 Spanish Pronunciation Lessons Spanish pronunciation is fairly straight-forward, because there are regular
rules for the pronunciation of each letter and letter combination, with very
few exceptions. Most letters represent a single sound. The pronunciation of
some letters depends on the location of the letter in the word and the
letters beside it.
Please note that these lessons are only a guideline for the Spanish that I
know, which is Castilian Spanish. There are many regional variations in Spanish
pronunciation. Acute Accent - Ã, É, Ã, Ó, Ú
The Spanish acute accent, or tilde, has two different uses. Leaving off the
accent on a word is a spelling mistake, and may even cause confusion, so
it's important to learn what it's there for.
Alphabet
The Spanish alphabet has 30 letters - learn 'em all. Lesson includes a sound
file for each letter as well as a single (long!) sound file with the entire
alphabet. All About Vowels
An introduction to the pronunciation of Spanish vowels, with sound files. All Letters
Learn, practice, or review Spanish pronunciation with this detailed
explanation of and sound files for each Spanish letter. And + Or
The words "and" and "or" have different forms in Spanish depending on the
pronunciation of the word that follows. Audio Dictionary
The Spanish audio dictionary contains more than 700 alphabetical entries, each
with a Spanish word or expression, sound file, English translation, and link
to additional information. Dieresis - Ü
The Spanish dieresis is used to obtain a W sound in front of certain vowels. Diphthongs and Hiatus
When a Spanish word has two vowels side by side, various pronunciation issues
come into play: syllable division, diphthongs, and hiatus. In terms of
syllable division, Spanish vowels are divided into two categories: strong
and weak. To pronounce Spanish correctly, you need to understand strong and
weak vowels and how they affect pronunciation. Enlace/Encadenamiento
Enlace or encadenamiento is the phenomenon in Spanish whereby
each word seems to run into the next, as if there are no boundaries between
them. In fact, this is exactly the case: there are no phonetic boundaries in
Spanish, and words do run together, in three different ways. Hard and Soft Vowels
Spanish vowels are divided into two categories: hard and soft. Hard vowels
cause the consonant that precedes them to be pronounced with a hard sound,
while soft vowels are preceded by a soft sound. Silent Letters
Figuring out how to pronounce a new Spanish word is fairly easy, because there
are consistent rules about how to pronounce each letter, and only two silent
letters. Spelling Change Verbs
Spelling change verbs undergo consonant changes in certain conjugations, due to
a certain aspect of Spanish pronunciation.
Stressed A
When a feminine Spanish noun begins with a stressed A sound, it may require a
masculine article.
Syllabification / Word Division
Spanish words are divided into syllables according to fairly simple rules.
U
The Spanish letter U has some unique characteristics. Learn about weak
vowels, hard vowels, dieresis, diphthongs, and more in this lesson (with
sound files). Advanced Pronunciation
Spanish pronunciation is what I like to call phonetic, meaning that according
to the pronunciation rules, in a given use, each letter is always pronounced
a certain way. Many Spanish letters have only one pronunciation, making them
especially easy to learn. But certain consonants have two or more
pronunciations depending on where/how they are used. Recommended Resources
 Audiomagazine
Think Spanish is an excellent learning tool for all levels of Spanish
students. The monthly magazine is filled with articles related to
Spanish-speaking countries and cultures - topics like travel, art, and
history - with a Spanish-English glossary next to each one. Other features
include a lesson and crossword puzzle. Audio Materials and Resources
Work on your Spanish by listening to Spanish audio. This page includes links to
language tapes/CDs, audio books, and more.
How to Pronounce Spanish Correctly
CD and booklet with detailed instructions to help you improve your Spanish
accent.
The Mimic Method
Nothing beats a private tutor for working on your Spanish pronunciation, but when that's not possible, The Mimic Method is the next best thing. This music-based pronunciation training course combines the flexibility of the internet with personalized feedback, and the result is an interesting and useful way to drastically improve your Spanish pronunciation.
Pronounce It Perfectly in Spanish
This book and two-tape set will help you master Spanish pronunciation. It
includes information on the accents from different parts of the
Spanish-speaking world.
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