This is a guide to help you learn proper Spanish pronunciation. While there are a lot of similarities with the alphabet in English, the differences are what make Spanish unique. Visit this guide often for help pronouncing Spanish words. Click over any of the letters at the left to hear the pronunciation.

Sound Examples Similarities in English a lago, pato The a is always pronounced like the a in star e mesa, beso The e is like the a in hay i libro, maíz The i is like the double ee in bee o colorado, solo The o is like the o in old u su, subir The u is like the double oo in too b,v boca, abrir, vivir, viejo The b and v sound the same in Spanish and are like the b in baby c(e,i) cena, cielo The c is like the s in sign c(a,o,u) casa, conejo, cuatro The c is like the k in kite d verde, ciudad The d is a soft sound and is like the th in they h hablar, hola The h is silent j trabajar, joven The j is like the h in hay ge Los Ángeles Just like the j above gi gila, biología Just like the j above ll, y ella, silla, yo, ayuda The ll, y are like the y in yes ñ piña, montaña The ñ is like the ny in canyon r pera, fresa When between vowels, the r sounds like the d in dad. At the start of a word or in a blend with some other consonants, it is a rolled r. (see "rr" below) rr carro, marrón The rr is sometimes difficult to pronounce, but the sound is made by placing the tip of the tongue on the roof of your mouth where there is kind of a hump and producing a rapid r sound like saying in English r-r-r-rolling r-r-r-ridges z azul, manzana The z is like the s in essay