Spanish alphabet and pronunciation for beginners

How it works

Understand the pattern

The modern Spanish alphabet has 27 letters. Most letters keep a stable sound, while c, g, r and y change according to position or the letters around them. The letter h is silent in native Spanish words, and ñ represents its own sound rather than an n with decoration.

Do not begin by memorizing isolated letter names alone. Read complete syllables and words: ca, que, qui, co, cu; ga, gue, gui, go, gu. This shows how spelling predicts sound and prepares you for real sentences from the first theme of the course.

The essentials

Three rules that clear up the confusion

1. 1

   The five vowels a, e, i, o and u have clear, stable values; they do not reduce as heavily as English vowels often do.

2. 2

   C sounds like k before a, o and u, but like s in most of Latin America before e and i. G also changes before e and i.

3. 3

   H is silent, ñ sounds like the middle of canyon, and j has a strong breathy sound produced farther back in the mouth.

Compare

Examples in complete sentences

Common mistakes

What to check before you answer

• 1

  English speakers often turn Spanish vowels into gliding sounds. Keep each vowel short and steady, especially e and o.

• 2

  The written h must not create an English h sound: hola begins directly with the vowel sound.