Lesson 9: Alphabet & Pronunciation (El Alfabeto y la Pronunciación)

¡Hola a todos! (Hello everyone!)

Welcome to Lesson 9, where you'll learn the foundation of Spanish pronunciation: the alphabet! Understanding the Spanish alphabet and how each letter sounds is crucial for spelling, reading, and speaking Spanish correctly. The good news? Spanish pronunciation is much more regular and predictable than English - once you learn the rules, you can pronounce almost any word correctly!

In this lesson, you'll learn all 27 letters of the Spanish alphabet (yes, 27!), their sounds, special letter combinations, and the pronunciation rules that will make you sound like a native speaker.

Part 1: The Spanish Alphabet (El Alfabeto Español)

The Spanish alphabet has 27 letters - the same 26 as English, PLUS one special letter: ñ

The Complete Alphabet with Pronunciation

💡 Teacher's Tip: The letter "ñ" (eñe) is unique to Spanish! It's not just "n" with a decoration - it's a completely different letter with its own sound.

Part 2: Vowels - The Foundation of Spanish

Spanish has 5 vowel letters, and each has ONE consistent sound (unlike English where vowels have multiple sounds).

The Five Pure Vowels

Memory Device: Remember "AH-EH-EE-OH-OO"

Why This Matters

In English, the letter "A" can sound like:
- "ay" in "cake"
- "ah" in "father"
- "uh" in "about"

But in Spanish, "A" ALWAYS sounds like "ah" in "father"!

Practice Words:
- casa (KAH-sah) - house
- peso (PEH-soh) - weight
- sí (SEE) - yes
- solo (SOH-loh) - alone
- azul (ah-SOOL) - blue

💡 Teacher's Tip: Master these five vowel sounds, and you're already 50% of the way to perfect Spanish pronunciation!

Part 3: Consonants - The Tricky Ones

Most Spanish consonants sound similar to English, but some require special attention:

H - The Silent Letter

H is ALWAYS SILENT in Spanish!

Why? Latin had no "h" sound, and Spanish kept the spelling but dropped the sound centuries ago.

Ñ - The Special Spanish Letter

Ñ sounds like "ny" in "canyon" or the "ni" in "onion"

How to Make the Sound:
1. Put your tongue on the roof of your mouth (like for "n")
2. Add a "y" sound immediately after
3. It should sound like "n" + "yuh" blended together

J - The Strong "H" Sound

J sounds like a strong English "h" (like clearing your throat gently)

Regional Note: In Spain, this sound is more guttural (from the throat). In Latin America, it's softer, closer to English "h".

LL - The Double L

LL traditionally sounds like "y" in "yes" (this is called "yeísmo")

Regional Variation: In Argentina and Uruguay, "ll" sounds like "sh" or "zh" (like "measure"):
- pollo → POH-sho (chicken)

R and RR - Single vs Rolled

This is often the hardest sound for English speakers!

R (single) - Tap the tongue once (like the "tt" in "butter")
| Spanish | English |
|---------|---------|
| pero | but |
| caro | expensive |
| toro | bull |

RR (double) - Roll the tongue multiple times
| Spanish | English |
|---------|---------|
| perro | dog |
| carro | car |
| ferrocarril | railway |

Important Distinction:
- pero (PEH-roh) = but
- perro (PEH-rroh) = dog

The difference between one tap and multiple taps changes the meaning!

How to Roll Rs:
1. Put your tongue near your teeth (where you say "D")
2. Blow air and let your tongue vibrate
3. Practice with "butter, butter, butter" faster and faster
4. Try saying "ttttt" rapidly

💡 Teacher's Tip: Don't worry if you can't roll your Rs yet! Many native speakers can't roll them perfectly either, and you'll still be understood. It comes with practice.

Part 4: C and G - The Chameleons

These letters change their sound depending on what vowel follows them!

The Letter C

C has TWO sounds:

1. Before E or I → sounds like "S" (in Latin America) or "TH" (in Spain)
   - ce → SEH (like "say")
   - ci → SEE

Examples:
- cerveza (sehr-BEH-sah) - beer
- cinco (SEEN-koh) - five
- cena (SEH-nah) - dinner

2. Before A, O, U → sounds like "K"
   - ca → KAH
   - co → KOH
   - cu → KOO

Examples:
- casa (KAH-sah) - house
- coche (KOH-cheh) - car
- cuatro (KWAH-troh) - four

The Letter G

G has TWO sounds:

1. Before E or I → sounds like "H" (like J)
   - ge → HEH
   - gi → HEE

Examples:
- gente (HEN-teh) - people
- gitarra (hee-TAH-rrah) - guitar
- general (heh-neh-RAHL) - general

2. Before A, O, U → sounds like "G" in "go"
   - ga → GAH
   - go → GOH
   - gu → GOO

Examples:
- gato (GAH-toh) - cat
- amigo (ah-MEE-goh) - friend
- gusto (GOOS-toh) - pleasure

Special Case: GUE and GUI
To make the "g" sound before E or I, add a silent U:
- gue → GEH (U is silent): guerra (GEH-rrah) - war
- gui → GEE (U is silent): guitarra (gee-TAH-rrah) - guitar

Part 5: Special Letter Combinations

Some letter combinations create unique sounds:

QU (always "K" sound)

QU is always followed by E or I, and the U is SILENT

CH (like "ch" in "church")

CH is one sound, like English "ch"

Part 6: V and B - They Sound the Same!

In Spanish, V and B are pronounced identically!

Both sound like a soft "b" (between English "b" and "v")

Examples:
- vaca (cow) and baca (roof rack) sound identical: BAH-kah
- You distinguish them through context!

💡 Teacher's Tip: This is why Spanish speakers sometimes confuse "b" and "v" when writing. The sounds are identical!

Part 7: Z - Like an S

In Latin America, Z sounds like "S"
In Spain, Z sounds like "TH" in "think"

For this course, we'll use the Latin American pronunciation (S sound).

Part 8: Stress and Accent Marks

Spanish has clear rules for which syllable to stress:

Written Accent Marks (Tildes)

The marks like á, é, í, ó, ú tell you where to stress the word:

Stress Rules Without Accents

Rule 1: Words ending in vowel, N, or S → stress the second-to-last syllable
- casa → CA-sa
- hablan → HA-blan
- estudiantes → es-tu-DIAN-tes

Rule 2: Words ending in consonant (except N or S) → stress the last syllable
- comer → co-MER
- ciudad → ciu-DAD
- español → es-pa-ÑIOL

Rule 3: Accent mark = break the rules above → stress that syllable!
- médico → MÉ-di-co (breaks rule 1)
- café → ca-FÉ (breaks rule 2)

💡 Teacher's Tip: Accent marks in Spanish are not optional - they change meaning!
- papa (potato) vs papá (dad)
- si (if) vs sí (yes)

Part 9: Spelling Out Words

How to spell words letter by letter in Spanish:

Spelling Formula

To spell a name or word, use: "Se escribe con..." (It's written with...)

Example 1: Spelling "María"
- Se escribe: eme - a - ere - i con acento - a
- Translation: It's written: M-A-R-í-A (í with accent)

Example 2: Spelling "José"
- Se escribe: jota - o - ese - e con acento
- Translation: It's written: J-O-S-é (é with accent)

Useful Spelling Phrases

Part 10: Common Pronunciation Mistakes

Avoid these common errors:

❌ Mistake #1: Pronouncing H

• ❌ WRONG: "HO-la" (with audible H)
• ✅ CORRECT: "OH-lah" (H is silent)

❌ Mistake #2: English Vowels

• ❌ WRONG: "casa" like "case-ah"
• ✅ CORRECT: "KAH-sah" (pure Spanish vowels)

❌ Mistake #3: Not Rolling RR

• ❌ WEAK: "perro" like "PEH-roh"
• ✅ CORRECT: "PEH-rroh" (with rolled R)
• (But don't worry if you can't do this yet!)

❌ Mistake #4: Different V and B

• ❌ WRONG: Making V sound like English "v"
• ✅ CORRECT: V and B both sound like soft "b"

❌ Mistake #5: Wrong Stress

• ❌ WRONG: "ma-MA" (stressing wrong syllable)
• ✅ CORRECT: "MA-ma" or "ma-MÁ" (follow accent rules)

Part 11: Practice Techniques

How to improve your pronunciation:

Technique 1: Vowel Purity Drill

Practice saying just vowels: "A-E-I-O-U"
- AH-EH-EE-OH-OO
- Repeat 10 times, slowly, with pure sounds

Technique 2: Minimal Pairs

Practice words that differ by one sound:
- pero (but) vs perro (dog)
- casa (house) vs caza (hunt)
- caro (expensive) vs carro (car)

Technique 3: Alphabet Song

Learn the alphabet song in Spanish (like "ABC" in English):
- Many versions available on YouTube
- Singing helps memorize letter names

Technique 4: Shadowing

• Listen to native Spanish audio
• Repeat immediately after (shadow) what you hear
• Focus on mimicking the exact sounds

Technique 5: Record Yourself

• Record yourself speaking Spanish
• Compare to native speakers
• Notice differences and adjust

Part 12: The Alphabet in Daily Use

When you'll need to spell things out:

Common Situations

1. Names - Especially non-Spanish names
   - "Mi nombre es Sarah, se escribe ese-a-ere-a-hache"

2. Email Addresses
   - "@" = arroba
   - "." = punto
   - "_" = guion bajo
   - Example: maria.lopez@email.com
   - "eme-a-ere-i-a punto ele-o-pe-e-zeta arroba e-eme-a-i-ele punto ce-o-eme"

3. Phone Numbers - Already learned in Numbers lessons!

4. Addresses - For delivery or directions

5. Passwords - When setting up accounts

Special Characters in Spanish Keyboard

Vocabulary Summary: Alphabet & Pronunciation

Key Terms

The 27 Letters

A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, Ñ, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

Key Takeaways

✅ Spanish has 27 letters - including the special Ñ
✅ 5 vowels with ONE sound each - AH, EH, EE, OH, OO
✅ H is always silent - hola = "OH-lah"
✅ V and B sound the same - both like soft "b"
✅ C and G change based on the following vowel
✅ Accent marks matter - they change stress and meaning
✅ R vs RR - single tap vs roll
✅ Pronunciation is regular - once you learn the rules, you can read anything!

Practice Tips for Success

1. Practice vowels daily - A-E-I-O-U with pure sounds
2. Say the alphabet - Learn the letter names, not just sounds
3. Practice spelling your name - In Spanish, letter by letter
4. Work on rolling Rs - A few minutes daily with tongue twisters
5. Listen and repeat - Use Spanish podcasts or videos
6. Don't aim for perfection - Accent is charming! Focus on clarity.
7. Learn minimal pairs - Practice words that differ by one sound

Ready to Practice!

Understanding the alphabet and pronunciation rules is fundamental to your Spanish journey. With this knowledge, you can now:
- Spell words correctly
- Pronounce new words you read
- Understand why words sound the way they do
- Ask "¿Cómo se escribe?" when you need clarification

The 50 exercises ahead will reinforce:
- Letter names and sounds
- Vowel pronunciation
- Tricky consonants (ñ, j, ll, rr)
- C and G pronunciation rules
- Spelling words
- Accent mark placement
- Real-world pronunciation scenarios

¡Excelente trabajo! (Excellent work!) Let's practice the alphabet and pronunciation until it becomes second nature! 🎵