Overview
This lecture covers essential Spanish pronunciation rules, focusing on consonant sounds and letter combinations to help students read any Spanish word.
Pronunciation Rules for C
- C + E and C + I are pronounced like the English "th" in "think" (Spain) or "s" (Latin America and Southern Spain).
- C + A, C + O, C + U are pronounced as a hard "k" sound.
Pronunciation Rules for G
- G + E and G + I are pronounced as a hard "h" (like "ham").
- G + A, G + O, G + U are pronounced as a hard "g" (like "go").
- To keep the "g" sound before E or I, insert a silent U (gue, gui).
- To pronounce the U in gue or gui, use a diéresis (ü): güe, güi.
Other Letter Combinations
- H is always silent in Spanish.
- CH is pronounced like "ch" in English "chocolate."
- Double L (LL) is pronounced like "y" in "yes."
- Ñ is pronounced like "ny" in the English word "canyon."
- Q is always followed by U, and the U is silent (que, qui only).
Pronunciation of R
- Strong R: occurs as RR between vowels, at the beginning of a word, or after L, N, S.
- Soft R: occurs between vowels, at word end, or after B, C, D, F, G, P, T.
Other Important Pronunciation Notes
- V is pronounced exactly like B in Spanish; there is no "v" sound.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Diéresis (ü) — two dots above U to indicate it is pronounced (as in "güi").
- Hard G — the "g" sound in "go."
- Soft G — the "h" sound in "ham."
- Strong R — a trilled or rolled R sound.
- Soft R — a single tapped R sound.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Download and review the infographic for practice.
- Practice reading Spanish words using the outlined rules.