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The Sounds of Spanish. Linguists refer to the different sounds in a language as phonemes (fonemas). For example, the c and r sounds in cosa (thing) and rosa (rose) are phonemes. Spanish sounds are either vocales (vowels) or consonantes (consonants).The majority are represented in writing by a single letter.
- The Spanish Alphabet
- Pronunciation of Spanish Vowels
- Pronunciation of Spanish Consonants
- Pronouncing Common Spanish Words
- How to Practice Spanish Pronunciation
- Practice Spanish Pronunciation in A Conversation
- Ready to Learn More Spanish Grammar? Check These Out!
The first step is to get to know the Spanish alphabet. The Spanish alphabet has 27 letters, one more than the English one. Can you spot the extra letter? Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Ññ Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz Yes, you’re right! It’s Ññ. You’ll get to know this letter better later on. Now let’s take a look at the names of t...
You make the Spanish vowel sounds by letting your breath out of your mouth without closing your throat or touching top lip to bottom. Say “aaaaa” and “ooo.” Do you see? Now, say “l.” Did you notice that you constrict your throat with your tongue? Try saying “p.” In this case, your top lip compresses against your bottom lip. Spanish vowels are compl...
Consonants include all the letters in the Spanish alphabet that are not vowels. Bb Cc Dd Ff Gg Hh Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Ññ Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz Some of them form digraphs—or, combinations of two letters—that have one single sound: 1. ch 2. rr 3. ll 4. gu 5. qu Hear them here: Let’s take a closer look at the Spanish consonants that may cause some ...
Now, the fun part—let’s try some exercises! I will show you five words that are easy to pronounce along with some common Spanish words that can be challenging for English speakers. Note that challenging doesn’t mean impossible, it’s just a question of practice!
Remember, in terms of learning pronunciation, it’s all about regular practice. If you don’t know how to pronounce a word, check the Forvodictionary,where you can hear the words said by real people—and even choose the accent. Download the Forvo app for Android or iOS Additionally, if you’d like to get the IPA phonetic transcription, use this Spanish...
Working on your Spanish pronunciation is crucial for your future. It’s true that to travel and make yourself understood, you don’t need to sound like Gael García Bernal or Salma Hayek. But to get yourself a cool job as an interpreter or bilingual teacher, learning Spanish is worth the effort. Interpreters and translators are among the top five fast...
- [ð] D isn't just D. The Spanish ‘d’ is not pronounced quite the same as that in English ‘d’, especially when it’s in the middle of a word. In these cases, it’s pronounced softer and less harsh, where the tongue doesn’t hit the roof of the mouth, but moves forward to hit more the top front teeth.
- [θ] Ceceo - the Spanish lisp. Regional accents are often about very specific pronunciations of specific letters or words. This is the case with that Spanish ‘lisp’ known as ceceo, which is almost exclusively found in Spain.
- [β] B & V aren't just B & V. Similar to the story with the Spanish ‘d’, the Spanish ‘b‘ and ‘v‘ are not quite the same as the English ‘b‘ and ‘v‘. In fact, in Spanish they are the same sound and represented phonetically by [β].
- [ɣ] A partial G. The different G sound may be more pronounced in some accents than others, but it’s a delicate distinction to think about when you’re perfecting your accent.
Vowels. Spanish vowels are pronounced clearly and quite sharply, and unlike English are not extended to form diphthongs (e.g. side [saɪd], know [nəʊ]). Unstressed vowels are relaxed only slightly (compare English natural [‘nætʃrəl] with Spanish natural [natu’ral]). Stressed vowels are pronounced slightly more open and short before rr ...
At the beginning of a word, it's pronounced like the Spanish trilled rr (see below). rr. doble erre. To make the famous trilled rr (which is no longer considered a "letter" in the Spanish alphabet), the key is practice. Practice tip: Say the word butter (with American pronunciation) and think of the sound you make in the middle (tt).
LetterLetter Name (s)Pronunciation TipsaaThis letter sounds like the ah sound you ...bbeThis letter often sounds like an English ...cceThis letter often sounds like the English ...chcheWhile this is not considered a letter ...a. en buen estado. The building is sound, even after so many years.El edificio está en buen estado, a pesar de los años transcurridos. 12. (deep) a. profundo. A morning walk in the woods after a sound sleep is pure bliss.Una caminata mañanera por el bosque después de un sueño profundo es pura gloria.
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Noun canterbury (pl. canterburys or canterburies) A rack for magazines or other papers, usually wooden, often done as a decorative piece. Cantórbery: see also Cantorbéry Cantórbery (Spanish) Alternative forms Cantorbery Proper noun Cantórbery (now rare) Canterbury (ancient city in England) Synonyms Canterbury. Quote, Rate & Share
