| HOME | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
| LETTER | SPANISH NAME | COMMENTS |
|---|---|---|
| A | a | Like 'a' in 'father,' but quicker. |
| B | be | Like 'v,' but made with lips only, except like English 'b' if followed by 'm,' 'n,' or when it is at the beginning of a breath group. |
| C | ce | Like 'K' before consonants, 'a,' 'o,' or 'u;' like 'S' before 'e' or 'i.' Note: 'cc' sounds like 'KS.' |
| CH | che | Like 'ch' in 'church.' |
| D | de | Like English 'd' except like 'th' in 'this' between vowels or at the end of words. Some speakers omit 'd' at the end of a word. |
| E | e | Like 'e' in 'bet,' but quicker. |
| F | efe | Like English 'f' but not aspirated (air should not escape the lips when pronouncing 'f'). |
| G | ge | (1) Like English 'g' except (2) like guttural 'h' (deep in throat) before 'e' or 'i' and (3) almost like English 'g' but without the tongue touching the palate when after a vowel and before a diphthong. |
| H | hache | Silent; NEVER has any sound in Spanish. |
| I | i | Like 'ee' in 'meet,' but quicker. |
| (sometimes called i romana) | ||
| J | jota | A guttural 'h' sound, similar to the German 'ch' sound in 'Achtung.' |
| K | ka | Like English 'k.' Only occurs in foreign words, mostly of Greek origin. |
| L | ele | Like English 'L.' |
| LL | elle | Western Hemisphere: Like 'y' in 'yet.' |
| Eastern Hemisphere: Like 'll' in 'million.' | ||
| In parts of South America: Like 's' in 'pleasure.' | ||
| M | eme | Like English 'm.' |
| N | ene | Like English 'n.' |
| Ñ | eñe | Like 'ni' in 'onion' or 'ny' in 'canyon.' |
| O | o | Like 'o' in 'open,' but quicker |
| P | pe | Like English 'p,' but not aspirated (air should not escape the lips when pronouncing 'p'). Sometimes Spanish 'p' is silent, as when followed by 't' in 'septiembre' or 'séptimo.' |
| The written combination 'ph' does not occur in Spanish, and if it did, would be pronounced as if the 'h' were not present. | ||
| Q | cu | Like 'k' in 'kid;' always followed by a silent 'u,' and NEVER pronounced 'kw' as in English 'quit.' |
| R | ere | (1) Almost like English 'd.' Move tongue from front to back near top of mouth while flicking the ridge behind your top teeth. (2) At the beginning and ending of words and after 'l,' 'n,' or 's,' pronounced like 'RR' below: |
| RR | erre | Like Spanish 'R' above, but allow your tongue to bounce on the ridge with the air flow two or three times. |
| S | ese | (1) Like 's' in 'some,' but with a hint of 'sh' (use broad tip of the tongue). (2) Sometimes sounds like English 's' in 'rose' if followed by 'b,' 'd,' hard 'g,' 'l,' 'm,' or 'n.' |
| The written combination 'sh' does not occur in Spanish, and if it did, would be pronounced as if the 'h' were not present. | ||
| T | te | Like English 't,' but not aspirated (air should not escape the lips when pronouncing 't'). |
| The written combination 'th' does not occur in Spanish, and if it did, would be pronounced as if the 'h' were not present. | ||
| U | u | Like 'oo' in 'moon,' but quicker. |
| V | ve | Same as Spanish 'b' above: Like 'v,' but made with lips only, except like English 'b' if followed by 'm,' 'n,' or when it is at the beginning of a breath group. |
| W | ve doble (in Southwest US, sometimes called doble u) |
Like English 'w.' Occurs only in foreign words, primarily of Celtic, Gaelic, or English origin. Spanish words with this sound use the diphthongs 'ua,' 'üé,' 'üí,' or 'uo.' Sometimes pronounced like English 'v' or Spanish 'v.' |
| X | equis | Like 'gs' in 'eggs' or like 'ks' in 'backs'. In Spain, like 'sh' in 'shut' or like 'z' in 'azure.' |
| Y | i griega | Like 'ee' in 'meet,' but quicker; as a consonant, like 'y' in 'yes.' |
| Z | zeta | Western Hemisphere: always like 's' in 'see.' |
| In Spain: usually like 'th' in 'thin' or 'thorn.' |