Chapter 1: El Alfabeto y la Pronunciación

Welcome to your first step in learning Spanish! This chapter covers the Spanish alphabet and the basic sounds of the letters.

Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to: recognize and pronounce each letter of the Spanish alphabet, understand common sound differences between Spanish and English, and pronounce simple Spanish words correctly.

Introduction

"¡Hola futuro hispanohablante! Learning to pronounce the Spanish alphabet correctly is your first exciting step towards unlocking a whole new world of communication and culture. While it might seem basic, mastering the Spanish sounds will significantly improve your ability to understand native speakers and make yourself understood. You'll notice that many Spanish letters are the same as in English, but their pronunciation can sometimes differ. We'll focus on these key differences in this chapter. Take your time, listen carefully, and don't be afraid to practice the sounds. Consistency is more important than perfection at this stage."

Map highlighting Spanish speaking countries Did you know that Spanish is the second most spoken “native" language in the world? Around 486 million people speak Spanish as their “native" language. It is the world's fourth-most "spoken" language overall after English, Mandarin Chinese, and Hindustani (Hindi-Urdu). The country with the largest population of native Spanish speakers is Mexico.

El Alfabeto Español (The Spanish Alphabet)

The modern Spanish alphabet officially has 27 letters. It's very similar to the English alphabet, but with one extra letter: ñ.

While the letters ch and ll were traditionally considered separate letters, they are now officially treated as digraphs (two letters representing one sound).

Letter (Letra) Name (Nombre) Approximate Pronunciation (English Equivalent) Example Word
A a a Like 'a' in "father" el amor (love)
B b be Like 'b' in "ball". Sometimes softer between vowels. el beso (kiss)
C c ce Before e, i: Like 's' in "cent" (Spain: 'th' in "thin"). Before a, o, u: Like 'k' in "cat". la ciudad (city)
la casa (house)
Ch ch che Like 'ch' in "church" el chocolate
D d de Like 'd' in "dog", but softer, often like 'th' in "this" between vowels or at end of word. el día (day)
E e e Like 'e' in "bet" el elefante (elephant)
F f efe Like 'f' in "fan" la flor (flower)
G g ge Before e, i: Like 'h' in "hello" (a bit stronger, throaty). Before a, o, u: Like 'g' in "go". la gente (people)
el gato (cat)
H h hache Silent! Never pronounced. hola (hello)
I i i Like 'ee' in "see" la isla (island)
J j jota Like 'h' in "hello" (stronger, throaty, like Scottish 'loch') el jamón (ham)
K k ka Like 'k' in "kite". Rare, used in foreign words. el kilogramo
L l ele Like 'l' in "lamp" la luna (moon)
Ll ll elle Like 'y' in "yes" (regional variations exist) la llave (key)
M m eme Like 'm' in "man" la madre (mother)
N n ene Like 'n' in "no" la noche (night)
Ñ ñ eñe Like 'ny' in "canyon" or 'ni' in "onion" español (Spanish)
la mañana (morning/tomorrow)
O o o Like 'o' in "hope" or "no" el ojo (eye)
P p pe Like 'p' in "pen" el padre (father)
Q q cu Always followed by 'u' (which is silent) + e or i. Sounds like 'k' in "key". el queso (cheese)
R r ere Slightly tapped/flapped 'r'. At beginning of word or after l, n, s: Trilled 'rr'. pero (but)
la rosa (rose)
RR rr erre Strongly trilled/rolled 'r'. Only appears between vowels. el perro (dog)
S s ese Like 's' in "sun" (never like 'z' in "rose") el sol (sun)
T t te Like 't' in "top" (less air released than English 't') el tren (train)
U u u Like 'oo' in "food". Silent after 'q' and usually after 'g' before 'e' or 'i' (unless ü). uno (one)
la guerra (war)
V v uve / ve Pronounced exactly like 'B' (like 'b' in "ball"). la vida (life)
W w uve doble / doble ve Like English 'w'. Rare, used in foreign words. Washington
X x equis Usually like 'x' in "taxi". Sometimes like 'h' (Mexican Spanish) or 's'. el taxi
México
Y y i griega / ye As vowel (alone or end of word): Like 'ee' in "see". As consonant: Like 'y' in "yes". The name "i griega" reflects the fact that the letter "Y" in Spanish can sound like the vowel "i", a sound that its Greek ancestor (upsilon) often took on in Latin. y (and)
el rey (king)
yo (I)
Z z zeta Like 's' in "sun" (Latin America). Like 'th' in "thin" (Spain). el zapato (shoe)

Basic Pronunciation Rules

Practice Makes Perfect!

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Next Chapter: Bienvenidos

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