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Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

Learn the Spanish alphabet with key words like Árbol, Casa, and Niño, focusing on pronunciation nuances such as the silent H and the unique Ñ sound (ny).
  1. There are 27 letters in the alphabet.
  2. There are 5 vowels (a, e, i, o, u) and 22 consonants.
  3. Accents (á, é, í, ó, ú).
  4. Diaeresis (ü).
A: Árbol (Tree)J: Jugar (Play)R: Ratón (Mouse)
B: Barco (Boat)K: Kiwi (Kiwi)S: Sol (Sun)
C: Casa (House)L: Luna  (Moon )T: Tigre (Tiger)
D: Dado (Dice)M: Manzana (Apple)U: Uva (Grape)
E: Elefante (Elephant)N: Nube (Cloud)V: Vaca (Cow)
F: Flor (Flower)Ñ: Mañana (Tomorrow)W: Wi-fi (Wi-fi)
G: Gato (Cat)O: Oso (Bear)X: Xilófono (Xylophone)
H: Helado (Ice cream)P: Perro (Dog)Y: Yate (Yacht)
I: Isla (Island)Q: Queso (Cheese)Z: Zapato (Shoe)

Exceptions!

  1. The "Ñ" is a unique letter in the Spanish alphabet and is pronounced as "ny". Example: "niño" is pronounced "ninyo".
  2. The "h" is silent in most cases. Example: "hola" is pronounced "ola".
  3. The LL is pronounced like a y. Example: llama is pronounced yama.

Exercise 1: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. ¿Cómo te ______?

(What is your ______?)

2. Me ______ Marta.

(My ______ is Marta.)

3. Mi nombre ______ Carlos.

(My name ______ Carlos.)

4. Mucho gusto, ______ Luis.

(Nice to meet you, ______ Luis.)

5. El ______ López es mi profesor.

(Mr. ______ López is my teacher.)

6. Ella se ______ Ana.

(Her name is ______ Ana.)

The Spanish Alphabet

This lesson covers the fundamentals of the Spanish alphabet, consisting of 27 letters including 5 vowels and 22 consonants. Mastering the alphabet is essential for spelling words correctly and improving your pronunciation skills in Spanish.

Alphabet Overview

Spanish includes the standard Latin alphabet letters plus the unique letter Ñ, which is pronounced like the English "ny" sound in "canyon". For example, niño is pronounced ninyo.

Vowels and Consonants

  • Vowels: a, e, i, o, u
  • Consonants: the remaining 22 letters including special characters like ñ.

Special Characters and Pronunciation Notes

  • Accents: á, é, í, ó, ú affect the pronunciation and stress of words.
  • Diéresis (ü): a diaeresis over "u" indicates it is pronounced separately, as in "vergüenza".
  • H: Usually silent, e.g., hola is pronounced ola.
  • LL: Pronounced like the English "y", e.g., llama sounds like "yama".

Example Words for Each Letter

Here are some useful example words to familiarize yourself with the letters and their sounds:

A: ÁrbolJ: JugarR: Ratón
B: BarcoK: KiwiS: Sol
C: CasaL: LunaT: Tigre
D: DadoM: ManzanaU: Uva
E: ElefanteN: NubeV: Vaca
F: FlorÑ: MañanaW: Wi-fi
G: GatoO: OsoX: Xilófono
H: HeladoP: PerroY: Yate
I: IslaQ: QuesoZ: Zapato

Important Language Notes

Spanish distinguishes itself from English in several ways relevant to pronunciation and spelling:

  • The letter Ñ does not exist in English and changes the meaning of words drastically.
  • Accents in Spanish indicate stressed syllables and can change the word meaning, unlike English where stress is learned contextually.
  • Sometimes letter combinations represent different sounds than in English, for example, LL pronounced as y.
  • The H is silent, contrary to English pronunciation where it is voiced.

Useful Phrases for Introducing Yourself

  • ¿Cómo te llamas? - What is your name?
  • Me llamo Marta. - My name is Marta.
  • Mi nombre es Carlos. - My name is Carlos.
  • Mucho gusto, soy Luis. - Nice to meet you, I am Luis.
  • El señor López es mi profesor. - Mr. López is my teacher.
  • Ella se llama Ana. - Her name is Ana.

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