Letters that surprise English speakers

A consonant is any letter that isn't a vowel: b, c, d, f, g… Most Spanish consonants sound close to English ones (m, n, p, f, l, t, s hold no surprises). This lesson covers the few that catch English speakers out. Learn these and you can read Spanish aloud.

h: always silent

The letter h is never pronounced. Hola (hello) is OH-lah, hotel is oh-TEL, ahora (now) is ah-OH-rah.

• Hola, me llamo Hugo.Hello, my name is Hugo.
• Hoy hace calor.It's hot today.

j: a breathy sound from the back of the throat

The j sounds like the ch in Scottish loch or the composer Bach: air scraping at the back of the mouth. It never sounds like the English j in jam. Juan is HWAHN, jamón (ham) is hah-MON.

• Juan tiene un gato.Juan has a cat.

g: two sounds

• Before e or i, g sounds exactly like the Spanish j: gente (people) is HEN-teh, girasol (sunflower) is hee-rah-SOL.
• Everywhere else it is a hard g as in go: gato (cat), gracias (thank you), gusto (pleasure).
• To get a hard g before e or i, Spanish writes gue, gui, and the u is silent: guerra (war) is GHEH-rrah, guitarra is ghee-TAH-rrah.

• La gente es muy simpática.The people are very nice.
• Me gusta la guitarra.I like the guitar.

c, qu and z: the k sound and the th sound

In most of Spain, c before e or i and every z sound like the th in think: cinco (five) is THEEN-koh. This is called distinción, and it is the model pronunciation in this course. It is not a lisp: the same speakers say a normal s in sí or casa.

In Latin America, the Canary Islands and much of Andalusia, these letters sound like s: cinco is SEEN-koh. This is called seseo, and it is just as correct. Understand both; use whichever you prefer, consistently.

• ¿Quieres un café?Do you want a coffee?
• El cine está en la plaza.The cinema is in the square.
• La cena es a las nueve.Dinner is at nine.

ll and y: like y in yes

For most speakers today, ll and y sound the same, like the y in yes: calle (street) is KAH-yeh, llamo (I call) is YAH-moh. In Argentina and Uruguay they sound more like the sh in show: KAH-sheh.

• La calle es muy bonita.The street is very pretty.

ñ: a different letter

The ñ (called eñe) sounds like the ny in canyon: España is ehs-PAH-nyah, mañana (tomorrow) is mah-NYAH-nah. It is a separate letter of the alphabet, not an n with decoration: año (year) and ano (anus) are two very different words.

• Mañana es mi cumpleaños.Tomorrow is my birthday.

b and v: the same sound

Spanish b and v sound identical. At the start of a phrase or after m or n, both sound like English b: Valencia is bah-LEN-thyah. Between vowels, both are softer, with the lips almost touching: uva (grape), cabo (cape). Spanish never uses the English v sound with the teeth on the lip.

• Vivo en Valencia.I live in Valencia.

Two more: r and rr

A single r between vowels is one quick tap of the tongue, like the tt in American butter: pero (but). A double rr, or an r at the start of a word, is a rolled trill: perro (dog), Roma. You will practise this contrast in the sound drills.

Common mistakes

• Pronouncing the h: HOH-lah for hola. The h is always silent.
• Saying j as in English jam: JWAHN for Juan. Use the breathy back sound.
• Saying the u in que, qui, gue, gui: KWEH-soh for queso. That u is silent.
• Using an English v: VEE-voh for vivo. Spanish v sounds like b.
• Writing n for ñ: año (year) needs its ñ.