Guide To The Spanish Language
An introduction to Spanish without the grammar - A new and fresh perspective with some interesting items on
language and the similarities between Spanish and English
When discussing sounds we can use certain terminology and certain words to help us describe the way we make a speech sound. These words will only
have some value if we know what they mean so, to help us make sense of the subject, we will discuss briefly some unusual words used to describe speech. Some of these words you will probably have heard before such as:
monophthong, diphthong and triphthong. They are derived from Greek words. Monopthong is from Greek for Single Note. Diphthong is from Greek for “with
two tones” and Triphthong is from Greek for “with three tones”. They are used
to describe the way we make VOWEL sounds.
• A Monophthong = A single pure vowel sound made without change in quality throughout the course of a syllable.
• A Diphthong (also a gliding vowel) is a monosyllabic vowel combination involving a quick but smooth movement from one vowel to
another, often interpreted by listeners as a single vowel sound or phoneme, as in oa in boat or (oi) in boil.
• A Triphthong is a monosyllabic vowel sound combination usually involving a quick but smooth movement from one vowel to another that
passes over a third one. Put another way it is a compound vowel sound made from three simple ones compressed together to appear
like one. While "pure" vowels, or monophthongs, are said to have one tongue position, triphthongs require a moving tongue.
The important point to grasp is that as in English, two or three vowels in Spanish can blend together to form one sound. Somewhat like the way words
can blend together to form what sounds like one word; the effect known as elision. The sound heard may be the sound of the two or three vowels rapidly
pronounced. For example, the u when followed by an a, e, i or o ends up sounding something like the "w" in "water." Examples: cuaderno,
cuerpo, cuota. Phonetically these could be cwaderno, cwerpo, cwota. In the word cuaderna the sounds of the “u” and “a” merge together and the result is
something that sounds like a different letter altogether a “w”.
The ai combination sounds something like the sound of "eye." Example: airear. Phonetically could be eyerear.
The i when followed by an a, e, i or u sounds like the "y" in "yellow." Example:
hierba, bien, siete. Phonetically could be hyerba, byen, syete.
Vowel sounds are much more important in Spanish than English, so you should practice them often.
A, E, I, O, U. These are always pronounced the same. "A" is "ah." "E" is "ayh." "I" is "ee." "O" is "oh." "U" is "oo." Keep the sound short do not drag the
sounds out too far. To explain in more detail………….
A - When your dentist tells you to open your mouth and say "aah" this is how you pronounce the vowel "a". Similar to "a" in "father" A is called in Spanish
as it sounds “a”
E - Is similar to but not quite the sound of the English letter "A," which if pronounced slowly often has an "eh" sound at the end. E is called in Spanish
as it sounds “e”
I - Is pronounced similarly to the "ee" in "feet" and “fee” the "e" in "me,"
although usually a little briefer. I is called in Spanish “I” and sounds like “ee”
O - Is pronounced like the "au" in "August" O is called in Spanish “o” sounds
like “au”
U - When the "u" appears after a "q", it is silent otherwise it is pronounced like
the " u" in rule or like the "oo" in "boot" or the “oo” in “Moo Cow” or the "u" in
"tune." U is called in Spanish “u” sounds like “oo”
