Consonant Sounds

Most consonants in Spanish are pronounced similarly to English, but some have distinct sounds.

• B and V - Both are pronounced as a soft b.
• Example: Beso (kiss), Vaso (glass)
• C - Before e or i, it is pronounced as s; otherwise, it is pronounced as k.
• Example: Cero (zero), Cine (cinema), Casa (house)
• G - Before e or i, it is pronounced as a soft h; otherwise, it is pronounced as g.
• Example: Gente (people), Gigante (giant), Gato (cat)
• H - Always silent.
• Example: Hola (hello)
• J - Pronounced as a soft h.
• Example: Jardín (garden)
• LL - Pronounced as y.
• Example: Llave (key)
• Ñ - Pronounced as ny.
• Example: Año (year)
• Q - Always followed by ue or ui, and pronounced as k.
• Example: Qué (what), Queso (cheese)
• R - Single r at the beginning of a word or after l, n, s is trilled.
• Example: Rojo (red), Carro (car)
• Z - Pronounced as s.
• Example: Zapato (shoe)

Stress and Accent Marks

In Spanish, the stress of a word usually falls on the second-to-last syllable if the word ends in a vowel, n, or s. If a word ends in any other consonant, the stress falls on the last syllable. Accent marks are used to indicate exceptions to these rules.

Stress Rules

• Second-to-last syllable:
• Example: Casa (house), Amigo (friend)
• Last syllable:
• Example: Ciudad (city), Comer (to eat)

Accent Marks

• Á: Indicates stress on the accented syllable.
• Example: Mamá (mother), Fácil (easy)
• É: Indicates stress on the accented syllable.
• Example: Café (coffee), Éxito (success)
• Í: Indicates stress on the accented syllable.
• Example: Día (day), Bebé (baby)
• Ó: Indicates stress on the accented syllable.
• Example: Teléfono (telephone), León (lion)
• Ú: Indicates stress on the accented syllable.
• Example: Tú (you), Fútbol (soccer)

Master pronunciation rules and all Spanish grammar rules with our expertly crafted grammar series. These resources provide detailed explanations and practical examples, ensuring you understand and apply each rule accurately. Enhance your Spanish language skills and communicate with confidence.

Examples and Practice

1. Casa - house

• [CA-sa]

1. Perro - dog

• [PER-ro]

1. Isla - island

• [IS-la]

1. Oso - bear

• [O-so]

1. Uno - one

• [OO-no]

1. Beso - kiss

• [BE-so]

1. Vaso - glass

• [VA-so]

1. Cero - zero

• [SE-ro]

1. Gente - people

• [HEN-te]

1. Hola - hello

• [O-la]

1. Llave - key

• [YA-ve]

1. Año - year

• [A-nyo]

1. Qué - what

• [KE]

1. Rojo - red

• [RO-ho]

1. Zapato - shoe

• [sa-PA-to]

Exercises

Exercise 1: Pronounce the Vowels

Practice pronouncing the vowels in Spanish. Say each vowel sound and provide an example word.

1. A - ___
2. E - ___
3. I - ___
4. O - ___
5. U - ___

Exercise 2: Pronounce the Consonants

Practice pronouncing the consonants in Spanish. Say each consonant sound and provide an example word.

1. B/V - ___
2. C (before e or i) - ___
3. G (before e or i) - ___
4. H - ___
5. J - ___
6. LL - ___
7. Ñ - ___
8. Q - ___
9. R (trilled) - ___
10. Z - ___

Exercise 3: Identify the Stress

Identify where the stress falls in each word and pronounce them correctly.

1. Comida
2. Ciudad
3. Fácil
4. Teléfono
5. Amigo

Exercise 4: Translate and Pronounce

Translate the following English words to Spanish and pronounce them correctly.

1. Mother
2. Friend
3. Dog
4. Coffee
5. Year

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