Where to start learning Spanish? The general pronunciation rules (II)
et's continue with the general pronunciation of Spanish. In this article, we complete the alphabet, explore the cases of "ch" and "ll," and, since we’re discussing phonetics, we’ll look at the concept of yeísmo, a phenomenon widely spread in the Spanish language.
If you didn’t read the last article, you can read it here.
N: The n in Spanish is a voiced alveolar nasal consonant, which means it is produced by allowing air to pass through the nose while the tip of the tongue touches the alveoli (the area behind the upper teeth). However, the place of articulation of n changes depending on the following letter and, in some varieties of the language, at the end of a word, producing a sound that is not present in the variety of Spanish I speak but that I personally love. You can read more about this here. Examples: noche /ˈno.t͡ʃe/, cantar /kanˈtaɾ/. English: Very similar to the n sound in words like night /naɪt/. German: Similar to the sound in Nacht /naxt/. French: Identical to the n sound in nom /nɔ̃/.
Ñ: /ɲ/. The ñ in Spanish is a voiced palatal nasal consonant, meaning the sound is produced by allowing air to pass through the nose while the tongue is placed on the hard palate. Examples: niño /ˈni.ɲo/, mañana /maˈɲa.na/. English: There is no exact equivalent sound. It can be approximated by the sequence ny in words like canyon /ˈkæn.jən/, although this is not a single sound but a combination of phonemes. German: There is no identical sound, but it can be approximated by the gn group in loanwords like Kognak [ˈkɔ.ɲak] (from French Cognac). French: Similar to the sound in words like montagne /mɔ̃.taɲ/, although in French this sound is less frequent and often part of orthographic combinations.e
O: /o/. The o in Spanish is a mid-back vowel, meaning the tongue is positioned in the middle of the mouth toward the back, without touching any part of the palate. It is a rounded vowel, which means the lips form a circle when pronouncing it. It is a pure sound, with no diphthongization or glide toward other vowel sounds. Examples: oso /ˈo.so/, olor /oˈloɾ/. English: Similar to the pure o sound in words like office /ˈɒf.ɪs/ (British) or /ˈɑː.fɪs/ (American), although in English it tends to be more diphthongized in certain contexts, such as in go /ɡoʊ/. The most common mistake English speakers make is pronouncing a u sound after the o at the end of a word, which is unnecessary. German: Similar to the o sound in Sohn /zoːn/, where it is also a back and rounded vowel. French: Comparable to the o sound in rose /ʁoz/, although in French the degree of closure can vary depending on the context.
P: /p/. The p in Spanish is a voiceless bilabial plosive consonant, meaning the sound is produced by completely closing the lips and releasing the air quickly, without vocal cord vibration. Unlike in languages like English, the p in Spanish is not aspirated, which makes it sound softer. Examples: papa /ˈpa.pa/, ropa /ˈro.pa/. English: Similar to the p sound in pen /pɛn/, but in English, it is aspirated (a slight puff of air follows the sound) when in initial position. The Spanish p is closer to the English p in spin /spɪn/, where there is no aspiration. German: Identical to the p sound in Papier /paˈpiːɐ̯/, which is also a voiceless bilabial plosive without aspiration. French: Similar to the p sound in pomme /pɔm/, without aspiration, as in Spanish.
Q: /k/. The q in Spanish is always combined with the letter u to represent the /k/ sound, followed by the vowels e or i. In this context, the u is silent and not pronounced. The q never appears alone in Spanish and has a uniform pronunciation across all varieties of the language. Examples: queso /ˈke.so/, quinto /ˈkin.to/. There are a few Spanish words where the qu digraph is followed by other vowels, such as in quásar or quórum. In these cases, the q is pronounced as /k/, and the u is pronounced as a regular Spanish u. Although the RAE recommends adapting words like these to cuásar and cuórum, their versions with q are still frequently seen in written Spanish. English: Similar to the k sound in words like kite /kaɪt/, although in English, this sound is not represented with qu in these cases. Example of qu in English: quick /kwɪk/. Here, the qu group in English has an additional /w/ sound that does not exist in Spanish. German: It is the /k/ sound of the k or q in German. The main difference is that, in German, the u following the q sounds like /v/, for example, in words like Qualität or Quadrat. This combination of sounds does not exist in Spanish. French: Comparable to the sound in words like quitter /ki.te/ (to leave), where qu also represents /k/.
R: The r in Spanish has two possible pronunciations depending on its position in the word and context, and it is likely one of the most challenging sounds for Spanish learners to pronounce. Simple: /ɾ/ (voiced alveolar tap). This is produced with a single tap of the tongue tip against the alveolar ridge (the area behind the upper teeth). An r at the end of a word, or an r written as a single r (not rr) in the middle of a word, will generally be pronounced as /ɾ/. Multiple: /r/ (voiced alveolar trill, the rolled r). This is produced with multiple rapid taps of the tongue tip against the alveolar ridge. It occurs at the beginning of a word (rojo /ˈro.xo/) and in words written with “rr” between vowels (perro /ˈpe.ro/). For instance, pero is pronounced /ˈpe.ɾo/, while perro is pronounced /ˈpe.ro/. Additionally, the r after l and n is pronounced like the multiple trill in perro. For example, in sonreír, the first r is pronounced this way: /son.re.ˈiɾ/, and the same happens in alrededor: /al.re.ðe.ˈðoɾ/.
There are no equivalents in any of the languages I speak/learn. No, I’m lying. There is one in German. I can only communicate in Hochdeutsch, but I understand that in at least one dialect of German, this pronunciation exists. And I’m referring to the rolled r. I’ve realized, as I write, that this particular letter definitely deserves its own article. So, I’ll leave you a video of Rammstein. I really like this song, and if you listen closely, you can hear the voiced alveolar multiple trill pronunciation of the r.
S: /s/. The s in Spanish is a voiceless fricative consonant, and its main variation lies in how it is articulated. In Spain, it is articulated further back, between the tip of the tongue and the alveolar ridge, while in Latin America, it is articulated between the back of the tongue and the alveolar ridge, resulting in a softer sound. In many varieties of the language, the s tends to be aspirated, meaning it is not pronounced, especially at the end of a word. However, in Colombia, you can sometimes hear the aspiration of the s in the middle of certain words. English: similar to the sound in sun /sʌn/, though in English, it can be a bit more intense than in Spanish. German: similar to the sound of the ß and double s in words like nass /nas/, meaning it is non-vibrant. French: similar to the sound in soleil /sɔ.lɛj/.
T: /t/. The t in Spanish is a voiceless dental stop consonant, which means that the sound is produced by placing the tip of the tongue against the upper teeth, completely blocking the airflow and releasing it abruptly. It is a non-aspirated sound, meaning there is no burst of air when pronouncing it, unlike in other languages. Examples: taza /ˈta.θa/ (or /ˈta.sa/ in areas with seseo), tigre /ˈti.ɣɾe/. English: Similar to the t sound in stop /stɒp/, though in English, the t at the beginning of words is usually aspirated, like in top /tʰɒp/. This small burst of air does not occur in Spanish. German: Similar to the t sound in Tisch /tɪʃ/, though it is not aspirated. French: Similar to the sound in table /tabl/. In French, the t is dental like in Spanish, so the pronunciation is almost identical.
U: The u in Spanish is a closed, posterior, and rounded vowel, which means the tongue is positioned toward the back of the mouth, nearly closing the space, and the lips are rounded when pronouncing it. It is a short and pure vowel, without any glide toward other vowel sounds. Examples: uno /ˈu.no/, luna /ˈlu.na/. English: Similar to the sound of oo in food /fuːd/, although in English it can be longer and slightly diphthongized depending on the accent. German: Very similar to the sound of u in gut /ɡuːt/, which is also a closed, posterior, and rounded vowel. Note: In Spanish, there is also the ü (with diaeresis). In Spanish, the diaeresis does not change the vowel sound but indicates that the u should be pronounced in a position where it would not normally be heard without the diaeresis, such as between g and e or i. For example, in bilingüe, the u is pronounced /u/ and not [y], as in the German Tür /tyːɐ̯/. French: Different from the French u, which is a closed, front, rounded vowel (/y/), as in lune /lyn/. The Spanish u is closer to the ou in route /ʁut/.
V: As we saw in the previous article, in Spanish, the v and b are pronounced identically, as a voiced bilabial consonant. This means the sound is produced by lightly bringing the lips together and vibrating the vocal cords. Depending on its position in the word, it can be either occlusive [b], as at the beginning of a sentence or after a pause (e.g., vamos [ˈba.mos]), or approximant [β̞], as between vowels or in other contexts (e.g., lava [ˈla.β̞a]). vida /ˈbi.ða/, nieve /ˈnje.β̞e/. Both in English and French, the v is a voiced labiodental fricative, while in German, it can be a voiced labiodental fricative (in words like Villa), though more often it is a voiceless labiodental fricative, like in Vater /ˈfaːtɐ/. This latter sound is represented in Spanish by the f, and the voiced labiodental fricative /v/ does not exist in any variety of Spanish, except in certain areas and by transfer from other languages. Therefore, let’s review the same examples we used for the b, as the pronunciation is the same. boat /boʊt/. Alemán: se asemeja al sonido de la /b/ en Baum /baʊm/ (árbol), donde la /b/ es también una oclusiva bilabial sonora, pero más tensa. Francés: similar al sonido de la /b/ en beau /bo/ (bello).
W: The w is an uncommon letter in Spanish and appears mainly in words of foreign origin (anglicisms, germanisms, etc.) or proper names. It is pronounced as /b/, or as /u/ or /gu/ depending on the case. In words like whisky, from English, it is pronounced /u/ or /gu/. In words of German or Dutch origin, like Wagner, it is pronounced as /b/.
X: The letter x in Spanish has several pronunciations depending on its position in the word and linguistic tradition: [ks]: In the middle of other letters or at the end of a word, it combines two phonemes: /k/ and /s/. This is the most common pronunciation in general words and learned terms. Example: texto [ˈteks.to]. Voiceless velar fricative [x]: Similar to the sound of j in Spanish, it appears in words of indigenous origin or proper names in Mexico and Central America. Example: México [ˈme.xi.ko]. Voiceless fricative [s]: In some cases, such as at the beginning of words of Greek origin, it is pronounced as a simple /s/. Example: xilófono [siˈlo .fo.no]. In other languages: English: similar to the sound of x in box /bɒks/, where it is pronounced as[ks]. German: similar to the use of x in foreign words like Xylophon /ˈksy.lo.foːn/, where it is pronounced /ks/. French: Similar to the [ks] sound in texte /tɛkst/.
Y: The letter y in Spanish has different phonetic realizations depending on its position in the word and the Spanish-speaking region: Voiced palatal fricative /ʝ/: At the beginning of a word or syllable, such as in yema /ˈʝe.ma/ or payaso /pa.ˈʝa.so/. Riotization: In Uruguay and parts of Argentina, a phenomenon called rehilamiento occurs, adding sonority at the point of articulation. For this reason, in these areas, the y in these positions is pronounced as /ʒ/ or /ʃ/. Voiced palatal semiconsonant /j/: When it forms a diphthong or triphthong at the end of a word, as in rey /rej/. Pronounced as /i/: When it is the conjunction y. y. Later in this article, we will discuss yeísmo, its implications, and the different pronunciations of ll and y in Spanish. Using sounds from English and German as references, /j/—the sound of y in yes in English or j in ja in German—is quite close to the most neutral pronunciation of y in Spanish. In the case of French, the sound /ʒ/ in words like genre is identical to one of the pronunciations of y in the Rioplatense variety of the language. Regarding the y at the end of a word and the conjunction y, simply pronounce them as the vowel /i/.
Z: The letter z has two main pronunciations depending on the Spanish-speaking region. Voiceless interdental fricative /θ/: This is the standard pronunciation in Spain (except in some southern regions, where /s/ is used). Example: zapato /θaˈpa.to/. Voiceless alveolar fricative /s/: Pronounced the same as s, it occurs in most of Latin America and some parts of southern Spain (a phenomenon known as seseo). Example: zapato /saˈpa.to/. English: similar to the s sound in see /siː/ in seseo regions. Comparable to the th sound in think /θɪŋk/ in interdental pronunciation. German: similar to the sound of ß or double s in words like nass /nas/, meaning it is non-vibrant in seseo regions. There is no equivalent to the /θ/ sound in German. French: Similar to the s in ce /sə/ for seseo pronunciation. The interdental sound /θ/ has no equivalent in French.
Ch: This combination was part of the Spanish alphabet until 2010, when it was excluded by the RAE (Royal Spanish Academy) because it is technically a digraph. Before that year, the alphabet was A, B, C, CH, D… The “ch” combination in Spanish represents the sound /tʃ/, which is a voiceless postalveolar affricate consonant. Affricate: produced as a combination of a complete closure (occlusion) followed by a fricative release, meaning there is still some restriction to airflow. This distinguishes affricate sounds from occlusive ones, as the latter allow total airflow release. Postalveolar: the tongue is positioned near the back of the alveolar ridge. Voiceless: there is no vocal cord vibration when producing this sound. In standard Spanish, /tʃ/ is quite consistent and lacks significant regional variation. However, for instance, some Cuban speakers (though I cannot confirm if this occurs throughout Cuba) soften the pronunciation towards a more fricative sound like /ʃ/. In this case, words such as mucho /ˈmu.tʃo/ are pronounced /ˈmu.ʃo/, which, personally, I find delightful to hear. Examples: chico /ˈtʃi.ko/, noche /ˈno.tʃe/. English: the /tʃ/ sound is identical to the ch combination in words like church /tʃɜːrtʃ/. German: it corresponds to the tsch combination in German, as in Entschuldigung /ɛntˈʃʊl.dɪ.gʊŋ/. French: Standard French does not have a /tʃ/ sound. However, it appears in some English loanwords or foreign names, such as le tchèque /tʃɛk/ (“the Czech”).
Yeísmo: In much of the Spanish-speaking world, the letters y and ll – the latter of which was also part of the alphabet in the past, like ch – are pronounced the same. This phenomenon is referred to as yeísmo. That is, they are identical within the pronunciation norms of that particular variety of Spanish. I’ll use my own variety as an example, as it likely has one of the most distinct pronunciations. In Uruguay and parts of Argentina, such as Buenos Aires, southern Argentina, and areas along the coast (el litoral), words like: lluvia are pronounced /ˈʃu.βja/ o/ˈʒu.βja/, and words like yo (/ʝo/) are pronounced /ʃo/ o /ʒo/. Throughout the territory where this phenomenon occurs, the most neutral pronunciation, from my perspective, for these two words would be /ˈʝu.βja/ and /ʝo/. However, the point I want to make is that, regardless of the variety of the language, it is most likely that the pronunciation of y and ll will be the same, whatever the specific pronunciation may be. Some distinctions are found in certain areas of Spain and the Andes where the ll it is pronounced as a voiced palatal lateral consonant (/ʎ/). Additionally, based solely on my personal experience, I have heard Mexicans pronounce it as /ʒ/.
I understand that for some graphemes there are many phonemes. But that’s how Spanish is, and that’s how all languages are, in fact. I want to leave you, first of all, a positive message: Spanish speakers, no matter what variety of Spanish we speak, understand each other. I’m not just saying this for the sake of saying it; I have spoken with native speakers from all Spanish-speaking countries except Equatorial Guinea, and despite the differences, communication always flowed perfectly. And while I haven’t spoken to anyone from Equatorial Guinea, I follow a YouTuber from that country and understand everything she says perfectly. That is, regardless of the variety of the language, mutual comprehension is the norm. Finally, a piece of advice I always give in my videos and to the people I do language exchanges with: learn as much as you can, but try to stay as neutral as possible. Thank you for reading!
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