In my last article I discussed how to pronounce the five basic vowel sounds in Spanish correctly so that your Spanish accent would not sound so typically “gringo.”

This week I want to give my readers a few other tips they can use for improving their Spanish accent. Most consonants, or letters that are not vowels, are pronounced the same in Spanish as they are in English with only a few exceptions listed below.

Here are some unusual consonant sounds that might give English speakers a little trouble.

1. The double “ll” and “y” are pronounced exactly the same in Spanish. Just like, “y” in the word “yes’ in English. Try saying these words: lluvia, yunta, yema, llorar.
2. The “ñ” is pronounced like the “ny” in the English word “canyon.” Try saying señor, baño, tiña.
3. The “v” is pronounced just like the letter “b” in the English word ‘book.” Try saying vaca, venir, ventilador, varilla.
4. The “z” is pronounced just like the English “s.” Say: sombrero, soda, silla.
5. The “j” is pronounced as the “h” in English. Try saying “José” this way.
6. The “g“before the vowels “a“, “o“, “u” is pronounced like the “g‘ in the word “got” in English. Try pronouncing the word “gafas” this way.
7. The “g” before the vowels “e“, “i” is, pronounced like the “h” in the English word “hat.” Try saying “gente” in Spanish.
8. The double “rr“is trilled or vibrated. The single “r” at the beginning of a word is pronounced the same way. Try saying these words: burro, rico, cigarro.

This concludes our series on pronunciation.

Tiquismo of the week:
Chinear means to spoil or “baby” a small child or adult. Mimar or consentir are correct Spainsh way to express the same idea.