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Ness Practice Spanish Pronunciation

Terms in this set (37)

A sounds like...
the A in FATHER
E sounds like...
the E in Eggs
I sounds like...
the I in Iguana & a cross with the E in equal
O sounds like...
the O in MOST
U sounds like...
the U in FLU
F sounds like...
the English F
L sounds like...
the English L
M sounds like...
the English M
N sounds like...
the English N
P sounds like...
the English P but without a puff of air at the end.
T sounds like...
the English T except the tip of the tongue presses against your upper teeth and there is no puff of air.
D at the beginning of a word (or following a L, N or R) sounds like...
the English D except that your tongue gently strikes the back of the upper front teeth.
D between two vowels or at the end of a word sounds like...
a very soft TH sound. Your tongue should strike the lower part of your upper teeth almost between the upper and lower teeth.
S sounds like...
the S in Serpent
CE and CI sound like...
a soft S sound (seh and si) but a TH sound in Spain.
ZA, ZO, and ZU sound like...
a S (saw, so, su) but a TH sound in Spain.
CA, CO and CU sound like...
a hard K sound (like in KITE). (Note that a CUA is the same as QUA in English)
QUE and QUI sound like...
a hard K sound (like in Kay, Key).
GA, GO and GU sound like...
a hard G (gah, go, goo)
GUE and GUI sound like...
when G is with the vowels UE or UI it makes the sounds Gay, Gee like in soggy
B and V sound like...
a B & V sound similar. Think of B burro o V vaca
J sounds like...
similar to the sound in WHO like Juan and Jalapeño
GE and GI sound like...
similar to a soft H like in Hen or He
Ñ sounds like...
the NY in CANYON. (Note: Ñ is it's own letter in the Spanish alphabet!)
CH sounds like...
the CH in Chimichanga
X between two vowels sounds like...
a softer English X, like a GS sounds. (examen -> eg-samen)
X followed by a consonant sounds like...
an S in English
R at the beginning of a word sounds like...
a trilled/rolled R. (This sound doesn't exist in English...but it's a whole lot of fun!)
RR in the middle of a word sounds like...
a trilled/rolled R. (This sound doesn't exist in English...but it's a whole lot of fun!)
R in a word sounds like...
If it's just one R no roll
H sounds like...
nothing! It's silent!
Y used as a vowel sounds like...
the EE as in BEE (or just like the letter I in Spanish)
Y used as a consonant sounds like...
the Y in YO-YO. Note that a Y is a consonant when it begins a word or a syllable. This is a letter that is pronounced differently in many Spanish-speaking places.
LL sounds like...
the Y in YO-YO depending on where you are. In Spain it sounds like a J +Y combination.
Ü sounds like ...
the GUI in penguin, Gwi
H sounds like ...
the H in Hour or Honor. It is silent unless it is CH
W sounds like ...
the English W. (There are less than 30 words in the Spanish dictionary that start with W)
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