Appendix A: Introduction to Spanish Sounds The following guide to Spanish pronunciation is designed to enhance your speaking ability. You will hear a series

Appendix A:Introduction to Spanish

Sounds

The following guide to Spanish pronunciation is designed to enhance your speaking ability.

You will hear a series of words related to a particular sound. Repeat each word after the speaker, imitating the pronunciation as closely as you can.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Basic Spanish - Page 2

The Vowels

1. The Spanish a has a sound similar to the English a in the word father.

Repeat:Ana casa bananamala dama mata


The Vowels

2. The Spanish e is pronounced like the English e in the word eight.

Repeat:este René temedéme entre bebe


The Vowels

3. The Spanish i is pronounced like the English ee in the word see.

Repeat:sí difícil Mimí

ir divider Fifí


The Vowels

4. The Spanish o is similar to the English o in the word no, but without the glide.

Repeat:solo poco como

toco con monólogo


The Vowels

5. The Spanish u is similar to the English ue sound in the word Sue.

Repeat:Lulú un su

universo murciélago


The Consonants

1. The Spanish p is pronounced like the English p in the word spot.

Repeat:pan papá Pepe

pila poco pude


The Consonants

2. The Spanish c in front of a, o, u, l, or r sounds similar to the English k.

Repeat:casacomo cuna

clima crimen cromo


The Consonants

3. The Spanish q is only used in the combinations que and qui in which the u is silent and also has a sound similar to the English k.

Repeat:que queso Quique

quinto quema quiso


The Consonants

4. The Spanish t is pronounced like the English t in the word stop.

Repeat:toma mata tela

tipo atún Tito


The Consonants

5. The Spanish d at the beginning of an utterance or after n or l sounds somewhat similar to the English d in the word David.

Repeat:día dedoduelo

andaAldo


The Consonants

6. The Spanish g also has two sounds. At the beginning of an utterance and in all other positions, except before e and i, the Spanish g sounds similar to the English g in the word sugar.

Repeat:goma gato tengolago algo aguja


The Consonants

7. The Spanish j, and g before e or i, sounds similar to the English h in the word home.

Repeat:jamás juego jota

Julio gente Genaro

gime


The Consonants

8. The Spanish b and the v have no difference in sound. Both are pronounced alike. At the beginning of the utterance or after m or n, they sound similar to the English b in the word obey.

Repeat:Beto vaga bote

vela también un vaso


The Consonants

Between vowels, they are pronounced with the lips barely closed.

Repeat:sábado yo voy sabe

Ávalos eso vale


The Consonants

9. In most Spanish-speaking countries, the y and the ll are similar to the English y in the word yet.

Repeat:yo llama yema

lleno ya lluvia

llega


The Consonants

10.The Spanish r (ere) is pronounced like the English tt in the word gutter.

Repeat:cara pero arena

carie Laredo Aruba


The Consonants

11. The Spanish s sound is represented in most of the Spanish-speaking world by the letters s, z, and c before e or i. The sound is very similar to the English sibilant s in the word sink.

Repeat:sale sitio soloseda suelo zapatocerveza ciudad cena


The Consonants

In most of Spain, the z, and c before e or i, is pronounced like the English th in the word think.

Repeat:zarzuela cielo docena


The Consonants

12.The letter h is silent in Spanish.

Repeat:hilo Hugo ahora

Hilda almohadahermano


The Consonants

13.The Spanish ch is pronounced like the English ch in the word chief.

Repeat:muchacho chico coche

chueco chaparro


The Consonants

14.The Spanish f is identical in sound to the English f.

Repeat:famoso feo difícil

fuego foto


The Consonants

15.The Spanish l is pronounced like the English l in the word lean.

Repeat:dolor ángel fácil

sueldo salgo chaval


The Consonants

16.The Spanish m is pronounced like the English m in the word mother.

Repeat:mamá moda multa

medico mima


The Consonants

17. In most cases, the Spanish n has a sound similar to the English n.

Repeat:nada norte nunca

entra nene


The Consonants

The sound of the Spanish n is often affected by the sounds that occur around it. When it appears before b, v or p, it is pronounced like the English m.

Repeat:invierno tan bueno un vasoun bebé un perro


The Consonants

18.The Spanish ñ (eñe) has a sound similar to the English ny in the word canyon.

Repeat:muñeca leña año

señorita piña señor


The Consonants

19.The Spanish x has two pronunciations, depending on its position. Between vowels, the sound is similar to the English ks.

Repeat:examen boxeo

exigente extraño


The Consonants

Before a consonant, the Spanish x sounds like the English s.

Repeat:expreso excusa

exquisito extraño


Linking

1. The final consonant of a word is pronounced together with the initial vowel of the following word.

Repeat:Carlos anda un angel

el otoño unos estudiantes

In spoken Spanish, the various words in a phrase or sentence are not pronounced as isolated elements, but are combined. This is called linking.


Linking

2. The final vowel of a word is pronounced together with the initial vowel of the following word.

Repeat:su esposo la hermana

ardua empresala invita


Linking

3. When the final vowel of a word and the initial vowel of the following word are identical, they are pronounced slightly longer than one vowel.

Repeat:Ana alcanza me espera

mi hijo lo olvida


Linking

The same rule applies when two identical vowels appear within a word.

Repeat:cooperación crees

leemos coordinación

Documents

Appendix A: Introduction to Spanish Sounds The following guide to Spanish pronunciation is designed to enhance your speaking ability. You will hear a series