The Spanish alphabet has fixed names for each letter. When someone says a letter, you can recognize its name aloud and write it afterward. For example, a, be, ce, de, e, efe, ge. In Spanish, many letters are named with a vowel at the end, like be or te, and others use two syllables, like efe or ele. To listen to these names with more confidence, it is helpful to pay attention to the full sound of each letter, as in Sounds and Phonetics.

Names of letters for spelling clearly

Word	Notation	Description	Example
a	a	It is pronounced with an open and brief voice and sounds the same as in asa.	La letra a abre la palabra abeja.The letter a opens the word abeja.
be	be	It is pronounced with a soft and clear sound and begins with b in barco.	La letra be va en barco imaginario.The letter be goes in imaginary barco.
ce	θe	In many areas of Spain, the c before e sounds with a fine friction.	La letra ce canta en cebra.The letter ce sings in cebra.
uve	ˈuβe	It is pronounced with soft lips and not with force in the air.	La letra uve vuela sobre una nube.The letter uve flies over a cloud.
eñe	ˈeɲe	The ñ has its own nasal sound that does not appear in nina.	La letra eñe aparece en piña.The letter eñe appears in piña.

The five vowels of Spanish are a, e, i, o and u. They are always spoken with a clear and short sound. They do not change form depending on the word. In casa you hear a; in mesa, e; in vino, i; in lobo, o; in luna, u. When reading aloud, pronounce each vowel in a clean way, without prolonging it or joining it with another. That clarity helps you understand simple words and also to distinguish them when you hear them, just like in Primeros Pasos.

Spanish vowels with a stable sound

Word	Notation	Description	Example
a	a	The a has an open and firm sound.	La a está en casa.The a is in casa.
e	e	The e has a mid and clear sound.	La e vive en mesa.The e lives in mesa.
i	i	The i has a high and short sound.	La i salta en limpio.The i jumps in limpio.
o	o	The o has a round and complete sound.	La o rueda en loro.The o rolls in loro.
u	u	The u has a closed and soft sound.	La u duerme en luna.The u sleeps in luna.

To spell your name, you say each letter in order: M-a-r-í-a or P-e-d-r-o. If your surname has several words, separate them and name each part separately: Gómez, De la Cruz. When another person spells, you hear a letter each time and write it in the same order. If you don’t understand a letter, you can ask them to repeat it. Spelling appears a lot in forms, reservations and emails, so it is also useful for user names and addresses, as in Oraciones Simples.

letrasonidodeletrearnombre completocómo se escribeuna por unaalfabetonombreortografíaapellido

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Es el nombre junto con el apellidoEs lo que oímos cuando hablamosEs la palabra con la que te llamanEs el nombre de familia que acompaña al nombre propioEs la manera correcta de escribir las palabrasEs el conjunto de letras que usamos para escribirEs cada signo del alfabetoSignifica decir una palabra letra por letraQuiere decir sin saltarse ninguna letraSirve para pedir la forma exacta de una palabra

Vocabulary for saying names letter by letter

Word	Definition
deletrear	Means to say a word letter by letter.
letra	It is each sign of the alphabet.
apellido	It is the family name that accompanies the given name.
nombre	It is the word people call you by.
una por una	It means without skipping any letter.
cómo se escribe	It is used to ask for the exact form of a word.
ortografía	It is the correct way to write words.
sonido	It is what we hear when we speak.
nombre completo	It is the name together with the last name.
alfabeto	It is the set of letters that we use to write.

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Some letters are easily confused when writing or listening. b and v often sound very similar in many words. d and p change to a single visual form and can seem alike when heard quickly. m and n also get confused in names or quick messages. To avoid them, look at the full letter and listen to the exact name when it is said to you: be, uve, de, pe. On signs, lists and messages, this attention helps you read more accurately, along with what you see in Letras Mudas.

Rules for distinguishing letters that are confused

Idea
The b and v can sound similar when speaking, so it is advisable to look at the whole word.
The d can sound very soft between vowels, which is why it sometimes seems to disappear a little.
The p does not carry voice at the beginning, so it comes out drier than the b.
The m and n change the meaning a lot, so they must be listened to carefully.
The single r sounds quick, but the rr sounds strong and vibrating.

The alphabet is used to ask how a word is written: ¿Cómo se escribe? and then you listen to the letters one by one. You also use it when giving your address, your email, or your apartment number, because many times you have to repeat proper names and difficult words. In a message, a sign or a list, you can recognize a word letter by letter and check if it is written correctly. When someone says ¿Me lo puedes deletrear?, you know how to respond calmly and in order, and it will be easier to move between names, addresses and short texts in Spanish.

Mi correo lleva arrobaTe lo digo letra por letraEs una i latinaMe repites la última letraSe escribe con ce o con zeta

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Se usa para distinguir letras parecidas al escribir nombres o códigosSe usa para confirmar una letra final en nombres o mensajesSe usa para dictar una dirección digital con claridadSe usa para pedir la letra correcta de una palabra cuando hay duda al escribirlaSe usa para deletrear con calma cuando alguien no entiende un nombre

Ways to use the alphabet in different contexts

Region	Variant	Definition	Example
Spain	¿Se escribe con ce o con zeta	It is used to ask for the correct letter of a word when there is doubt about how to write it.	Pregunté si ce iba en cocer.I asked whether ce went in cocer.
Mexico	Mi correo lleva arroba	It is used to dictate a digital address clearly.	Mi correo lleva arroba y luego punto com.My email has an arroba and then dot com.
Argentina	Te lo digo letra por letra	It is used to spell calmly when someone does not understand a name.	Te lo repito letra por letra si hace falta.I will repeat it letra por letra if necessary.
Colombia	¿Me repites la última letra	It is used to confirm a final letter in names or messages.	Necesito la última letra para no equivocarme.I need the última letra so I do not make a mistake.
Peru	Es una i latina	It is used to distinguish similar letters when writing names or codes.	Dije i latina para evitar confusión.I said i latina to avoid confusion.

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