Five pure vowels
A vowel is a sound made with the mouth open and nothing blocking the air: a, e, i, o, u. A consonant is a sound where the lips, tongue or teeth block the air for a moment: b, t, s. In English, vowels in unstressed syllables weaken to a vague “uh” (the second a in banana). Spanish never does this: every a in banana is the same clear “ah”.
Try it with words English and Spanish share. English chocolate has three vowel sounds; Spanish chocolate (choh-koh-LAH-teh) has four syllables, each with a full, clear vowel. The Spanish alphabet lists the sound of every letter on its own.
Soft b, d and g between vowels
Three consonants have a hard version and a soft version. The hard one comes at the start of a phrase or after m or n. The soft one comes everywhere else, mostly between vowels, where the mouth does not close completely and air keeps flowing. Using the soft versions is the single biggest step towards a natural accent.
| Letter | Hard: start, or after m / n | Soft: between vowels | How to make the soft sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| b / v | Bring the lips close but don’t let them touch. Air hums through the gap. | ||
| d | Tongue tip lightly between the teeth, like the th in this. Very soft at the end of a word: Madrid. | ||
| g | The back of the tongue rises towards the roof of the mouth but doesn’t close. A gentle gargle. |
The same word can switch between the two. Dos (two) has a hard d on its own, but in los dos (both) the d sits after a vowel sound and softens: lohs DHOHS. You do not need to think about it word by word; aim to keep the air flowing whenever a b, d or g falls inside a phrase.
Vowels that glide together
A diphthong (DIF-thong) is two vowels said in one syllable, gliding from one to the other. In Spanish this happens when i or u (the “weak” vowels) meet another vowel: bueno has two syllables, BWEH-noh, not three. When two strong vowels (a, e, o) meet, each keeps its own syllable: museo is moo-SEH-oh.
A written accent on i or u breaks the glide and gives that vowel its own syllable: día (day) is DEE-ah, two syllables, not “dyah”. The rules for written accents are in stress and written accents.
How words link in speech
Spanish speakers do not pause between words. A consonant at the end of one word joins the vowel at the start of the next, and two vowels that meet across words merge into one syllable. This is why fast Spanish can sound like one long word, and why learners who pause between every word sound slow even when their vowels are right.
Spain and Latin America
More than 500 million people speak Spanish as a first language, about nine in ten of them in the Americas. Every variety is correct and understood everywhere. The differences are about as large as between British and American English. Evolang teaches both and marks the difference wherever it matters; pick one model for your own speech and use it consistently.
| Feature | Most of Spain | Most of Latin America | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| c before e/i, and z | “th”, as in think | “s”, as in see | cinco: THEEN-koh / SEEN-koh (five) |
| ll and y | “y” as in yes | “y”; in Argentina and Uruguay “sh” | calle: KAH-yeh / KAH-sheh (street) |
| j, and g before e/i | Strong, raspy, from the throat | Softer, often like English h | ajo: AH-hhoh (raspy) / AH-hoh (garlic) |
| s at the end of a syllable | A clear s | In the Caribbean and Andalusia often an h-like breath, or dropped | los niños: lohs / loh NEE-nyohs |
| “You” for a group | vosotros (friends), ustedes (formal) | ustedes for everyone | vosotros habláis / ustedes hablan |
Spain’s “th” for c and z is called distinción; using “s” for both is called seseo. Neither is a lisp, and neither is more correct. The Spanish-speaking world lesson goes country by country, with vocabulary differences as well as sounds.
Practice sentences
Each sentence trains one habit from this page. Listen, then read it aloud slowly, then at normal speed with the links. Tongue twisters (trabalenguas, “tongue-lockers”) are the classic way Spanish-speaking children practise.
- TrainsPure vowels AnaAnalavawasheslathecasahouseblanca.whiteAH-nah LAH-bah lah KAH-sah BLAHN-kah “Ana washes the white house.” Why: Eight a sounds, all the same open “ah”. If any of them weakens to “uh”, you will hear it.
- TrainsSoft d Todoeverythingestáiscerradoclosedhoy.todayTOH-dhoh es-TAH theh-RRAH-dhoh oy “Everything is closed today.” Why: Every d sits between vowels, so every d is soft. Está takes estar because closed is a state.
- TrainsTap r and dental t Tresthreetristessadtigrestigerstragabanwere-swallowingtrigo.wheattres TREES-tes TEE-ghres trah-GHAH-bahn TREE-ghoh “Three sad tigers were swallowing wheat.” Why: The classic Spanish tongue twister: tr again and again, with a tapped r and a t made against the teeth.
- TrainsLinking MismyhermanossiblingsestánareeninArgentina.Argentinamee-sehr-MAH-noh-ses-TAH-ne-nar-hen-TEE-nah “My brothers and sisters are in Argentina.” Why: Every word ends in a consonant and the next starts with a vowel, so the sentence flows as one. Hermanos (brothers) also covers a mixed group of brothers and sisters.