The Spanish alphabet, or abecedario, is your starting point for learning the language. It's almost identical to the English alphabet, but with one extra character: the letter ñ. This brings the total count to 27 letters.

The best part about Spanish is that it's a phonetic language. This means words are pronounced just as they are spelled. Once you learn the sound of each letter, you can confidently pronounce almost any word you see. This is a huge advantage compared to English, where letters can have many different sounds.

Spanish has the same five vowels as English: A, E, I, O, U. The key difference is that each vowel has only one sound, and it never changes. This consistency makes pronunciation much easier to master.

Most Spanish consonants sound like their English counterparts, but a few have their own unique rules. Let's look at the most important ones.

The letter H is always silent. You just 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 tricky. Before an 'a', 'o', or 'u', it's a hard 'g' sound, like in "go." Before an 'e' or 'i', it sounds like the Spanish J (an English 'h' sound). For example, gato (cat) has a hard 'g', but gente (people) has a soft 'h' sound.

Then there are the special characters and letter combinations. These are essential for authentic Spanish pronunciation.

The ñ is a separate letter in the alphabet. It makes a "nyuh" sound.

The double L, or ll, usually sounds like the 'y' in "yes."

Finally, the double R, or rr, is rolled. This sound is made by tapping the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth. It takes practice, but it's a hallmark of the Spanish accent.

Let's review these letters and their sounds before you test your knowledge.

Ready to see what you've learned? Give these questions a try.