Introduction to Spanish
Spanish Alphabet
The Spanish Alphabet
One of the best parts about learning Spanish is its consistency. Unlike English, where letters can have many different sounds (think of the 'a' in 'apple', 'father', and 'able'), Spanish is largely phonetic. Words are pronounced just as they are spelled. Once you learn the sound for each letter, you can confidently pronounce almost any word you see.
Spanish pronunciation is largely regular and phonetic, making it accessible for learners.
The official Spanish alphabet has 27 letters. It's the same as the English alphabet, plus one special character: the 'ñ'.
| Letter | Spanish Name | Pronunciation of Name |
|---|---|---|
| A, a | a | ah |
| B, b | be | bay |
| C, c | ce | say |
| D, d | de | day |
| E, e | e | eh |
| F, f | efe | EFF-ay |
| G, g | ge | hey |
| H, h | hache | AH-chay |
| I, i | i | ee |
| J, j | jota | HOH-tah |
| K, k | ka | kah |
| L, l | ele | ELL-ay |
| M, m | eme | EM-ay |
| N, n | ene | EN-ay |
| Ñ, ñ | eñe | EN-yay |
| O, o | o | oh |
| P, p | pe | pay |
| Q, q | cu | koo |
| R, r | ere | ERR-ay |
| S, s | ese | ESS-ay |
| T, t | te | tay |
| U, u | u | oo |
| V, v | uve | OO-bay |
| W, w | uve doble | OO-bay DOH-blay |
| X, x | equis | ECK-ees |
| Y, y | i griega | ee GREE-ay-gah |
| Z, z | zeta | SAY-tah |
The Five Simple Vowels
The vowels are the foundation of Spanish pronunciation, and they are refreshingly simple. Each vowel has only one basic sound. Master these, and you're halfway there.
- A sounds like the 'a' in "father".
- E sounds like the 'e' in "met".
- I sounds like the 'ee' in "see".
- O sounds like the 'o' in "go".
- U sounds like the 'oo' in "moon".
Unlike in English, Spanish vowels always make the same sound. There are no surprise pronunciations.
Key Consonants and Characters
Most consonants sound similar to their English counterparts, but a few have their own unique rules. Let's look at the most important ones.
ñ
noun
The 'ñ' is a distinct letter, not just an 'n' with a mark. It makes a 'ny' sound, like the middle of the word 'canyon'.
The letter H is always silent in Spanish. You simply ignore it. For example, the word hola (hello) is pronounced "OH-la".
The letter J sounds like the English 'h'. The word jardín (garden) is pronounced "har-DEEN".
The letter G is a bit tricky. Before 'e' or 'i', it sounds like the Spanish J (an English 'h' sound), as in gente (people). Before 'a', 'o', or 'u', it has a hard 'g' sound, like in the word "go", as in gato (cat).
In most of Spain, the Z and the C (before 'e' or 'i') make a 'th' sound, as in "think". In Latin America and other parts of Spain, they sound like an 's'.
Double Letters
Spanish also has a couple of important letter combinations with their own sounds.
LL (elle): This combination usually sounds like the 'y' in "yes". For example, calle (street) is pronounced "KAI-yay".
RR (erre): This is the famous rolled 'r'. It's a trilled sound made by vibrating the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth. You'll find it in words like perro (dog) and carro (car). A single 'r' has a much softer, tapped sound.
Practicing the 'rr' sound can be challenging at first, but it's a key part of sounding natural. Don't worry about getting it perfect right away. With a little practice, you'll get the hang of it.
Now, let's test what you've learned about the Spanish alphabet.
How is the letter 'J' in Spanish pronounced?
The Spanish alphabet is identical to the English alphabet.
Understanding these letters and sounds is your first major step toward reading, writing, and speaking Spanish. Because the language is so phonetic, this foundation will serve you well as you start building your vocabulary.