How to Say Simple Words in Spanish

Spanish pronunciation must be mastered in order to say even simple words correctly.

Even saying simple words in Spanish can be difficult when approaching the language from an English-speaking perspective. It is not simply a matter of using different words for everyday conversation. Spanish speakers pronounce each letter of the alphabet differently, use additional letters not known in English and stress syllables more significantly than do English speakers. Furthermore, word order is different in Spanish and many words have gender, a linguistic concept unknown in English.

Things You'll Need

• Spanish-English dictionary that includes a pronunciation guide
• Elementary Spanish textbook

Instructions

1. Find a Spanish-English dictionary, online or in print, in order to have practice material. You will need to learn the basic words for greetings, such as "buenos dias" and "hola." You will also need other vocabulary describing family members, clock time, colors, clothing, etc.

2. Learn the pronunciation of the alphabet in Spanish, using the guide in the dictionary. Each letter has a different pronunciation than it does in English. Each vowel has just one sound. They are pronounced as follows, with the English vowel given first, followed by the sound it makes in Spanish: a-ah, e-ay, i-ee, o-oh, u-oo. In addition, the Spanish alphabet includes letters, such as "ñ," which are completely unknown in English.

3. Place extra emphasis on syllables that bear an accent mark. These syllables are given vocal stress to distinguish the word from another that has a similar sound. For example, the word for father, "papá," is said with stress on the final syllable. The word for potato, "pápa," is said with stress on the first syllable.

4. Learn the way Spanish words demonstrate gender. All nouns are either masculine or feminine in Spanish, and each adjective has a masculine and feminine form. "La" is the article used with feminine words, while "el" is the article used with masculine words. For example: "Mesa," the Spanish word for table, is a feminine word so it is "la mesa" in Spanish. "Carro," the Spanish word for car, is a masculine word so it is "el carro." Adjectives and nouns must always be in gender agreement.

5. Study the word order used in Spanish, particularly when adjectives are involved. Typically, adjectives come after the nouns they describe in Spanish. So a red car becomes a carro rojo.

Tips & Warnings

• Listen to native Spanish speakers to reinforce the pronunciations you learned from the dictionary

References

• Basic Spanish Words and Phrases
• Study Spanish: Spanish Pronunciation