| This article talks about the GENERAL RULES OF | | | | (gypsy). When followed by A, O, U, UE or UI it is |
| SPANISH PRONUNCIATION as it is spoken in Spain | | | | pronounced as a hard G, as in GATO (cat). Note that |
| and, in particular, along the southern coast in areas | | | | the U is generally not pronounced in the combinations |
| such as Marbella. | | | | GUE and GUI. (phonetic = gutteral ch or hard g as in |
| Note that Spain has four official national languages: | | | | the English word 'gate') |
| Castillian Spanish, Catalan, Galician and Basque. | | | | 5. H is mute in Spanish except in the combination CH, |
| Castillian Spanish is the most widely spoken language | | | | for example LECHE (milk) and CHICO (boy). (phonetic |
| in Spain but there are different dialects of Castillian | | | | = che, as in the English word 'champion') |
| Spanish and several different forms of pronunciation. | | | | 6. J is always pronounced as a guttural G as in JEFE |
| Pronunciation of Spanish in the South of Spain is quite | | | | (boss). (phonetic = see G, point 4.) |
| different to other areas of the country, for example, | | | | 7. The pronunciation of LL varies throughout the |
| the letter C before E or I is not lisped (i.e., making a "th" | | | | Spanish-speaking world but it is still most similar to the |
| sound) as it is in the rest of the country. The | | | | way we use Y as in YES. (phonetic = y) |
| pronunciation in the South is more similar to that in Latin | | | | 8. Ñ is like the "ni" sound in 'onion', for example, |
| America than, for instance, in Madrid. | | | | MAÑANA (tomorrow, morning). (phonetic = ni-y-ah) |
| Here are the key rules: | | | | 9. Q is always followed by UE or UI. It is pronounced |
| 1. The letters B and V are pronounced exactly the | | | | as a K (as in 'cat') and the U is silent, for example |
| same way, i.e. both sound like a B. This is more | | | | QUESO (cheese). (phonetic = kah) |
| noticeable when the B or V starts the word. It is a | | | | 10. R is pronounced as an R, as in BARCO (boat), but |
| slightly softer sound when the B or V appears in the | | | | it is pronounced RR (double/rolling R, more emphatic) |
| middle of the word. (phonetic = be, the 'e' as in the | | | | when the R is the first letter of a word, for example |
| English word 'let') | | | | RAMA (branch) and ROMPER (to break). The double |
| 2. C is pronounced K (as in 'cat') when followed by the | | | | consonant RR is always pronounced as RR, as in |
| vowels A, O or U. For example, LA CASA (house). | | | | PERRO (dog). (phonetic = emphasised r) |
| When the C is followed by the vowels E or I, the C | | | | 11. S is pronounced S but according to dialect it can |
| changes to a TH sound as in CINCO (five) and CERO | | | | sound more like a Z when it appears in the middle of a |
| (zero). However, in Latin America and southern Spain | | | | word. For instance, MISMO (same) sounds more like |
| the C is pronounced as an ordinary S. (phonetic = kah | | | | MIZMO and LOS DOS (the two of them) can sound |
| or th) | | | | more like LOZ DOS. (phonetic = s as in 'same') |
| 3. D is pronounced as D but is often not pronounced at | | | | 12. Z is pronounced as TH, as in ZAPATO (shoe) but |
| all at the end of a word, as in LIBERTAD (freedom, | | | | again, in Latin America and southern Spain it sounds |
| liberty) and MADRID. (phonetic = de, the 'e' as in the | | | | like an S. (phonetic = th) |
| English word 'let') | | | | There are more letters in the Spanish alphabet than in |
| 4. G is pronounced as a guttural G (as in the Scottish | | | | English. Do you know why? |
| word 'loch') when followed by E or I, as in GITANO | | | | |