In Spanish, letters are "ingredients." When you mix them, they follow strict rules. Master these, and you'll never struggle with spelling or pronunciation again.
Never Pronounced
The letter H is 100% silent. "Hola" is pronounced 'O-la'. "Hotel" is 'O-tel'.
Sounds like 'Y'
When you see two Ls together, they sound like an English 'Y'. "Llama" sounds like 'Ya-ma'.
Vibrate the Tongue
The double R (or a single R at the start of a word) is rolled. "Perro" means dog.
Sounds like 'NY'
The squiggle (tilde) turns N into 'NY' (like Canyon). "Niño" is 'Nee-nyo'.
S or TH sound
In Spain, Z sounds like 'TH' (thin). In Latin America, it sounds like an 'S'.
Always sounds like 'K'
The U is **silent** after Q. It only appears before E or I. "Queso" is 'Ke-so'.
Wake up the U!
The dots tell you to **pronounce** the U in 'gue' or 'gui'. "Pingüino" is 'Pin-gwee-no'.
These letters change their sound based on the vowel that follows them.
Before A, O, U.
Before E, I.
Before A, O, U.
Before E, I.
Can you apply the rules?
You now know every rule of Spanish pronunciation. Next, we master the world of **Numbers & Time**.