Section outline

    • Spanish pronunciation is consistent and follows simple rules. Let’s start with the vowels. Unlike English, where vowels can have multiple sounds, Spanish vowels are always pronounced the same way. To help you remember, we’ve matched each vowel with a color association:

      Vowel

      Pronunciation

      Example

      a

      Like "a" in black cat

      amigo (friend)

      e

      Like "e" in red dress

      esperanza (hope)

      i

      Like "ee" in green tea

      iglesia (church)

      o

      Like "o" in orange door

      oso (bear)

      u

      Like "oo" in blue moon

      universo (universe)

       

      Tips for Pronouncing Vowels

      • Keep them short and crisp—don’t stretch them out like in English.

      • Open your mouth more for "a" and "o" sounds.

      • Make sure "i" and "u" sound like their English equivalents in "green" and "blue."

    • Now that you’ve got the basics of vowel sounds, let’s explore how they combine with consonants to form the rhythm of Spanish speech!

       

      a

      e

      i

      o

      u

      a

      		  

      ae

      ai

      ao

      au

      e

      ea

      		  

      ei

      eo

      eu

      i

      ia

      ie

      		  

      io

      iu

      o

      oa

      oe

      oi

      		  

      ou

      u

      ua

      ue

      ui

      uo

      		  



      ae

      caer, maestro, aeropuerto, contrae

       

      ai

      baile, aire, hay, fraile

       

      ao

      caos, Bilbao, cacao, ahogar

       

      au

      causa, Laura, caudal, jauría, ahuyenta

       

      ea

      rastrea, blanquea, saeta

       

      ei

      peine, ley, reinado, seis

       

      eo

      núcleo, león, cráneo 

       

      eu

      deuda, feudal, teutón

       

      ia

      piano, oficial, rubia, amianto

       

      ie

      hielo, nieve, pie, acaricié, ciego, aliento

       

      io

      sucio, gracioso, Dios, piojo, ambición, avión

       

      iu

      ciudad, viudez, diurno, viuda

       

      oa

      Koala, oasis, proa, croata

       

      oe

      poema, oboe, stereo, oeste

       

      oi

      boina, hoy, doy, Froilán, estoico

       

      ou

      Lourdes, tour, estadounidense

       

      ua

      Juana, agua, iguana, ecuación

       

      ue

      luego, juez, puede, dueño, nuez, muela

       

      ui

      ruido, huir, juicio, beduino, cuidado

       

      uo

      cuota, arduo, acuoso, licuo, contiguo



      Tips for Pronunciation

      • While practicing, remember to keep the vowel sounds short and clear.

      • Always use the Spanish r sound. Resist the use of the English r.

      • Implode the sounds of p and t. Make sure there is no puff of air.

      • Always pronounce z like the letter s.

       

      • Give the syllables an almost equal emphasis, a sort of staccato sound. Pronounce every syllable clearly and precisely in order to develop an even speech pattern.