Spanish is not a difficult language for English speakers, once
the pronunciation of different sounds is mastered. This skill begins with the
consonants, ALL of which are pronounced in a word as follows:
generally as in English b e.g. bueno, (good), pronounced bwayno
between vowels, a sound between b and v e.g. bebida, (drink)
pronounced baybveedhah
c:
centre (centro), pronounced thayntro otherwise, like k
in kit e.g. como (how), pronounced komo
ch:
as in English e.g. mucho (much), pronounced moocho
d:
generally as in dog, e.g. donde (where) pronounced donday; between
vowels and at the end of a word, like th in this e.g. edad (age)
pronounced aydhahdh
g:
before e and i, like ch in Scottish loch e.g.
urgente (urgent) pronounced oorghayntay; between vowels and
sometimes inside a word, similar to the hard English g, e.g. agua(water)
pronounced ahgwah
h:
always silent e.g. hombre (man) pronounced ombrray
j:
like ch in Scottish loch e.g. bajo (below) pronounced bahkho
ll:
like lli in million e.g. Ileno (empty) pronounced lyayno
ñ:
like ni in onion e.g. señor (Mr.) pronounced sayniyor
qu:
like k in kit e.g. quince (fifteen) pronounced keenthay
r:
more strongly trilled e.g. rIo (river) pronounced rreeo
rr:
even morestrongly trilled e.g. arriba (above) pronounced ahrrreebhah
s:
always like the S in sit, e.g. cuantos (how much/many) pronounced kwahntoss
v:
tends to be like b in bad e.g. viejo (old) pronounced beeaykho
z:
like th in thin e.g. brazo (arm) pronounced brahtho
