How to Learn to Speak Spanish
Learn Spanish pronunciation., Learn to pronounce letters of the alphabet in Spanish., Learn numbers next., Memorize simple words., Learn some basic conversational phrases.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Learn Spanish pronunciation.
The Spanish alphabet is identical to English, but the pronunciation of each letter is significantly different.
Some of the sounds are difficult for English speakers because they don't occur in that language.
A good way to start learning Spanish is to learn how to pronounce each letter of the alphabet.
From there, you can learn how to pronounce words.
Phrases and then whole sentences, which come next, will be a lot easier.
See below for the phonetic pronunciation of each letter in Spanish.:
A = ah, B = beh, C = seh, D = deh, E = eh, F = eh-feh, G = heh, H = ah-cheh, I = ee J = hoh-tah, K = kah, L = eh-leh, M = eh-meh, N = eh-neh, Ñ = eh-nyeh, O = oh P = peh, Q = koo, R = eh-reh, S = eh-seh, T = teh, U = oo, V =
-beh W = oo-bleh-doubleh, X = eh-kees, Y = ee gryeh-gah and Z = theh-tah.Note that the only letter in the Spanish alphabet that does not exist in English is the letter Ñ, pronounced eh-nyeh.
It is a completely separate letter from the letter N.
It's closest approximation in English would be the "ny" sound in the word "canyon." -
Step 2: Learn to pronounce letters of the alphabet in Spanish.
Once you learn the pronunciation rules of Spanish, you will be able to pronounce any word in that language. ca, co, cu = kah, koh, koo. ce, ci = theh, thee or seh, see ch sounds like English ch ga, go, gu = gah, goh, goo. ge, gi = heh, hee h does not sound.
Hombre is pronounced ohmbreh hua, hue, hui, huo = wah, weh, wee, woh ll sounds like English y or like English j.
Calle is kah-yeh or kah-jeh. r at the beginning of a word and rr in the middle of a word are rolled.
See How to Roll Your "R"s r in the middle of a word is like tt in butter in an American accent.
Loro = lohttoh. que, qui = keh, kee v sounds like b y sounds like English y or like English j.
Yo is yoh or joh.
See How to Pronounce Spanish Letters and Certain Sounds. , Knowing how to count is an essential skill in any language.
Learning to count in Spanish isn't hard, as the names of numbers in Spanish are similar to English.
Numbers one through ten are listed below:
One = Uno, Two = Dos, Three = Tres, Four = Cuatro, Five = Cinco, Six = Seis, Seven = Siete, Eight = Ocho, Nine = Nueve, Ten = Diez.Be aware that the number one
-- "uno"
-- changes when it's used in front of either a masculine or feminine noun.
For example, the term "one man" is "un hombre"
while the term "one girl" is "una chica"., The wider the vocabulary you have at your disposal, the easier it is to speak a language fluently.
Familiarize yourself with as many simple, everyday Spanish words as possible
- you'll be surprised at how quickly they build up! One of the easiest ways to do this is to use cognates
- words that share a similar meaning, spelling and pronunciation in both languages.
Learning Spanish cognates of English words is a great way to rapidly increase your vocabulary, as 30%-40% of English words have a Spanish cognate.For words without cognates, try using one of the following memorization methods:
When you hear a word in English, think of how you would say it in Spanish.
If you don't know what it is, jot it down and look it up later.
It's handy to keep a little notebook on you at all times for this purpose.
Alternatively, try attaching little Spanish labels to items around your house, such as the mirror, the coffee table and the sugar bowl.
You'll see the words so often that you'll learn them without realizing it! It is important to learn a word or phrase from ‘Spanish to English’ as well as ‘English to Spanish.’ That way you will remember how to say it, not just recognize it when you hear it. , By learning the basics of polite conversation, you'll very quickly be able to interact with Spanish speakers on a simple level.
Jot down some everyday Spanish phrases in a notebook and make a point of learning between five and ten of them every day.
Here's a few to get you started:
Hello! = ¡Hola!Yes = SíNo = NoThank you! = ¡Gracias!
-- pronounced "grah-thyahs" or "grah-syas"Please = Por favorWhat is your name? = ¿Cómo se llama usted?My name is... = Me llamo...Nice to meet you = Mucho gustoSee you later! = ¡Hasta luego!
-- pronounced "ahs-tah lweh-goh"Goodbye = ¡Adiós!
-- pronounced "ah-dyohs" -
Step 3: Learn numbers next.
-
Step 4: Memorize simple words.
-
Step 5: Learn some basic conversational phrases.
Detailed Guide
The Spanish alphabet is identical to English, but the pronunciation of each letter is significantly different.
Some of the sounds are difficult for English speakers because they don't occur in that language.
A good way to start learning Spanish is to learn how to pronounce each letter of the alphabet.
From there, you can learn how to pronounce words.
Phrases and then whole sentences, which come next, will be a lot easier.
See below for the phonetic pronunciation of each letter in Spanish.:
A = ah, B = beh, C = seh, D = deh, E = eh, F = eh-feh, G = heh, H = ah-cheh, I = ee J = hoh-tah, K = kah, L = eh-leh, M = eh-meh, N = eh-neh, Ñ = eh-nyeh, O = oh P = peh, Q = koo, R = eh-reh, S = eh-seh, T = teh, U = oo, V =
-beh W = oo-bleh-doubleh, X = eh-kees, Y = ee gryeh-gah and Z = theh-tah.Note that the only letter in the Spanish alphabet that does not exist in English is the letter Ñ, pronounced eh-nyeh.
It is a completely separate letter from the letter N.
It's closest approximation in English would be the "ny" sound in the word "canyon."
Once you learn the pronunciation rules of Spanish, you will be able to pronounce any word in that language. ca, co, cu = kah, koh, koo. ce, ci = theh, thee or seh, see ch sounds like English ch ga, go, gu = gah, goh, goo. ge, gi = heh, hee h does not sound.
Hombre is pronounced ohmbreh hua, hue, hui, huo = wah, weh, wee, woh ll sounds like English y or like English j.
Calle is kah-yeh or kah-jeh. r at the beginning of a word and rr in the middle of a word are rolled.
See How to Roll Your "R"s r in the middle of a word is like tt in butter in an American accent.
Loro = lohttoh. que, qui = keh, kee v sounds like b y sounds like English y or like English j.
Yo is yoh or joh.
See How to Pronounce Spanish Letters and Certain Sounds. , Knowing how to count is an essential skill in any language.
Learning to count in Spanish isn't hard, as the names of numbers in Spanish are similar to English.
Numbers one through ten are listed below:
One = Uno, Two = Dos, Three = Tres, Four = Cuatro, Five = Cinco, Six = Seis, Seven = Siete, Eight = Ocho, Nine = Nueve, Ten = Diez.Be aware that the number one
-- "uno"
-- changes when it's used in front of either a masculine or feminine noun.
For example, the term "one man" is "un hombre"
while the term "one girl" is "una chica"., The wider the vocabulary you have at your disposal, the easier it is to speak a language fluently.
Familiarize yourself with as many simple, everyday Spanish words as possible
- you'll be surprised at how quickly they build up! One of the easiest ways to do this is to use cognates
- words that share a similar meaning, spelling and pronunciation in both languages.
Learning Spanish cognates of English words is a great way to rapidly increase your vocabulary, as 30%-40% of English words have a Spanish cognate.For words without cognates, try using one of the following memorization methods:
When you hear a word in English, think of how you would say it in Spanish.
If you don't know what it is, jot it down and look it up later.
It's handy to keep a little notebook on you at all times for this purpose.
Alternatively, try attaching little Spanish labels to items around your house, such as the mirror, the coffee table and the sugar bowl.
You'll see the words so often that you'll learn them without realizing it! It is important to learn a word or phrase from ‘Spanish to English’ as well as ‘English to Spanish.’ That way you will remember how to say it, not just recognize it when you hear it. , By learning the basics of polite conversation, you'll very quickly be able to interact with Spanish speakers on a simple level.
Jot down some everyday Spanish phrases in a notebook and make a point of learning between five and ten of them every day.
Here's a few to get you started:
Hello! = ¡Hola!Yes = SíNo = NoThank you! = ¡Gracias!
-- pronounced "grah-thyahs" or "grah-syas"Please = Por favorWhat is your name? = ¿Cómo se llama usted?My name is... = Me llamo...Nice to meet you = Mucho gustoSee you later! = ¡Hasta luego!
-- pronounced "ahs-tah lweh-goh"Goodbye = ¡Adiós!
-- pronounced "ah-dyohs"
About the Author
Brandon Miller
Brings years of experience writing about crafts and related subjects.
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