Spanish Pronunciation Rules with Examples

How to read Spanish

Spanish is one of the easiest languages to read: it’s pronounced the way it’s written. Learn how c and g change before e and i, that h is silent, and that ll, ñ, ch and rr have their own sounds — and you can read any word.

The IPA on this page is Castilian: c before e, i and z are [θ], like th in think. In Latin America they’re [s]. Tap a word to hear it, and switch to “Slow” to catch every sound.

Vowels and diphthongs

Spanish has only five vowel sounds, and they are always clear: an unstressed o stays o, an unstressed e stays e. Written a, read [a].

NormalSlow

unstressed o and e

[o] · o, never “uh”

Unstressed vowels are never reduced: perro is “PEH-rroh”, not “PEH-ruh”; noche ends in a clear e.

e

[e] · e as in “bed”

E is always [e], like the e in “bed”, even at the end of a word: noche, leche, grande.

ue

[we] · weh

Ue is a diphthong: two sounds in one syllable, the u short like a w: bueno — “BWEH-noh”.

ie

[je] · yeh

Ie is one syllable too: the i is short like a y: tiempo — “TYEM-poh”, bien — “byen”.

ai, ay, ei, ey, oy

[ai̯] · eye, ay, oy

I or y after a vowel is a short y glide: aire — “EYE-reh”, rey — “ray”, hoy — “oy”.

au, eu

[au̯] · ow, eh-oo

Au and eu are read as written, in one syllable: auto — “OW-toh”, Europa — “eh-oo-ROH-pah”.

Consonants: c, g, qu, h

Most consonants sound much as you’d expect. Remember the key points: c and g change their sound before e and i, and h is always silent.

ca, co, cu

[k]

Before a, o, u and before consonants, c is [k]: casa — “KAH-sah”, clase — “KLAH-seh”.

ce, ci, z

[θ] · th as in “think” (s in Latin America)

C before e, i and z are [θ] in Spain, like th in think: cena, gracias, zapato. In Latin America and the Canaries they are a plain [s]. Both are correct.

ga, go, gu

[ɡ] · g as in “go”

Before a, o, u and consonants, g is hard [ɡ] as in “go”: gato, grande.

ge, gi, j

[x] · ch as in “loch”

G before e, i and j are a throaty [x], like ch in Scottish “loch”: gente — “HEN-teh”, jamón, José.

gue, gui

[ɡ] · g + e/i (silent u)

To keep g hard before e and i, Spanish writes gu, and the u is silent: guerra, guitarra. When the u must be heard, it gets a diaeresis: pingüino — “peen-GWEE-noh”.

que, qui

[k] · keh, kee

Qu only appears before e and i and is read [k] — the u is silent: queso — “KEH-soh”, aquí — “ah-KEE”.

h

silent

H is never pronounced in Spanish: hola — “OH-lah”, hotel — “oh-TEL”, ahora — “ah-OH-rah”.

Ll, ñ, ch, r and rr, b and v

These letters and letter pairs have sounds you simply need to learn. The big ones: the rolled rr and the identical b and v.

ll

[ʝ] · y as in “yes”

Ll sounds like y in “yes”: llamar — “yah-MAR”, pollo — “POH-yoh”. In Argentina and Uruguay it’s more like “zh” or “sh”.

y

[ʝ] · y as in “yes”

Y before a vowel is like ll, a y sound: yo, playa. On its own (y, “and”) and at the end of a word it’s the vowel [i]: muy.

ñ

[ɲ] · ny as in “canyon”

Ñ is like ny in “canyon”: España — “es-PAH-nyah”, niño, mañana.

ch

[tʃ] · ch as in “church”

Ch is as in “church”: chico, noche, chocolate.

rr and initial r

[r] · rolled r

Rr, and r at the start of a word or after n, l, s, is a trilled [r] with several taps: perro, rojo, Enrique. It’s the only difference between perro (dog) and pero (but).

single r inside a word

[ɾ] · a quick tap, like tt in “butter”

A single r inside or at the end of a word is a quick tap [ɾ], like the tt in American “butter”: pero, hablar.

b, v

[b]

B and v sound the same, [b]: vaca, vino. Between vowels the lips barely touch, so it’s softer, between b and v: uva, Cuba.

d between vowels and at the end

[ð] · th as in “this”

Between vowels and at the end of a word, d softens to [ð], like th in “this”: cada, Madrid. In casual speech -ado often sounds like “-ao”.

x

[ks]

X between vowels is [ks]: taxi, éxito (success). In a few Mexican names x sounds like j: México — “MEH-hee-koh”, Oaxaca.

Stress and the written accent

Spanish stress follows two simple rules, and the written accent (á, é, í, ó, ú) marks the exceptions. Know them and you can stress any word correctly.

ending in a vowel, n or s

stress on the second-to-last syllable

A word ending in a vowel, n or s is stressed on the second-to-last syllable: CA-sa, HA-blan, za-PA-tos.

ending in other consonants

stress on the last syllable

A word ending in any consonant except n and s is stressed on the last syllable: ha-BLAR, ciu-DAD, es-pa-ÑOL.

á, é, í, ó, ú

stress here

The written accent appears when a word breaks the rules above, and the stress falls exactly there: café, teléfono, canción. The vowel sound itself doesn’t change.

accent that changes meaning

same sound

The accent distinguishes short words that sound the same: sí (yes) — si (if), tú (you) — tu (your), él (he) — el (the), qué? (what?) — que (that).

Practice: test yourself

10 questions per round, made from the words on this page. After every answer you hear the word and the right option lights up.

How is it read?A few letters in a word are highlighted. Choose how they sound.Which word did you hear?Listen to a word and find it among four.

How to remember the rules faster

Pronounce every vowel clearly: o is always “o”, e is always “e”, even unstressed.
Learn the pairs: ca–ce, ga–ge, gue–güe — one letter, different sounds.
Never pronounce h, and the u in que, qui, gue, gui is silent.
Practise rr for a minute a day: perro — pero, carro — caro. They’re different words!

FAQ

Didn’t find your answer? Send us a request — we’ll tell you everything.

Is it hard to learn to read Spanish?

No — it’s one of the easiest: words are read the way they’re written, with almost no exceptions. You can learn the main rules in a few days and read aloud confidently after 1–2 weeks of practice.

How is c pronounced in Spanish?

Before a, o, u and consonants it’s [k]: casa, clase. Before e and i it’s [θ] in Spain (like th) or [s] in Latin America: cena, cielo. Z sounds the same: zapato.

How do I pronounce the Spanish rr?

Rr and word-initial r are a trilled [r]: the tip of the tongue taps the ridge behind your upper teeth several times. Start by saying “t-d-t-d” fast and it gradually becomes a roll. A single r inside a word is one quick tap.

Do b and v sound different?

No — in modern Spanish they sound the same, [b], softer between vowels. That’s why Spaniards spelling a word say “be de Barcelona” or “uve de Valencia”.

Where does the stress go in Spanish words?

Words ending in a vowel, n or s are stressed on the second-to-last syllable (casa, hablan); words ending in other consonants on the last (hablar, ciudad). The written accent marks exceptions: café, teléfono, canción.

What’s next

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Spanish pronunciation rules with examples