Spanish sounds and the alphabet

What you’ll learn

• Recognize the five basic vowel sounds.
• Use spelling and written accents to identify a stressed syllable.
• Notice regional pronunciation without treating one accent as the only correct model.

Start with clear vowels

Spanish has five basic vowel sounds, written a, e, i, o and u. Keep them short and steady instead of sliding between sounds as English speakers often do. Read a word slowly in syllables, then join the syllables at a natural pace. The letter h is usually silent. The letters b and v do not form the English sound contrast in standard Spanish; spelling still distinguishes them.

The alphabet has 27 letters, including ñ. Ch and ll are letter combinations, not additional alphabet letters. Ñ represents a different sound from n: año and ano are different words. When spelling a name, ask for repetition instead of guessing a letter.

Find the stress and expect variation

A written accent shows the stressed vowel when a word departs from a common stress pattern, and it can also distinguish words such as tú and tu. Without an accent, words ending in a vowel, n or s usually stress the next-to-last syllable; most other words stress the last syllable. Say casa and papel with that contrast.

Across much of Latin America, s, z and c before e or i share an s-like sound. Many speakers in Spain distinguish z and soft c from s. Y and ll also vary by region. Aim for clear, consistent speech, and learn to recognize other speakers' patterns. These spelling exercises do not measure your spoken pronunciation.

Useful vocabulary

la letra

the letter

el sonido

the sound

repetir

to repeat

Common mistakes

• Do not pronounce every Spanish h as an English h.
• Do not omit ñ or written accents when typing; they carry information.
• A regional pronunciation difference is not automatically an error.

Keep these ideas

• Keep the five vowel sounds steady.
• Use spelling patterns and written accents to locate stress.
• Ask for spelling or repetition when needed.

Use it in your life

Read the first paragraph of the A1 sample aloud. Underline accented vowels and find two words with silent h if the paragraph contains them.

Read it in context

Look for this lesson’s ideas in a complete Spanish story. Read the passage first, then use its translations to check your understanding.