Spanish Pronunciation Guide for English Speakers
Spanish pronunciation made simple: the five vowels, tricky consonants, stress rules and the most common mistakes English speakers make.
By Ayoub Farid · · 2 min read
Good news: Spanish spelling is very regular. Once you know the rules, you can pronounce almost any word you read. Here's what English speakers need to focus on.
The five vowels
Spanish has five pure vowel sounds. They're short and never "glide" like English vowels.
| Vowel | Sounds like | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a | "ah" in father | casa |
| e | "e" in bet | mesa |
| i | "ee" in see (short) | sí |
| o | "o" in more (short, no "w") | todo |
| u | "oo" in food | uno |
The number one tip: keep vowels short and clean. "No" is not "noh-oo".
Consonants that differ from English
- h is silent: hola = "ola".
- j (and g before e/i) is a breathy sound from the throat: jamón, gente.
- ll and y sound like English "y" in most places: llamar, yo. In Argentina and Uruguay they sound like "sh" or "zh".
- ñ is like "ny" in canyon: año.
- r between vowels is a quick tap, like the "tt" in American butter: pero.
- rr (and r at the start of a word) is rolled: perro, rojo. See how to roll your R.
- d between vowels is soft, close to "th" in this: nada.
- b and v sound the same.
- z and c before e/i: "s" in Latin America, "th" in most of Spain. See Mexican vs Spain Spanish.
Stress rules
- Words ending in a vowel, n or s: stress the second-to-last syllable: ca-sa, ha-blan.
- Other words: stress the last syllable: ha-blar, ciu-dad.
- An accent mark overrides the rules: café, árbol.
Common mistakes
- Pronouncing the h.
- Making vowels long and "diphthong-y".
- Hard English d in nada.
- Stressing the wrong syllable: "pa-PÁ" (dad) vs "PA-pa" (potato).
Practice sentences
Read these out loud, focusing on pure vowels and soft d:
- Todo está bien, nada más estoy cansado.
- Mi abuela hace unos tamales deliciosos.
- ¿Dónde está la estación de metro?
- El perro de Roberto corre rápido.
Practice out loud
Read aloud for five minutes a day and use shadowing. Then use your pronunciation in real conversations: in Lolo, you see a live transcript of what you said, which is a quick way to check you're being understood. See Spanish accent tips.
Frequently asked questions
Is Spanish pronunciation hard for English speakers?
It's one of the easier parts of Spanish, because spelling and sound match closely.
Do I need to roll my R?
It helps clarity (pero vs perro), but you'll be understood while you learn it.
Which accent should I learn?
Pick the one you hear most: Mexican for family in Mexico, for example. All are correct.
