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Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

Learn the essentials of Spanish pronunciation at an A1 beginner level. Explore pairs of letters with the same and different sounds, such as g/j, c/z, b/v, and the special cases of r/rr and ñ. Understand key pronunciation rules for letters like g, c, qu, r, and h with helpful examples. Discover pronunciation differences between Spain and Latin America, and compare Spanish sounds to English equivalents. This lesson prepares you to speak with clearer, more natural Spanish pronunciation.
  1. The "g" before a/o/u (ga/go/gu): is pronounced softly. Example: gasolina
  2. The "g" before e/i (ge/gi): it is pronounced strongly, like a "j". Example: gimnasio
  3. The "gu" with i/e (gui/gue): The "u" is not pronounced unless it carries a diaeresis. Example: guitarra
  4. The "c" before a, o, u (ca/co/cu): it is pronounced like a "k". Example: cama
  5. The "c" before e/i (ce/ci): is pronounced like a "z". Example: cima
  6. The "qu" with i/e (qui/que): the "u" is not pronounced, and it sounds like a "k". Example: queso
  7. The "r" can sound like a "rr" at the beginning of a word or after the consonants "l", "n", "s". Example: rata

Misma pronunciación

g: girasol (sunflower)j: jirafa (giraffe)
c: cero (zero)z: zorro (fox)
y: hoy (today)i: imagen (image)
y: yate (yacht)ll: llave (key)
k: kiwi (kiwi)qu: quimera (chimera)
k: kayac (kayak)c: camión (truck)
b: barco (boat)v: vaso (glass)
r: ratón (mouse)rr: perro (dog)

Distinta pronunciación

r: pera (pear)rr: tierra (earth)
gu: guapo (handsome)gü: pingüino (penguin)

Exceptions!

  1. The "ñ" is a unique letter in Spanish. Example: "cuna" or "cuña"
  2. The "h" is silent except when it has the letter "c" before it ("ch"). Example: chocolate or huevo
  3. The "rr" is strong and "r" is soft in most cases. Example: perro or pero.
  4. In Spain, the letters "s", "c", and "z" have different sounds. However, in Latin America, they usually sound similar.

Exercise 1: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. ¿Cómo te llamas? Me ______ Carlos.

(What is your name? I am ______ Carlos.)

2. La ______ Martín es mi profesora de español.

(Mrs. ______ Martín is my Spanish teacher.)

3. Mucho gusto en ______, me llamo Ana.

(Nice to meet you, I am ______, my name is Ana.)

4. Mi apellido es García y mi ______ es Luis.

(My last name is García and my ______ is Luis.)

5. El chico y la chica se ______ en la clase.

(The boy and the girl ______ themselves in the class.)

6. El señor Gómez ______ su nombre y apellido en el formulario.

(Mr. Gómez ______ his first and last name on the form.)

Introduction to Spanish Pronunciation

Understanding Spanish pronunciation is essential for effective communication and language learning. This lesson focuses on common pronunciation features encountered in beginner Spanish (A1 level), helping learners to recognize similar and different sounds in the language. Through examples like girasol, jirafa, barco, and vaso, you will learn how certain letters or letter combinations can have the same or different pronunciations depending on context.

Same Pronunciation Pairs

Spanish has pairs of letters that sound alike, despite being written differently. For example, the letter g as in girasol and the letter j as in jirafa share the same pronunciation. Another pair is c like in cero and z in zorro. You'll also find that b and v can sound very similar, as in barco and vaso.

Different Pronunciations

Other letters or combinations have distinct sounds. For example, the single r in pera is softer than the double rr in tierra. Also, the gu in guapo differs from gü in pingüino, where the dieresis indicates a different pronunciation.

Key Pronunciation Rules

  • The letter g before a, o, u sounds soft, like in gasolina.
  • Before e or i, g sounds like a harsh j, as in gimnasio.
  • The letter c has a hard sound like k before a, o, u; like cama.
  • Before e or i, c sounds like z, for example, cima.
  • The qu sequence sounds like k without pronouncing u, as in queso.
  • The r at the beginning or after certain consonants is trilled strongly, like in rata.
  • The letter ñ is unique and makes the /ny/ sound, as in cuña.
  • The h is silent except when forming ch as in chocolate.

Pronunciation Variations

Note that in Spain, the s, c, and z sounds may differ, with distinctions such as the “th” sound for z and soft c, while in Latin America, these sounds often blend and are pronounced similarly.

Differences Compared to English

Spanish pronunciation sometimes differs notably from English. For example, the Spanish r is rolled or tapped, which English does not use. The letter ñ has no direct English equivalent but is similar to the "ny" sound in "canyon." Spanish uses different sounds for c and g depending on the following vowel, unlike English where these letters tend to have consistent sounds. Some common useful Spanish phrases highlighting pronunciation include:

  • ¿Cómo te llamas? (What is your name?)
  • Mucho gusto en conocerte. (Nice to meet you.)
  • El señor Gómez escribe su nombre. (Mr. Gómez writes his name.)

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