Consonants
c, g, j, h, ll, ñ, r and rr, and the other letters that differ from English.
Most Spanish consonants sound as they do in English. These are the ones that don't.
| Letters | Sound | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| h | silent | hola hello, ahora now |
| j | a rasped kh, like ch in Scottish loch | jamón ham, ojo eye |
| ñ | ny, as in canyon | año year, mañana tomorrow |
| ll | y, as in yes | llamar to call, calle street |
| b, v | both b | bien well, vino wine |
| r | a single tap of the tongue | pero but, cara face |
| rr | a rolled r | perro dog, tierra earth |
| y | y as in yes; the vowel i in y "and" and at the end of a word | yo I, hoy today |
| x | ks | taxi, examen exam |
| z | th in Spain, s in Latin America | plaza square, luz light |
A single r is rolled like rr at the start of a word and after l, n or s: rojo "red", Enrique. Between vowels only the spelling tells them apart, and it matters: pero "but", perro "dog".
C and G change before e and i
c and g each have two sounds. Before a, o and u, and before a consonant, they're hard: k and g. Before e and i they're soft: c is th in Spain and s in Latin America, and g is the rasped kh of j.
| before a, o, u | before e, i | |
|---|---|---|
| c | k: casa, cosa, cuna | th or s: cena, cine |
| g | g: gato, amigo, gusto | kh: gente, página |
To write a hard sound before e and i, Spanish adds a silent u: qu is k and gu is g. To write the soft sounds before a, o and u, it uses z and j.
| Sound | before a, o, u | before e, i |
|---|---|---|
| k | ca, co, cu: casa | que, qui: queso |
| g | ga, go, gu: gato | gue, gui: guerra |
| th or s | za, zo, zu: zapato | ce, ci: cena |
| kh | ja, jo, ju: jamón | ge, gi, or je, ji: gente |
When the u after g is said before e or i, it takes two dots, the diéresis: vergüenza "shame", pingüino "penguin". Before a and o it's said anyway: agua "water", antiguo "old".
The same rules make verbs change their spelling to keep their sound: buscar "to look for" becomes busqué "I looked for", llegar "to arrive" llegué "I arrived", and empezar "to begin" empecé "I began".
Letters in borrowed words
k and w are only in words from other languages: kilo, whisky. In México, Texas and a few other names, x is an old spelling of the j sound.
Spelling aloud
Letters have names, used to spell a word aloud: ¿Cómo se escribe? "How is it spelled?"
Cards from this guide
12 cardsEach card asks about one thing this guide teaches, and its back gives the answer with why and an example. They're reviewed with the rest of the Getting started cards.
How is ñ said?
Like ny in canyon.
How is the h in hola said?
It isn't: h is silent.
How do the letters b and v sound different?
They don't: both are b.
How is the c in cena (dinner) and cine (cinema) said?
th as in think in Spain, s in Latin America.
How do you write the k sound before e or i?
With qu, its u silent: que, quiero.
How is the g in gente (people) said?
Like j: a rasped kh.
Why is there a u in guitarra (guitar)?
To keep the g hard before i; the u is silent.
What do the two dots on the u of vergüenza (shame) do?
They make the u said: ver-GÜEN-za, with gwe.
What's the difference between pero and perro?
pero 'but' has a tapped r; perro 'dog' a rolled rr.
How is the r at the start of rojo (red) said?
Rolled, like rr.
How do most speakers say the ll of calle (street)?
Like y in yes.
Why does buscar (to look for) become busqué (I looked for)?
To keep the k sound before e: c becomes qu.