Spanish pronunciation

Pronunciation is a really important aspect of learning to speak Spanish.

This blog post will show you how to stress syllables, and how to pronounce Spanish words with accents. We hope you enjoy today’s lesson!

The right stress at the right time

2 simple rules to follow:

1)      Stress the second to last syllable if the word ends in a vowel, an n,or an s

• • Pollo – pronounced poh-yoh (chicken)

 

• • Caminan – pronounced kah-mee-nahn (they walk)

 

• • Mariposas – pronounced mah-ree-poh-sahs (butterflies)

2)      Stress the last syllable if the word ends in a constanant that isn’t an n or s

• • Cantar – pronounced kahn-tahr (to sing)

 

• • Feliz – pronounced feh-lees (happy)

 

Accents

Life gets a bit easier when a word is accented! When an accent mark is on a syllable, you can tell immediately where the stress is just by looking at the word.

• • Fotógrafo – pronounced foh-toh-grah-foh (photographer)

 

• • Balcón – pronounced bahl-kohn (balcony)

Accents also have another use – two words might be spelled exactly the same, but an accent mark on one of them can completely change their meaning. For example, si means “if” while sí means “yes.”

If you would like to hear Spanish pronunciation from a native speaker, check out the below video (click on the image)

Before we go…Competition Time!

Watching Spanish films is another great way to get your ears used to pronunciation. If you sign up to our newsletter, you could be in with a chance to win either the beautifully filmed “Volver” starring Penélope Cruz or the highly acclaimed classic “Y Tu Mamá También.” Two lucky subscribers will be chosen at random to receive a DVD.

Competition ends on 31st August 2014 so sign up by clicking the below image!