The Spanish alphabet, or abecedario, consists of 27 letters, including all the letters of the English alphabet plus ñ. Spanish is a largely phonetic language, meaning words are pronounced as they are written, with consistent rules for vowels and consonants.
- 27 letters: A–Z plus ñ
- Spanish is mostly phonetic: pronunciation matches spelling
- Vowels have consistent sounds: A, E, I, O, U
- Some consonants differ from English (e.g., C, G, LL, RR)
Vowels
Spanish vowels are pure and always pronounced the same way, regardless of their position in a word.
| Vowel | Sound Example | Description |
|---|---|---|
| A | casa | Like 'a' in father |
| E | bebé | Like 'ay' in say (no diphthong) |
| I | si | Like 'ee' in see |
| O | lobo | Like 'o' in for |
| U | luna | Like 'oo' in moon |
- Vowels are always "pure" — no glides or diphthongs in isolated vowels
- A: /a/, E: /e/, I: /i/, O: /o/, U: /u/
Spanish vowels are pronounced very consistently: A = /a/, E = /e/, I = /i/, O = /o/, U = /u/, all in their 'pure' forms.
The Spanish alphabet has 27 letters, including the letter ñ.
The Spanish alphabet includes the letter ñ and is phonetic. Also, ll is considered a distinct sound, though it's not a separate letter anymore.
Consonants
Most Spanish consonants are similar to English but with notable differences for certain letters:
| Letter | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| C | /k/ before A, O, U; /s/ (or /θ/) before E, I | casa (ka-sa), cena (se-na) |
| G | /g/ before A, O, U; /h/ before E, I | gato (ga-to), gente (hen-te) |
| H | Silent | hola (oh-la) |
| J | /x/ (like English 'h' but stronger) | jugar (hoo-gar) |
| LL | /ʝ/ or /ʎ/ (like 'y' in 'yes' in many regions) | llama (ya-ma) |
| Ñ | /ɲ/ (like 'ny' in 'canyon') | niño (nee-nyo) |
| Q | /k/ (always before 'ue' or 'ui') | queso (ke-so) |
| R | Single R: tapped /ɾ/; Double RR: rolled /r/ | pero (pe-ro), perro (pe-rro) |
- C: hard /k/ or soft /s/ (in Spain, /θ/)
- G: hard /g/ or soft /h/
- H is always silent
- J, G (before E/I) sound like a strong English 'h'
- LL sounds like English 'y' (mostly)
- Ñ is a unique nasal sound similar to 'ny'
Special Letters and Sounds
- Ñ: nasal palatal /ɲ/, unique to Spanish (año, niño)
- LL: traditionally a separate letter, pronounced /ʎ/ or /ʝ/ (like English 'y') (llama, calle)
- RR: strong trilled /r/, only between vowels or at start of word (perro, rojo)
C, G, H, J, LL, Ñ, and RR all have unique pronunciations in Spanish.
The letter 'H' is silent in Spanish.
‘LL’ represents a 'y' sound, and ‘Ñ’ represents a nasal 'ny' sound.
Before ‘e’ or ‘i’, ‘C’ is pronounced like ‘s’ (or ‘th’ in Spain).
Conclusion
The Spanish alphabet is a 27-letter system with mostly phonetic spelling, ensuring consistent pronunciation. Mastering vowel sounds and unique consonants like ñ, ll, and rr is essential for clear communication.
- 27 letters: A-Z + ñ
- Vowels are pure and consistent: A, E, I, O, U
- Special consonants: ñ (ny), ll (y), rr (rolled r)
The Spanish alphabet includes 27 letters, one more than English due to the addition of ñ.
Spanish vowels are always pronounced the same way, unlike English.
C, G, H, J, LL, Ñ, and RR all have special pronunciations compared to English.