
Example
Alphabet (IPA)
Transcription
ch
tS
in all positions
chiquitita
tSi.ki.'ti.ta
chili
d
d
initial in phrase
or sentence
(after a breath)
dios
donde
djOs
'dOn.d”
dog
d
after l or n
bendito
b”n.'di.tO
dog
D
within phrases,
except after l
or n
no digas
nO 'Di.øas
there
e
”
all positions
responde
r”s.'pOn.d”
set
ei, ey
”j
all positions
reino
ley
'r”j.nO
no English
equivalent—” as
in set and i as in
sleep
l”j
eu
”u
all positions
reunir
r”u.'nir
no English
equivalent—” as
in set and u as in
food
f
f
all positions
flores
'flO.|”s
flowers
g
g
initial in
phrase or
sentence
(after a breath)
or following a
nasal consonant
gusto
'gus.tO
grey
tengo
sangre
't”N.gO
'saN.g|”
finger
x
preceding
e&i
gitano
xi.'ta.nO
no English
equivalent—
Ger. Bach
ø
within a word
or phrase, &
before a, o, u,
and consonants
seguidilla
s”.øi.'Di.¥a
de gracia
D” 'ø|a.Tja
no English
equivalent—
soft g sound
2
Letter in
Alphabet
International Placement
Phonetic
in Text
Alphabet (IPA)
Symbol
Spanish
Example
International Pronunciation
Phonetic
Example
Alphabet (IPA)
Transcription
gue
g”
always
guerra
'g”.rra
get
gui
gi
always
guiño
'gi.≠O
geese
güe
gw”
always
vergüenza
b”r.'øw”n.Ta
segue (but
with open ”)
güi
gwi
always
lingüista
liN.'gwis.ta
extinguish (but
with i)
h
silent
always
hablar
a.'Blar
heir
i
i
always
sí
si
sleep
ia
ja
always
gloria
'glO.|ja
as in the
Italian—piano
ie
j”
always
prefiero
p|”.'fj”.|O
siesta
io
jO
always
ilusión
i.lu.'sjOn
viola
iu
ju
always
ciudad
Tju.'DaD
cue
j
x
always
pajarita
jojoba
pa.xa.'|i.ta
xO.'xO.Ba
no English
equivalent—
Ger. Bach
k
k
always
kiwi
'ki.wi
kiwi
l
l
always
paloma
pa.'lO.ma
lesson
ll
¥
always
llorar
caballero
'¥O.|ar
ka.Ba.'¥”.|O
yes
m
m
always
mañana
ma.'≠a.na
morning
n
n
initial,
interior, final
mientras
'mj”n.t|as
never
3
Letter in
Alphabet
International Placement
Phonetic
in Text
Alphabet (IPA)
Symbol
Spanish
Example
International Pronunciation
Phonetic
Example
Alphabet (IPA)
Transcription
n
m
before b, m,
p in words
or within phrases
sin mancha
convidados
sim 'man.tSa
kOm.bi.'Da.DOs
mama
M
before f
enferma
confusa
”M.'f”r.ma
kOM.'fu.sa
no English
equivalent—
similar to sing
with m, not n
N
before c, g, k,
q, x in words or
within a phrase
blanca
con guitarra
ven que
'blaN.ka
kON gi.'ta.rra
sinker
b”N k”
ñ
≠
always
señor
s”.'≠Or
onion
o
O
always
amor
a.'mOr
more
oi, oy
Oj
always
sois
voy
sOjs
bOj
boy
p
p
always
pobre
'pO.B|”
poor
q
k
always
querer
k”.'|”r
king
r
r (rolled)
always if initial
or just after
a breath
rosa
'rO.sa
as in the
British—
merry
r (rolled)
after s, n, l
(Saturday Night
Live), before a
consonant, or
final in a word
sonreír
sOn.r”.'ir
as in the
British—
merry
perlas
placer
'p”r.las
pla.'T”r
after consonants
other than s, n,
l , & between
vowels in a
word or word
group
María
ma.'|i.a
de rocío
D” |O.'Ti.O
| (flipped)
4
no English
equivalent—
one flip
against the
upper front
teeth
Letter in
Alphabet
International Placement
Phonetic
in Text
Alphabet (IPA)
Symbol
Spanish
Example
International Pronunciation
Phonetic
Example
Alphabet (IPA)
Transcription
rr
r (rolled)
always
tierra
'tj”.rra
s
s
always if initial
or between
vowels in a
word or word
group
sustento
mis ojos
tu sonido
rosa
sus.'t”n.tO
mis 'O.xOs
tu sO.'ni.DO
'rO.sa
z
before voiced
consonants
(b, B, d, dZ,
D, g, ø, l, ¥,
m, n, ≠, N,
|, r, v, y, z)
in a word or
within a
word group
desde
mientras la
entusiasmo
verdes río
'd”z.D”
'mi”n.t|az la
”n.tu.'sjaz.mO
'b”r.D”z 'ri.O
rose
t
t
always dental
with the tongue
at the back of
the upper teeth
tener
t”.'n”r
no English
equivalent—
It. tutti
u
u
always when
followed
by a consonant
luz
luT
food
ua
wa
always
agua
'a.øwa
Guatemala
ue
w”
always, except
after g & q
bueno
'bw”.nO
sweater
”
after g & q
que
juguetón
k”
xu.ø”.'tOn
kent
guess (soft g)
wi
always, except
after g & q or
if the two vowels
are in different
syllables
ruidoso
rwi.'DO.sO
queen
mui
guíon
huy
muj
'gi.On
ui
no English
equivalent
ui, uy
5
as in the
British—
merry
soft
Letter in
Alphabet
International Placement
Phonetic
in Text
Alphabet (IPA)
Symbol
Spanish
Example
International Pronunciation
Phonetic
Example
Alphabet (IPA)
Transcription
ui, uy
i
after g & q
guiño
quince
'gi.≠O
'kin.T”
guild but with i
keep
uo
wO
always
cuota
'kwO.ta
quota
v
b
always
if initial
vivo
'bi.BO
brook
b
after n
enviar
”m.'bjar
amber
B
within a word
or phrase
novia
'nO.Bja
none in
English—
soft b with
lips lightly
touching
w
w
used only
in foreign
words
windsurf
wind.'surf
x
s
if initial
xilófono
si.'lO.fO.nO
soft
ks
in interior
position
exhalar
”k.sa.'lar
exhale
j
if initial,
interior
or final
yema
joya
'j”.ma
'xO.ja
year
dZ
following
n or l
inyección
in.dZ”k.'TjOn
jelly
z
T
initial,
interior,
final
zapata
cabeza
voz
Ta.'pa.ta
ka.'B”.Ta
bOT
thimble
z
z
before
voiced
consonants—
in a word
or within
a word group
voz de
bOz D”
ease
y
6
wicked
Canciones de España: Songs of Nineteenth-Century Spain, Suzanne Rhodes Draayer, Scarecrow Press. All
rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise
without the prior written permission of the publisher.
7
