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Pronunciation and accentuation

Dr. Eduardo Tasis

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Consonants:◦  and v have the same sound:

Balón, varón, vela, beso.

◦  :

Before a, o and u is a hard sound (as in ´car`): Casa, cocodrilo, cuerno.

 Before e and i is a soft sound: cerilla, cigarro.

In most of Spain is like the English “Th” in “Thing” 

In Canary Ilands, part of Andalucia and Latinamerica it

sounds as “s” 

Dr. Eduardo Tasis

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◦ g

:

Beforea

,o

 andu

 is a hard sound (as in “go”): 

Gato, gusano, gorro.

Beforee

 or i is a sound made in the throat, like “ch” in

Scottish “loch”:  Gente, giro, gitano.

gu

 a

 is pronounced like “gw” in “Gwen”: Guante

gu

 e, i

 is pronounced like “go”. Guerra, Guisante

If a dieresis is placed over theü

 the sound is “gw” as in

“Gwen”. Vergüenza

Dr. Eduardo Tasis

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◦ h is always silent: Huella, herrero, herida, huérfano.

◦

j is the “ch” of the Scottish “Loch”:   Jeringuilla, jarrón.

◦ ll is pronounced like “ll” in “pillon”:  Llave, lluvia.

◦ ~n is pronounced like “gn” in “Gnochi”.  baño, niño.

◦qu sounds like “K” in “Kilometer”.  Queso

◦ r,rr

r at the beginning of the word and rr inside the word soundslike the “r” in “race”.  Ratón, raqueta, rueda.

r inside the word is softer. araña, caravana.

Dr. Eduardo Tasis

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◦x is pronounced as “ks”.  Extra

◦ Y

is pronounced like ll when it works as a consonant andi, when it works as a vowel: Ya [lla], y (meaning “and”) 

◦ z follows the same pattern as c+e,i: zapato, azucar.

◦ The remaining consonants are pronounced like inEnglish: d, f, l, m, n, p, s, t.

Dr. Eduardo Tasis

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Vowels: always the same pronunciation.◦ a like “a “ in “rather”: 

Animal, Alfredo, anarquía.

◦ e like “a” in “say”: 

Elefante, Eduardo, melena.◦ i like “ee” in “bee”: 

Iglesia, Miguel.

◦ o like o in “lost”. 

Oscar, coche, mono.

◦ u like oo in “wood”. 

Uso, muela.

Dr. Eduardo Tasis

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Bate vuelo coche cena éxito

gente guapo guitarra hola jamón

Dr. Eduardo Tasis

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Llave año queso rojo cuarto 

zorro

Dr. Eduardo Tasis

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In Spanish the stress is on the penultimatesyllable if the word ends in a vowel, n or s,and in the last syllable if the word ends in aconsonant other than n or s:◦ Casa, coche, chicas, ciudad, hotel, mantel.

Dr. Eduardo Tasis

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Exceptions are marked with a written accent:◦ If the word ends in a vowel, n or s and the stress is

on the last syllable:

Camión, estrés, revés, champú, habló.

◦ If the word ends in consonant other than n or s andthe stress is on the penultimate syllable:

Lápiz, árbol.

◦ If the stress is on a syllable before the penultimate

one: Esdrú jula, mágico.

Dr. Eduardo Tasis

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Gato lapiz camion papel

Azul pajaro

Dr. Eduardo Tasis

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The written accent is not used on words with onlyone syllable:◦ Ya, no, e… 

◦ Except to distinguish meaning:

el (the) él (he) Mas (but) más (more)

Mi (my) mí (me)

Se (her/his/their self) sé (I know) imperative of ser

Si (if) sí (yes, oneself)

Solo (alone) sólo (only) Te (you object) té (tea)

Tu (your) tú (you subject)

Dr. Eduardo Tasis

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Vowels (Diptongos e hiatos):◦ Strong: a, e, o

◦ Weak: i, u

Same syllable: Strong + weak, weak + strong, weak+weak: Biología, guapo, ruido, baile.

Different syllable: strong + strong: Maestro, feo, peor, roer.

 But if we have a weak + a strong and they arepronounced in different syllables, then the weak has awritten accent on it and it is no longer weak butstrong: María, día, oído.

Dr. Eduardo Tasis