The alphabet

1. What you learn in this unit

• Recognise the 27 letters of the Spanish alphabet.
• Understand how some letters are pronounced differently from English.
• Use the alphabet to spell names and emails in Spanish.
• Pay attention to special signs: accents (á, é, í, ó, ú) and dieresis (ü).

Read this explanation once. Then go back and repeat out loud the letters and example words from the table in your book.

2. The Spanish alphabet at a glance

Spanish has:

• 27 letters in total.
• 5 vowels: a, e, i, o, u.
• 22 consonants (including ñ).

For spelling in daily life (phone, reception, meetings), people often say:

• “A de Árbol, B de Barco, C de Casa…”
• This is: “A as in Árbol, B as in Barco, C as in Casa …”

Use the example words in your table to support your memory.

3. Special Spanish letters: Ñ, H, LL

These three are the ones that usually cause questions.

3.1 Ñ – a separate letter

• Ñ is its own letter, not “N with something on it”.
• Pronunciation: similar to “ny” in “canyon”.

For spelling: you can say just “eñe” or use a word: “Ñ de Mañana”.

• Self-check: Can you clearly hear the difference between n (nube) and ñ (mañana)? If not, repeat them out loud several times.

3.2 H – usually silent

• H is mute in almost all everyday words.
• You see it in writing, but you do not pronounce it.

When you spell, you still say the letter:

• “hola: H-O-L-A” (but you pronounce it ola).

• Self-check: If you are saying a Spanish word and you hear yourself pronouncing an English “h” sound, you are probably adding too much. Soften it or remove it.

3.3 LL – pronounced like Y in many accents

• In many regions, LL is pronounced like the English “y” in “yes”.
• So llama sounds like “yama”.

In some countries, LL is pronounced a bit like the English “j” in “jeans”. For A1, using the “y” sound is clear and correct everywhere.

• Self-check: Try to say your name with ll if possible (for example, “Bella”). Compare Spanish “Be-ya” with your English pronunciation.

4. Accents (á, é, í, ó, ú): why they matter

In Spanish, accents are not decoration. They change:

• where the stress (strong syllable) is,
• and sometimes the meaning.

For this unit, the key skill is:

• Notice the accents when you see them.
• Say the vowel with more stress.
• When spelling, name the accent:
  • “Málaga: M con acento, A, L, A, G, A” or shorter “M-Á-L-A-G-A”.

• Self-check: When you read a word with an accent, can you automatically make that syllable stronger? If not, reread it slowly and exaggerate the stress.

5. Dieresis (ü): when U needs a voice

Normally, in combinations gue / gui:

• u is silent: guitarra → gui (gee), not güi.

The dieresis ü tells you: “pronounce this u”.

• Self-check: Look at a word with güi / güe. Can you clearly hear and say the “u” in the middle?

6. Spelling your name and surname in Spanish

In real life (phone calls, reception, travel) you will often need to spell your name.

1. Say the word first.
   • “Me llamo Ana.”
2. Then spell it, letter by letter.
   • “Ana: A-N-A.”
3. Optionally, add an example word:
   • “A de Árbol, N de Nube, A de Árbol.”

For surnames with special letters, be explicit:

• “Muñoz: M-U-Ñ-O-Z, con eñe.”
• “Güell: G-U-E-L-L, con diéresis en la U: G-Ü-E-L-L.”

• Self-check: Can you spell your full name smoothly in Spanish, including any accents or special letters? If not, write it down with clear dashes first, then read it aloud.

7. Typical mistakes to avoid

• Adding English sounds:
  • “Hola” → “Jola” (wrong)
  • Correct: hola → ola (no h sound).
• Forgetting special letters when spelling:
  • “Muñoz” → M-U-N-O-Z (wrong)
  • Correct: M-U-Ñ-O-Z.
• Ignoring accents:
  • “Malaga” instead of “Málaga”.
  • On a form or in an email, try to include accents when possible.
• Pronouncing LL as in English “l-l”:
  • “Llama” → “L-lama” (wrong)
  • Correct: “yama” (like “y” in “yes”).

8. Quick self-test

Without looking at the book, check if you can:

• Write the 5 vowels of Spanish and read them aloud.
• Explain in one sentence what is special about ñ.
• Explain what happens to the letter h in pronunciation.
• Say how ll is pronounced in your course.
• Point to the stressed syllable in Málaga and pingüino.
• Spell your name and surname in Spanish, mentioning accents and special letters.

If you can do this, you are ready to use the alphabet in real conversations (introductions, at reception, on the phone) and focus with your teacher on speaking practice.