🗣️ Spanish Pronunciation Guide
The complete alphabet, accent rules, and how to sound natural from day one
The Spanish Alphabet
Spanish uses the 26 Latin letters plus Ñ (ñ), for 27 letters in total. Unlike English, Spanish pronunciation is remarkably consistent — each letter almost always makes the same sound. This table uses Latin American pronunciation as the default.
| Letter | Name | IPA | Sounds Like... | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | a | /a/ | "ah" as in "father" | Amigo |
| B | be | /b/, [β] | "boy" at start; softer between vowels | Bueno |
| C | ce | /k/, /s/ | "k" before a/o/u; "s" before e/i | Calle / Cielo |
| CH | che | /tʃ/ | "ch" as in "church" | Chico |
| D | de | /d/, [ð] | "d" at start; like "the" between vowels | Donde |
| E | e | /e/ | "eh" as in "bet" | Escuela |
| F | efe | /f/ | "f" as in "fun" | Flor |
| G | ge | /ɡ/, /x/ | "g" before a/o/u; like "h" before e/i | Gato / Gente |
| H | hache | — | Always silent | Hola |
| I | i | /i/ | "ee" as in "see" | Isla |
| J | jota | /x/ | Like English "h" but stronger | Jardín |
| K | ka | /k/ | "k" (rare, foreign words only) | Kilo |
| L | ele | /l/ | "l" as in "love" | Luna |
| LL | elle | /ʝ/ or /ʎ/ | Like "y" in most regions | Llamar |
| M | eme | /m/ | "m" as in "mom" | Mesa |
| N | ene | /n/ | "n" as in "no" | Noche |
| Ñ | eñe | /ɲ/ | "ny" as in "canyon" | Niño |
| O | o | /o/ | "o" as in "or" (pure, never diphthongized) | Ojo |
| P | pe | /p/ | "p" as in "pat" | Padre |
| Q | cu | /k/ | Always "qu" = /k/ (u is silent) | Queso |
| R | ere | /ɾ/, /r/ | Tap like "tt" in "butter"; trill at start or after n/l | Rosa / Pero |
| S | ese | /s/ | "s" as in "sun" | Sol |
| T | te | /t/ | "t" (dental — tongue touches teeth) | Tío |
| U | u | /u/ | "oo" as in "food" (silent in "que", "gui" unless ü) | Uva |
| V | uve | /b/ | Same as B in most dialects | Vino |
| W | doble uve | /w/ | "w" (foreign words only) | Whisky |
| X | equis | /ks/, /s/, /x/ | "ks" or "s"; /x/ in México | Examen / México |
| Y | ye | /ʝ/, /i/ | Like "yes"; or "ee" when standing alone | Yo |
| Z | zeta | /s/ | "s" in Latin America; "th" in Spain | Zapato |
Key Pronunciation Rules
Spanish has five pure vowels (A, E, I, O, U) that never change their sound regardless of position — unlike English, where vowels shift constantly. This alone makes Spanish far more predictable to read aloud. B and V are pronounced identically in most Spanish dialects. At the start of a word or after m/n, both sound like the "b" in "boy." Between vowels, both soften to a gentle sound where the lips barely touch. D softens between vowels to a sound similar to the "th" in English "the." So "nada" sounds closer to "na-tha." G before e or i sounds like a strong English "h" (the same as J). So "gente" and "jardín" start with the same sound. H is always silent — no exceptions. "Hola" is pronounced "oh-la." RR (double R) is a strong trill, while a single R between vowels is a quick tap (like the "tt" in American English "butter"). A single R at the start of a word or after n/l is also trilled. LL and Y are pronounced the same way in most modern Spanish — like the "y" in "yes." This merger is called "yeísmo."
Accent Marks & Stress
Spanish has clear, predictable stress rules. If a word ends in a vowel, N, or S, the stress falls on the second-to-last syllable (e.g., "ha-BLO," "co-MEN"). If a word ends in any other consonant, the stress falls on the last syllable (e.g., "ha-BLAR," "ciu-DAD"). A written accent mark (á, é, í, ó, ú) overrides these default rules and forces the stress onto the marked syllable. Accent marks also distinguish between words that are spelled the same: "si" (if) vs. "í" (yes), "tu" (your) vs. "tú" (you), "el" (the) vs. "él" (he).
| Word | Stress Rule | Why |
|---|---|---|
| habla | HAB-la | Ends in vowel → second-to-last syllable |
| hablar | hab-LAR | Ends in R → last syllable |
| hablé | hab-LÉ | Written accent overrides default rule |
| teléfono | te-LÉ-fo-no | Written accent marks the stressed syllable |
| nación | na-CIÓN | Would default to na-CION without accent; accent preserves stress |
| jóvenes | JÓ-ve-nes | Accent needed to keep stress on first syllable |
Reading Your First Words
Thanks to its consistent spelling, Spanish is one of the easiest languages to read aloud. Many Spanish words are also cognates — words that look and sound similar to English. Try reading these aloud:
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