Because of the close match between written Spanish and spoken Spanish, you will quickly acquire the ability to read out loud a simple Spanish text before you have mastered all the vocabulary and grammatical constructions in that text.
In the past, a popular type of pre-reader for young children was the silabario, a book consisting of syllables of all the possible vowel/consonant combinations. Once children had acquired the ability to read correctly these syllables, in theory, they could read any Spanish word or phrase. This brief introduction to the sounds of Spanish will enable you to practice the syllables and words which follow.
Being able to spell words in Spanish will be helpful when working with a library user to fill out an application or form. If you are not sure you have heard the name correctly, simply ask "¿Cómo se escribe?" How is it spelled?
Also, if you are giving information to a Spanish-speaking client which
may contain an unfamiliar English name or other word, you can increase
understanding by spelling the difficult term for your client.
THE LETTERS OF THE ALPHABET
These are the traditional letters of the alphabet and their names.
In newer dictionaries (post 1994), ch and ll no longer appear
as separate letters but are included with c and l.
| Letter | Name of
Letter |
Pronunciation Guide |
| a | a | Open wide and say "ah" |
| b | be | The letter "b" is also called "be larga" or "be grande"
as well as "be de burro" to distinguish this letter from "v," which is
called "ve de vaca." The assumption is that everyone knows how to
spell "burro" and "vaca."
The letters "b" and "v" are both pronounced like English "b" in absolute initial position. When "b" follows "n" or "m" it also has the sound of English "b." In other positions, "b" and "v" have a softer, fricative sound. In some regional varieties of Spanish, this sound is very similar to English "v." |
| c | ce | The letter "c" is like English "k" before the vowels a, o, u. Before e and i, "c" is pronounced like "s." The notable exception is the interdental pronunciation (kind of like the "th" in English "thin") in northern Spain. By the way, the popular explanation which credits this pronunciation to a king with a lisp is not true! |
| ch | che | Although no longer treated as a separate letter in printed dictionaries, many speakers still use the older convention when spelling out loud. "Che" is like the initial consonant sound in English "chin." |
| d | de | In absolute initial position, and after "l," "d" is pronounced like English "d." In all other positions, "d" has a softer sound similar to the "th" in "father." |
| e | e | Spanish "e" is similar to the vowel in English "set," although more tense. |
| f | efe | Pronounced like English "f" |
| g | ge | The letter "g," like "c," has two sounds depending on the vowel that follows. When followed by a, o, u, "g" is pronounced like the first letter in English "goal." When followed by e and i, "g" is pronounced like Spanish "j," that is similar to "h" in English, but with greater friction. |
| h | hache | The letter "h" is silent in Spanish. It is a vestige of the historical past and frequently corresponds to Latin "f." When between vowels, "h" causes the vowels to be pronounced in two separate syllables, as in buho (bu-o), 'owl.' |
| i | i | Spanish "i" is similar to the vowel in the English word "seen" (cf. Spanish sin 'without'), but more tense. |
| j | jota | Spanish "j" is similar to English "h," although pronounced with greater friction in most varieties of Spanish. |
| k | ka | This infrequent letter, appears in words of foreign origin such as kilo. It is pronounced like English "k." |
| l | ele | Spanish "l" is similar to initial English "l" but does not have the dark quality of Englsih "l" in world final position. |
| ll | elle | The double "l" has a sound distinct from single "l." It is similar to "y" in English but with more friction; in some varieties of Spanish it approaches the sound of English "j." |
| m | eme | Like English "m" |
| n | ene | Like English "n" |
| ñ | eñe | Like the sound of "ny" in English "canyon" |
| o | o | Like the first half of the vowel in English "wrote"; in Spanish the vowel is short and tense. |
| p | pe | Like English "p" but without the aspiration (puff of breath which follows release of air) |
| q | cu | Usually followed by ue or ui, the combinations "que" and "qui" are pronounced like "ke" and "ki." |
| r | ere | The sound of single "r" in Spanish is best learned by imitation. It is a flap rather than a trill. In some words, "r" contrasts with "rr," as in 'caro' (expensive) and 'carro' (car). |
| rr | erre | The double "rr," often referred to as the trilled "r," is best learned by imitation. There are many variants in the Spanish-speaking world. |
| s | ese | Similar to English "s" with one important difference; it is never voiced between vowels. |
| t | te | Like English "t" but without the aspiration following release. |
| u | u | Similar to the vowel in English "boot," but shorter and tenser |
| v | ve | Also called "uve," especially in Spain, as well as "ve chica" or "ve corta." The phrase "ve de vaca" is also used in contrast with "be de burro." |
| w | doble ve
(uve doble) |
The leter "w" has two names. It is infrequent and found only in words of foreign origin such as "water" (water closet). Initial "w" is sometimes pronounced like Spanish "b" or "v." |
| x | equis | Sometimes pronounced like"x" in English, that is [ks], "x" is occasionally like Spanish "j" as in "México." In colloquial speech "x" is frequently pronounced like "s." |
| y | i griega | The orthographic letter has two functions, as vowel (pronounced like Spanish "i") and as a consonant which is more fricative than its English counterpart and approaches English "j" in some varieties of Spanish. |
| z | zeta | The letter "z" is pronounced like "s" in standard Latin American Spanish. In Spain, it has an interdental articulation. (See "c" above.) Unlike English "z," Spanish "z" never represents a voiced sound. |
Spanish has five vowels: a, e, i, o, u. Each of the vowels has a single pronunciation and a single spelling (except for i which is occasionally spelled "y"). Unlike English, the Spanish vowels are pure vowels and not broken into diphthongs like the misnamed "long vowels" of English. TheSpanish vowels have no exact equivalents in English. You should learn the pronunciation of the vowels through imitation of native speakers of Spanish. Spanish textbooks which attempt to rewrite Spanish words with pronunciation based on English are not particularly helpful and may actually impede learning the true sounds.
Note that even in words which are several syllables long, each vowel retains the same clarity and pronunciation it has in stressed syllables. Spanish does not have the sound of "schwa," the unstressed vowel characteristic of English.
In this exercise, concentrate on the sound of the syllables and the
words. There are brief, interlinear glosses in English (in very small
print) for those who feel an impelling need to know what they are saying.
| A | ||
| a | ala | alada |
| wing | winged | |
| ba | bata | batata |
| robe | sweet potato | |
| ca | casa | casada |
| house | married (fem.) | |
| cha | chapa | chapada |
| metal tag | patched | |
| da | dama | damajuana |
| lady | demijohn | |
| fa | facha | fachada |
| appearance | façade | |
| ga | gata | gatada |
| cat (fem.) | cat-like movement | |
| ha | haba | Habana |
| bean | Havana | |
| ja | jala | Jalapa |
| pull (command form) | city in Vera Cruz, Mex. | |
| la | lava | lavada |
| washes (3rd pers. sg.) | washed (fem.) | |
| lla | llama | llamarada |
| flame | blaze | |
| ma | maña | mañana |
| trick, skill | tomorrow | |
| na | nada | nadaba |
| swims (3rd pers. sg.) | used to swim (3rd pers. sg.) | |
| pa | pata | patata |
| paw | potato | |
| ra | rama | ramada |
| branch | leafy covering | |
| sa | sala | salada |
| living room | salty | |
| ta | taja | tajada |
| cut (noun) | cut (past participle, fem.) | |
| va | vaca | vacada |
| cow | herd of cattle | |
| ya | Yara | yarará |
| river in Cuba | venomous So. Am. snake | |
| za | zaga | zagala |
| rearguard | shepherdess |
| E | |
| El bebé bebe leche. | |
| The baby drinks milk. | |
| Beberé té y después leeré. | |
| I will drink tea and then read. | |
| El tren viene de Belén. | |
| The train comes from Bethlehem. | |
| I | |
| sin fin | |
| without end | |
| mi rinitis | |
| my rhinitis | |
| y dividir mis mil ... | |
| and to divide my thousand | |
| O | |
| No, no los conozco. | |
| No, I don't know them. | |
| Los monos no son tontos. | |
| Monkeys aren't dumb. | |
| U | |
| un urubú | |
| a buzzard | |
| un tul del sur | |
| gauze from the south |
The vowels "i" and "u" can combine with other vowels in Spanish to form
diphthongs. The diphthong, which begins or ends in "i" or "u" consists
of a semivowel or semiconsonant plus a full vowel. It forms the nucleus
of a syllable and is not pronounced in two separate syllables. In
some words, the semivowel or semiconsonant "i" is spelled with "y."
Vowels which are pronounced in separate syllables are marked by an orthographic
accent (for example "país").
| ia | diagrama 'diagram' | ai | naipe 'deck of cards' |
| hacia 'toward' | hay 'there is/there are' | ||
| ie | siete 'seven' | ei | seis 'six' |
| especie 'type' | grey 'flock' | ||
| io | dios 'god' | oi | boina 'beret' |
| violeta 'violet' | hoy 'today' | ||
| iu | viuda 'widow' | ui | muy 'very' |
| ua | cuanto 'how much' | au | cauto 'cautious' |
| ue | fuego 'fire' | eu | feudal 'feudal' |
| ui | buitre 'buzzard' | ||
| uo | continuo 'continuous' |