Spanish Translation: Pronunciation Guide20

Spanish is a beautiful and expressive language spoken by over 500 million people worldwide. However, for English speakers, the pronunciation of Spanish words can be a bit daunting. This guide will provide you with the basics of Spanish pronunciation, so you can start speaking the language with confidence.

Vowels

Spanish has five vowels: a, e, i, o, u. Each vowel is pronounced differently, depending on whether it is stressed or unstressed.
A: When stressed, "a" is pronounced like the "a" in "father." When unstressed, it is pronounced like the "a" in "about."
E: When stressed, "e" is pronounced like the "e" in "bet." When unstressed, it is pronounced like the "e" in "the."
I: When stressed, "i" is pronounced like the "e" in "bean." When unstressed, it is pronounced like the "i" in "sit."
O: When stressed, "o" is pronounced like the "o" in "boat." When unstressed, it is pronounced like the "o" in "dog."
U: When stressed, "u" is pronounced like the "u" in "rule." When unstressed, it is pronounced like the "u" in "put."

Consonants

Spanish has 20 consonants: b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, ll, m, n, ñ, p, q, r, rr, s, t, v, w, x, y, and z.
B: "B" is pronounced like the "b" in "ball."
C: "C" is pronounced like the "c" in "cat" before "a," "o," or "u." Before "e" or "i," it is pronounced like the "s" in "sit."
D: "D" is pronounced like the "d" in "dog."
F: "F" is pronounced like the "f" in "fish."
G: "G" is pronounced like the "g" in "gate" before "a," "o," or "u." Before "e" or "i," it is pronounced like the "h" in "hot."
H: "H" is silent in Spanish.
J: "J" is pronounced like the "h" in "hot."
K: "K" is pronounced like the "c" in "cat" before "a," "o," or "u." Before "e" or "i," it is pronounced like the "s" in "sit."
L: "L" is pronounced like the "l" in "love."
LL: "Ll" is pronounced like the "y" in "yes."
M: "M" is pronounced like the "m" in "mom."
N: "N" is pronounced like the "n" in "nose."
Ñ: "Ñ" is pronounced like the "ny" in "canyon."
P: "P" is pronounced like the "p" in "paper."
Q: "Q" is pronounced like the "c" in "cat" before "a," "o," or "u." Before "e" or "i," it is pronounced like the "s" in "sit."
R: "R" is pronounced like the "r" in "roll."
RR: "Rr" is pronounced like a strong "r" sound.
S: "S" is pronounced like the "s" in "sit" at the beginning of a word or syllable. In the middle of a word, it is pronounced like the "s" in "rose." At the end of a word, it is pronounced like the "s" in "bus."
T: "T" is pronounced like the "t" in "top."
V: "V" is pronounced like the "v" in "violin."
W: "W" is pronounced like the "w" in "water."
X: "X" is pronounced like the "ks" in "box."
Y: "Y" is pronounced like the "y" in "yes" at the beginning of a word or syllable. In the middle of a word, it is pronounced like the "y" in "myth." At the end of a word, it is pronounced like the "e" in "the."
Z: "Z" is pronounced like the "s" in "sit."