Guide to Spanish-American Pronunciation
by Cliff Lamere December 2012
This guide is meant to help you pronounce Spanish words heard in Central America and South America. The pronunciation is slightly different from the Spanish spoken in most parts of Spain.
Caution: This is written for people who speak American English, not British English.
Understanding the Sound Descriptions Used in this Webpage
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American English Description I Use |
American English Sound |
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American English Description I Use |
American English Sound |
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ah |
as in Father |
ih |
as in Sit |
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ai or ay |
as in Main or May |
oh |
as in Hope |
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aw |
as in Saw |
oo |
as in Soon |
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ee |
as in Seen |
ow |
as in Cow |
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eh |
as in Set |
oy |
as in Toy |
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Ī or ī |
as in Pipe |
uh |
as in But |
STRESSED vowel in a Spanish word
1) Words ending in any consonant except N or S have the stress on the last syllable.
2) Words ending in a vowel or N or S have the stress on the next-to-last syllable.
3) Words that don't follow one of these two rules will have the stressed vowel marked with an accent above it
( á é í ó ú ).
SPANISH-AMERICAN V O W E L S
Vowels
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Vowel |
American English Sound |
Example (English Word) |
Spanish Example (Meaning) |
In American English, Sounds Like: |
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A |
ah |
always as in Father |
padre - casa (padre - house) |
PAH-dray ~ CAH-sah |
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E long |
ai |
like ai in Paid, or é in Café |
madre - cc (mother - fish [food]) |
MAH-dray ~ pai-SCAH-doh |
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E short |
eh (when followed by a consonant, but only in final syllable or word of one syllable ) |
as in Set |
el - en - examen (the - in - test) |
ehl ~ ehn ~ eg-SAH-men |
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I |
ee |
always as in Machine |
importante - kilo (important - kilogram) |
eem-por-TAHN-tay ~ KEE-loh |
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O |
oh |
as in Bone |
poco - gato (small - cat) |
POH-coh ~ GAH-toh |
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U |
oo |
always as in Rude |
uno - mucho (one - much) |
OON-oh ~ MOO-choh |
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Y |
ee |
like i in Machine |
y (only word in which it is a single vowel) (and) |
ee |
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SPANISH-AMERICAN C O N S O N A N T S
If a letter is not in the table below, it has about the same pronunciation in American English.
The letters B and V are a special case. In some places in the world, the B would be pronounced like an English V. In some places, the V would sound like an English B. The pronunciation is often in between those letters. Speakers of Spanish understand either, so I and some others recommend that Americans pronounce them normally (B as B, V as V).
CH, LL and RR are treated as single letters in the Spanish language. In an index, CH would come after words beginning with Cu-. LL would come after Lu- words. RR would follow Ru- words.
Consonants Which May Sound Different in Spanish
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Single Consonant |
American English Sound |
Comment |
Spanish Example (Meaning) |
In American English, Sounds Like: |
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C |
K |
as in Cat (before a, o, u and before consonants except h) |
barco - cocina (boat - kitchen) |
BAR-coh ~ co-SEE-nah |
| S |
as in Cent or City (before e or i) |
cena - gracias (dinner - thank you) |
SAY-nah ~ GRAH-see-ahs | |
| CH |
CH |
as in Church |
chico - coche - concha (boy - car) |
CHEE-coh ~ COH-chay ~ COHN-chah |
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D |
D |
as in Dog (usually) |
donde - dios (where - God) |
DOHN-day ~ DEE-ohs |
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TH |
as in Those, not as in Thin (between vowels) |
podadera - rodeo (garden shears - detour) |
poh-thah-THAIR-ah ~ ROH-thai-oh |
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G |
G |
as in Go (before a, o, u) |
grande - gato (big - cat) |
GRAHN-day ~ GAH-toh |
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H |
like H in Him (before e or i) |
gente - general (people - general) |
HEN-tay ~ hay-nay-RAHL |
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H |
silent |
as in Hour |
hombre - hoy - huevo (man - today - egg) |
OHM-bray ~ oy ~ WAY-voh |
| J |
H |
like H in Him |
pájaro - hoja - jefe (bird - leaf - boss) |
PAH-hah-roh ~ OH-hah ~ HAI-fai |
| LL |
Y |
as in You |
caballo - ella - ardilla (horse - she - squirrel) |
cah-BAH-yoh ~ AI-yah ~ ar-DEE-yah |
| Ñ |
NY |
as in canyon |
mañana - niño (tomorrow - child) |
mah-NYAH-nah ~ NEE-nyoh |
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R |
slightly trilled |
--- |
oreja - norte (ear - north) |
or-AI-hah ~ NOR-tay |
| RR |
strongly trilled |
--- |
perro - arroz (dog - rice) |
PAIR-roh ~ AH-rrohs |
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S |
S |
as in Sit (never like Z in Rose) |
rosa - señor (rose - Mister) |
ROH-sah ~ sai-NYOR |
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Z |
S |
as in Sit |
pez - zapato - azul (fish - shoe - blue) |
pais ~ sah-PAH-toh ~ ah-SOOL |
If you pronounce the D always as a D, I believe you will be understood. I have heard adiós pronounced as ah-dee-OHS and also ah-thee-OHS.
The Spanish V often sounds more like an English B than a V, but the listener will understand the V sound. (In Spain, the Z is pronounced like the American th.)
DOUBLE VOWELS
In Spanish, a, e and o are strong vowels, while i, y and u are weak vowels. Each vowel in a pair of strong vowels is pronounced separately.
If one of two consecutive vowels is weak, they often have a single sound,
but sometimes they are pronounced separately.
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Double Vowels often with a Single Sound |
American English Sound (Dipthong) |
Comment |
Spanish Example (Meaning) |
In American English, Sounds Like: |
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AI and AY |
Ī (ah + ee) |
as in Aisle |
aire - ayuda (air - help) |
Ī-ray ~ ī-YOO-thah |
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AU |
OW (ah + oo) |
as in Sauerkraut |
auto - autor (car - author) |
OW-toh ~ ow-TOR |
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EI and EY |
AY (ay + ee) |
as in Vein and They |
reina - ley (queen - law)
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RAY-nah ~ lay |
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EU |
(ay + oo) |
--- |
Europa (Europe) |
[ay-oo]-ROH-pah (oo is hardly heard) |
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IA |
YAH or (ee + ah) |
as in Julia |
media - enviar (half - to send) |
MAI-thee-ah ~ ain-VYAR |
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IE |
YEH or YAY (ee + eh) |
--- |
bien - tiene (well - has) |
BYEHN ~ TYEH-nay |
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IO |
(ee + oh) or YOH |
as in Yoke |
patio - dios (courtyard - God) |
PAH-tee-oh ~ DEE-ohs |
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IU |
YOO (ee + oo) |
as in Yoo-hoo |
viudo - triunfo (widowed - |
VYOO-doh |
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OI and OY |
OY (oh + ee) |
as in Coin and Boy |
esteroide - hoy (steroid - today) |
ai-stay-ROY-thay ~ oy |
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UA |
WAH (oo + ah) |
as in Jaguar |
agua (water) |
AH-gwah |
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UE |
WAY (oo + ay) |
as in |
bueno - fuego (good - fire) |
BWAY-noh ~ FWAY-goh |
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UI and UY |
WEE (oo + ee) |
--- |
cuidado (care) |
cwee-thah-thoh |
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UO |
WOH (oo + oh) |
--- |
antiguo (old) |
ahn-TEE-gwoh |
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The strong vowels are a, e and o. When two are together, both are pronounced separately.
Pronounce one strong vowel, then the other.
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Double Vowels Sounded Separately |
American English Sound |
Comment |
Spanish Example (Meaning) |
In American English, Sounds Like: |
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AO |
ah + oh |
--- |
cacao - sarao (cocoa - party) |
cah-CAH-oh ~ sah-RAH-oh |
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OA |
oh + ah |
--- |
(uncommon) |
--- |
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AE |
ah + ay |
--- |
maestro (master) |
MAH-ay-stroh ( = MĪ-stroh ) |
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EA |
ay + ah |
--- |
real (danger) |
ray-AHL |
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EO |
ay + oh |
--- |
paseo (walk) |
pah-SAY-oh |
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OE |
oh + ay |
--- |
roer (to gnaw at) |
ROH-air |
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EE |
ai + ai |
--- |
leer (to read) |
LAI-air (say ai once, but longer) |
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OO |
oh + oh |
--- |
loor (praise) |
LOH-or (say oh once, but longer) |
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Triple vowels (triphthongs)
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Triple Vowels |
American English Sound |
Comment |
Spanish Example (Meaning) |
In American English, Sounds Like: |
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IAI |
ee-aa-ee or YĪ |
--- |
estudiáis |
es-too-dee-YĪS |
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IAU |
ee-ah-oo or YOW |
--- |
miau (meow of cat) |
myow |
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IEI |
ee-ay-ee or YAY |
--- |
confiéis |
con-fee-YAYS |
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UAI or UAY |
oo-ah-ee or WĪ |
--- |
Paraguay (Paraguay) |
Pahr-ah-GWĪ |
| UAU | oo-ah-oo or WOW | --- |
guau (bark of a dog) |
gwow |
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UEI or UEY |
oo-ai-ee or WAY |
--- |
buey (ox) |
bway |
_____________________________________________
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Dec 2012