Spanish alphabet and pronunciation rules to help you accurately sound out words and spell correctly.
Spanish Alphabet
The Spanish alphabet has 27 letters:
| Letter | Name in Spanish | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | a | amigo | friend |
| B | be | barco | ship |
| C | ce | casa | house |
| D | de | día | day |
| E | e | elefante | elephant |
| F | efe | familia | family |
| G | ge | gato | cat |
| H | hache | hola | hello (silent) |
| I | i | isla | island |
| J | jota | jardín | garden |
| K | ka | kilo | kilo |
| L | ele | luna | moon |
| M | eme | mano | hand |
| N | ene | noche | night |
| Ñ | eñe | niño | child |
| O | o | ojo | eye |
| P | pe | perro | dog |
| Q | cu | queso | cheese |
| R | erre | rosa | rose |
| S | ese | sol | sun |
| T | te | taza | cup |
| U | u | uva | grape |
| V | ve | vaso | glass |
| W | doble ve | whisky | whisky |
| X | equis | taxi | taxi |
| Y | i griega | yate | yacht |
| Z | zeta | zapato | shoe |
How do you spell 'shoe' in Spanish?
zapato
'Zapato' means 'shoe' in Spanish and is the example for the letter Z.
Pronunciation Rules
Vowels
Spanish vowels are always short and clear, never changing.
| Vowel | Pronunciation | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| a | like 'a' in *father | casa | house |
| e | like 'e' in *met | elefante | elephant |
| i | like 'ee' in *see | isla | island |
| o | like 'o' in *pot | oso | bear |
| u | like 'oo' in *moon | uva | grape |
Consonants
| Letter | Pronunciation | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| b / v | like b in bed (both letters sound the same) | barco / vaso | ship / glass |
| c | like k before a, o, u; like s before e, i | casa / cine | house / cinema |
| ch | like ch in *church | chico | boy |
| d | like d in dog (softer between vowels) | día / nada | day / nothing |
| f | like f in *fan | feliz | happy |
| g | like g in go before a, o, u; like h in hello before e, i | gato / gente | cat / people |
| h | silent | hola | hello |
| j | like h in hello (stronger) | jardín | garden |
| l | like l in *lamp | luna | moon |
| ll | like y in yes (some regions say j) | lluvia | rain |
| m | like m in *moon | madre | mother |
| n | like n in *no | niño | child |
| ñ | like ny in *canyon | año | year |
| p | like p in *pen | papa | dad |
| q | like k (always followed by u) | queso | cheese |
| r | a quick flap, like tt in butter (American English) | caro | expensive |
| rr | a roll or trill | perro | dog |
| s | like s in *sun | sol | sun |
| t | like t in top (softer) | taza | cup |
| x | like ks in *box | taxi | taxi |
| y | like y in *yes | yate | yacht |
Special Notes
- H is always silent.
- LL and Y sound similar but can vary by region.
- B and V sound the same.
- Z and C (before e, i) sound like s in Latin America, and like th in Spain.
- R at the beginning of a word or RR is rolled.
How do z and c (before e, i) sound in most of Latin America?
Like 's'
In Latin America, both z and c (before e and i) are pronounced like 's'. In Spain, they are pronounced like 'th'.
Examples
| Spanish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| gato | GA-to* | cat |
| gente | HEN-te* | people |
| perro | PEH-rro* | dog |
| año | A-nyo* | year |
| lluvia | YU-via* | rain |
Tips
- Practice vowel sounds clearly; they never change.
- Listen to native speakers for regional accents.
- Use minimal pairs (e.g., pero vs. perro) to hear distinctions.
Flashcards (1 of 58)
- Letter: A
- Example: amigo
- Meaning: friend
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
