Mastering the Spanish alphabet will build a strong foundation for the next steps in your language learning journey. A closer look at the alphabet will deepen your knowledge of the language, specifically in the link between letters and sounds.
This can improve pronunciation and support effective communication. Scroll down and learn more about the Spanish alphabet with Thao & Co.!
The Spanish alphabet used to have 29 letters, with combinations such as “Ch” or “Ll” considered a single letter. However, after two reforms in 1994 and 2010, “Ch” and “Ll” are considered digraphs. These changes leave us with the 27 letters in the modern Spanish alphabet.
Both Spanish and English alphabet use the Latin script. However, there is an extra letter in the Spanish alphabet: “Ñ” (pronounced as “ny” in “canyon”).
But it’s not just the alphabet: there are also many similarities between the English and Spanish vocabulary. This means it is easier to learn Spanish for English speakers.
Here is a guide on how to pronounce the letters in Spanish:
| Letter | Pronunciation | English Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| A | /a/ | as “a” in “father” |
| B | /be/ | as “b” in “boy” |
| C | /ce/ | as “k” in “cat” (before “a”,”o”, and “u”) but as “s” in “circle” (before “i” and “e”) |
| D | /de/ | as “d” in “dog” |
| E | /e/ | as “e” in “bet” |
| F | /efe/ | as “f” in “fun” |
| G | /ge/ | as “g” in “go” (before “a”,”o”, and “u”) but as “h” in “hello” (before “i” and “e”) |
| H | /hache/ | silent (as “h” in “honor”) |
| I | /i/ | as “ee” in “see” |
| J | /jota/ | as “h” in “house” |
| K | /ka/ | as “k” in “kite” |
| L | /ele/ | as “l” in “love” |
| M | /eme/ | as “m” in “man” |
| N | /ene/ | as “n” in “no” |
| Ñ | /eñe/ | as “ny” in “canyon” |
| O | /o/ | as “o” in “pot” |
| P | /pe/ | as “p” in “pen” |
| Q | /cu/ | as “p” in “pen” |
| R | /erre/ | as “r” in “red” (but roll your tongue up against the roof of your mouth) |
| S | /ese/ | as “s” in “sun” |
| T | /te/ | as “t” in “top” |
| U | /u/ | as “oo” in “food” |
| V | /ve/ | as “b” in “bat” |
| W | /doble uve/ | as “w” in “water” |
| X | /equis/ | as “ks” in “box” |
| Y | /i griega/ | as “y” in “yes” |
| Z | /zeta/ | as “s” in “zebra” |
| Ch | /ch/ | as “ch” in “cheese” |
| Ll | /ʝ/ or /ʎ/ | as “y” in “yes” |
Grab your PDF copy of the Spanish alphabet and pronunciation here for future reference:
❱❱ Download the Spanish alphabet with phonetic transcription (PDF)
Here are some useful tips to help you learn the Spanish alphabet from A to Z:
In conclusion, a good understanding of the Spanish alphabet is key to learning and using the language effectively. Knowledge of how Spanish letters look like and sound like in different contexts serves as the building blocks for excellent communication.
The Spanish alphabet may be easy to tackle, but the complex grammar system is where the challenge begins. Verb conjugation, gender and number agreement, and reflexive pronouns are only three common problems for beginning Spanish learners.
If you are learning Spanish to translate a personal or business document by yourself, it may be better to look for professionals that offer quality Spanish translation services.
Thao & Co. is a reliable translation agency with a proven track record of quality. We are the agency for everything translation from legal documents to marketing content. Our seasoned linguists with bachelor’s and master’s degree in Linguistics are committed to accurate and well-formatted translations with competitive rates.
Contact Thao & Co. via our Get a Quote form for detailed advice on high-quality translation services!
