Spanish Consonants by Sandra Rosenstiel
Effective communication is the real goal of language learning, so it's important to be aware of what pronunciation mistakes might impede communication. For the most part, the pronunciation of Spanish consonants is quite similar to that of their English counterparts. There are, however, some differences you should be aware of. Let's take a look at the consonants that may surprise you.
The Consonants B and V
For all practical purposes, you can pronounce these two consonants the same way in Spanish — somewhere right in between the two, with your lips together but without a vibration. The consonant b should not be as explosive in Spanish as it is in English, and v shouldn't vibrate. Both produce a softer b/v combination sound. So, for example, the pronunciation of baca (luggage rack) and vaca (cow) is identical most of the time in Spanish.
The Consonant C
The pronunciation of the consonant c depends on the vowel that follows it. Pronounce c with a hard “k” sound when it is followed by a, o, or u. Pronounce c with a soft “s” sound when it is followed by e or i. Look at the following examples.
caballo |
kah-BAI-yo |
cosa |
KOH-sa |
cenar |
say-NAHR |
cinema |
SEE-nay-mah |
The Consonants K and Q
The letter k only appears in borrowed words in Spanish and retains its “k” sound. Q, which is always followed by u, also always produces a “k” sound. When qu is followed by a or o, the combination is pronounced “kwa” and “kwo.” Qu followed by e or i is pronounced “kay” and “key.” Look at the following examples.
kilo |
KEY-low |
quántum |
KWAHN-toom |
queso |
KEH-soh |
Quijote |
key-HO-tay |
The Consonant G
The pronunciation of g depends on the vowel that follows it. When g is followed by a, o, or u, it has a hard sound like the “g” in the English word “game.” When g is followed by e or i, it has a strong “h” sound like the English word “happy.” The g in Spanish is never pronounced like the “g” in “generic” or the second “g” in “garage.”
galería |
gah-lair-EE-ah |
gol |
GOHL |
gustar |
goos-TAHR |
genial |
heh-NEEAHL |
gimnasio |
heem-NAH-syo |
The Consonant H
The Spanish H is always silent, though it can be used with c to produce ch, the same sound as in the English word “chair.”
hombre |
OHM-breh |
exhalar |
ex-ah-LAHR |
The Consonant I
The letter j is always pronounced like a hard “h” in English.
Javier |
ha-BEEAIR |
masaje |
mah-SAH-heh |
The Consonant LL
Though the single l is pronounced the same way it is in English, the double ll is pronounced in a variety of ways in Spanish. It can sound like the “ll” in “million,” the sounds “sh” or “zh” as in “shush” or “exposure,” a hard “j” as in “jack,” or, most commonly, the sound “y” as in “yellow.”
The Consonant Ñ
The letter ñ in Spanish is pronounced “ny” like the word “canyon” in English.
niño |
NEE-nyoh |
champiñón |
chahm-pee-NYOHN |
The Consonants R and RR
The famous trilled or rolled r of Spanish is spelled with a single r at the beginning of a word and rr in the middle of a word. When r occurs between two vowels or at the end of a word, it is pronounced similarly to a soft “d” in English.
reloj |
rray-LOH |
barril |
bah-RREEL |
extranjero |
egs-trahn-HEH-roh |
hablar |
ah-BLAHR |
The Consonant X
The x in Spanish has a number of pronunciations. Between vowels, a vowel and h + a vowel, or in the combinations exce- and exci-, x has a sound like “ks” or “gs.” When x begins a word or occurs between a vowel and consonant, it has an “s” sound. In some words, x is pronounced like a hard “h.”In some words of indigenous origin, x is pronounced something like “sh.”
examen |
eh-KSAH-men |
excelente |
eg-seh-LLEN-the |
exhibir |
eg-see-BEER |
xilófono |
see-LOH-foh-no |
Texas |
TEH-hahs |
Ixtapa |
eesh-TAH-pah |
The Consonant Y
The letter y generally produces a “y” sound similar to that in the English word “yellow.” In some dialects, it is pronounced nearer the English “j.” The letter y can also sound like the vowel “i,” elongating the sound of the vowel it follows.
apoyo |
ah-POH-yoh, ah-POH-joh |
hoy |
OI |
hay |
AI |
The Consonants D, P, T, and Z
In general, these four consonants are pronounced more softly than their English counterparts: d, p, and t all lose their explosiveness, and z loses its vibration. P is pronounced with no release of air. Z is pronounced like an “s” in Latin America, and like the “th” in “thin” in Spain.
sudar |
soo-DAHR |
madrina |
mah-DREE-nah |
pelea |
peh-LAY-ah |
episodio |
eh-pee-SO-dyoh |
tinto |
TEEN-toh |
tomate |
toh-MAH-teh |
taza |
TAH-sah |
zoológico |
thoh-oh-LOH-hee-koh |
Remember that slight mispronunciations of most consonants will not normally interfere with your communication in Spanish. If you don't roll your r's, or if your b or t is too explosive, people will still understand what you are saying.
The Consonants
Listen to each example and repeat.
Let's start with the consonants b and v:
baca
vaca
Next, the consonant c:
Hard c (before a, o, or u):
caballo
cosa
cultivar
Soft c (before e and i):
cenar
cine
Now listen and repeat the examples of the consonants k and q:
kilo
quántum
queso
Quijote
Next, try the two sounds of the consonant g:
Hard g (before a, o, or u):
galería
gol
gustar
Soft g (before e or i):
genial
gimnasio
Now, the silent consonant h:
hombre
exhalar
Remember that the consonant j makes a hard English “h” sound:
Javier
masaje
The consonant ll has a number of possible pronunciations. Listen to the various ways to say this word:
cabello
Remember that the consonant ñ sounds like the combination “ny” in English.
niño
champiñón
Now it's time to try the consonants r and rr:
reloj
barril
extranjero
hablar
Now, try out the various sounds of the consonant x:
examen
excelente
exhibir
xilófono
Texas
Ixtapa
The consonant y also has a couple of variations. Listen to the two pronunciations of this word:
apoyo
Here are a couple of other y sounds:
hoy
hay
Listen and then repeat these examples with the consonants d, p, t, and z:
sudar
madrina
pelea
episodio
tinto
tomate
taza
zoológico
