Guide
Spanish Alphabet Pronunciation
Spanish is spelled the way it sounds. Learn the 27 letters below and you can read almost any Spanish word out loud. Tap the speaker icons to hear each letter and an example word.
The Five Vowels
Start with the vowels. English vowels change all the time. The a in "cat", "car" and "late" are three different sounds. Spanish vowels never change. Each one has exactly one sound, short and clean.
| Vowel | Sounds like | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A | ah, as in "father" | casa (house) |
| E | eh, as in "bed" | mesa (table) |
| I | ee, as in "see" | sí (yes) |
| O | oh, as in "or" | ojo (eye) |
| U | oo, as in "moon" | uva (grape) |
Every Letter, A to Z
Each letter has a name, which is what you say when you spell a word, and a sound, which is what it does inside a word. The pronunciation below is Castilian Spanish, the Spanish of Spain. Where Latin America differs, we say so.
The letter A in Spanish
Called a, pronounced "ah"
Always "ah", like the a in "father". It never changes to the a in "cat" or "late".
agua (water)
The letter B in Spanish
Called be, pronounced "beh"
Like the b in "boy" at the start of a word. Between vowels it softens, and your lips barely touch.
Latin America: Often called "be larga" or "be grande" to tell it apart from V.
bueno (good)
The letter C in Spanish
Called ce, pronounced "theh"
Like "k" before a, o and u. Before e or i, Spain uses "th" as in "thin": cine is "THEE-neh".
Latin America: Before e or i, C sounds like "s": cine is "SEE-neh".
casa, cine (house, cinema)
The letter D in Spanish
Called de, pronounced "deh"
Like the d in "dog", with your tongue against your top teeth. Between vowels it softens toward the th in "this".
dedo (finger)
The letter E in Spanish
Called e, pronounced "eh"
Like the e in "bed". Short and clean, with no "ay" glide at the end.
euro (euro)
The letter F in Spanish
Called efe, pronounced "EH-feh"
Exactly like the English f in "fun".
foto (photo)
The letter G in Spanish
Called ge, pronounced "heh"
Like the g in "go" before a, o and u. Before e or i, it becomes the throaty Spanish J sound.
gato, gente (cat, people)
The letter H in Spanish
Called hache, pronounced "AH-cheh"
Always silent. Hola is "OH-lah". The only exception is the pair ch, which sounds like "ch" in "church".
hola (hello)
The letter I in Spanish
Called i, pronounced "ee"
Always "ee", like in "see". It never sounds like the i in "sit" or "time".
isla (island)
The letter J in Spanish
Called jota, pronounced "HOH-tah"
A strong, throaty h, like the ch in Scottish "loch". In Spain it is rougher than in most of Latin America.
jamón (ham)
The letter K in Spanish
Called ka, pronounced "kah"
Like the k in "kite". It only appears in borrowed words.
kilo (kilo)
The letter L in Spanish
Called ele, pronounced "EH-leh"
A light l, like in "leaf", never the dark l in "ball". Double ll sounds like the y in "yes".
luna (moon)
The letter M in Spanish
Called eme, pronounced "EH-meh"
Exactly like the English m in "mom".
mesa (table)
The letter N in Spanish
Called ene, pronounced "EH-neh"
Exactly like the English n in "no".
noche (night)
The letter Ñ in Spanish
Called eñe, pronounced "EH-nyeh"
Like the ny in "canyon" or the ni in "onion".
España (Spain)
The letter O in Spanish
Called o, pronounced "oh"
A pure "oh", like in "or". Keep your lips still. English "go" slides into "oo", but Spanish doesn't.
ojo (eye)
The letter P in Spanish
Called pe, pronounced "peh"
Like the p in "spin", without the puff of air you make in "pin".
pan (bread)
The letter Q in Spanish
Called cu, pronounced "koo"
Always written qu and sounds like "k". The u is silent: queso is "KEH-soh".
queso (cheese)
The letter R in Spanish
Called erre, pronounced "EH-rreh"
A quick tap between vowels, like the tt in American "butter". At the start of a word, and as rr, it is rolled.
pero, perro (but, dog)
The letter S in Spanish
Called ese, pronounced "EH-seh"
Like the s in "sun". In much of Spain it is made a little further back, so it sounds slightly like "sh".
sol (sun)
The letter T in Spanish
Called te, pronounced "teh"
Like the t in "stop", with your tongue against your top teeth and no puff of air.
taza (cup)
The letter U in Spanish
Called u, pronounced "oo"
Always "oo", like in "moon". It is silent in que, qui, gue and gui.
uva (grape)
The letter V in Spanish
Called uve, pronounced "OO-beh"
Exactly the same as B. There is no English v sound in Spanish: vino is "BEE-noh".
Latin America: Often called "ve", "ve corta" or "ve chica".
vino (wine)
The letter W in Spanish
Called uve doble, pronounced "OO-beh DOH-bleh"
Like the w in "water". It only appears in borrowed words.
Latin America: Usually called "doble ve" or "doble u".
web (website)
The letter X in Spanish
Called equis, pronounced "EH-kees"
Usually "ks", as in "taxi". In a few names, like México, it sounds like the Spanish J.
taxi (taxi)
The letter Y in Spanish
Called ye, pronounced "yeh"
Like the y in "yes". On its own, y means "and" and sounds like "ee". Its older name is i griega.
yo (I)
The letter Z in Spanish
Called zeta, pronounced "THEH-tah"
In Spain, "th" as in "thin": zapato is "thah-PAH-toh".
Latin America: Z sounds like "s": zapato is "sah-PAH-toh".
zapato (shoe)
Spain vs. Latin America
The letters are the same across the Spanish-speaking world, but a few sounds and names change. The biggest difference is the theta. In most of Spain, z and c before e or i sound like "th". In Mexico, Colombia, Argentina and the rest of Latin America, they sound like "s". So gracias is "GRAH-thyahs" in Madrid and "GRAH-syahs" in Mexico City.
Letter names differ too. Spain says uve for V and uve doble for W. Much of Latin America says ve corta and doble ve, and calls B be larga. Both are correct, and everyone understands both.
Looking for the Word, Not the Letter?
Some letters are also short English words. If you want to translate the word rather than pronounce the letter, here's what you need:
- "a" (as in "a book") is un or una: un libro, una casa.
- "I" (the pronoun) is yo: yo soy Ana.
- "or" is the letter o: ¿té o café?
- "and" is the letter y: pan y queso.
Spelling Your Name Out Loud
The question you'll hear is ¿Cómo se escribe? (How do you spell it?). Answer with the letter names, one at a time. María is eme, a, erre, i (con tilde), a. The phrase con tilde means "with an accent".
Want to practise this with a real dialogue? The first lesson of the course, Spanish Alphabet and Pronunciation, walks you through the special sounds with a conversation and a translation exercise.
Frequently asked questions
How many letters are in the Spanish alphabet?
The Spanish alphabet has 27 letters: the 26 letters of the English alphabet plus ñ. Ch and ll used to count as separate letters, but the Real Academia Española removed them from the alphabet in 2010.
How do you pronounce the letter A in Spanish?
The letter A is called "a" and always sounds like "ah", as in "father". It never changes, so casa is "KAH-sah" and agua is "AH-gwah".
How do you pronounce the letter I in Spanish?
The letter I is called "i" and always sounds like "ee", as in "see". Isla is "EES-lah".
Which letter is silent in Spanish?
H is always silent in Spanish. Hola is "OH-lah" and hotel is "oh-TEL". The U is also silent in que, qui, gue and gui.
Do B and V sound the same in Spanish?
Yes. B and V make exactly the same sound in Spanish. Tuvo (had) and tubo (tube) sound identical, which is why Spanish speakers often ask "¿con be o con uve?" when spelling a word.
Is the Spanish alphabet different in Mexico and Latin America?
The letters are the same everywhere. The main differences are that Latin America pronounces C (before e or i) and Z as "s" instead of "th", and uses different names for a few letters, such as "ve corta" for V and "doble ve" for W.