How to Pronounce Spanish Words

Posted by admin in Spanish | Spanish Pronunciation - (0 Comments)

Today’s blog post tackles one of the most important aspects of learning to speak Spanish: how to pronounce Spanish words.

You might have the largest vocabulary ever but if you don’t know how to pronounce all those words nobody is going to understand you. Luckily pronunciation is one of the easier aspects of Spanish. This is because Spanish is a phonetic language, which means that as long as you memorize the sounds of each letter in the Spanish alphabet, you will be able to correctly pronounce any Spanish word!

This blog post will provide a quick review on the basics of the Spanish alphabet, Spanish vowels, Spanish consonants and Spanish words with consonants. For a more in depth explanation we recommend that you visit our free lesson on Spanish Pronunciation.    (more…)

12 Spanish words to know for the holidays

Posted by Mauricio in Spanish | Spanish Pronunciation - (0 Comments)

Wow,

I can’t believe it’s already Christmas! I hope you’re looking forward to the holidays as much as I am – it’s always good to catch up with family and friends and over indulge in your favorite food!

I’ve been thinking… what can I give you for Christmas? How about some essential words for the holidays, so you can enjoy a little Spanish each day…

Gift

Merry Christmas!    ¡Feliz Navidad!

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Happy New Year!    ¡Feliz Año Nuevo!

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Take the Rocket Spanish Challenge!

Posted by Mauricio in Spanish | Spanish Pronunciation - (0 Comments)

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Hola!

Are you ready for your 15 minutes of Rocket Spanish fame?

I’m going to tell you about a way to put your Spanish skills to the test, which you may not have thought about before. It can reveal a lot about how much Spanish you really know and the areas you need to work on, and it can be a lot of fun as well.

Have you got a webcam? A video recorder? A video recorder on your camera or cell phone maybe? Or even just an audio recording device? (more…)

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How to talk about football – and other things – in Spanish!

Posted by Mauricio in Spanish | Spanish Pronunciation - (1 Comments)

Hola amigos!

How much do you want to bet I can get through a whole post without mentioning football?

Ok ok it’s a trick question – save your money – of COURSE I’m going to mention football!!!

But only as the inspiration for today’s free Spanish lesson on Los Pasatiempos…

Life is more than just studying and working. In fact, a great way to establish common ground with a Spanish speaker you’d like to get to know better is to talk about hobbies, sports, and games you enjoy – such as FOOTBALL…

Do you play any sport? What about hobbies? Today you’ll learn some useful Spanish words and phrases so that you can talk about how you spend your free time – or el tiempro libre…

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My favorite pastime is…     Mi pasatiempo favorito es…

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I’m a fan of…     Soy un fan de…

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What are your hobbies?     ¿Cuáles son tus pasatiempos?

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What is your favorite pastime?    ¿Cuál es tu pasatiempo favorito?

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What do you do in your free time?    ¿Qué haces en tu tiempo libre?

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What do you like to do?    ¿Qué te gusta hacer?

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So, tell me… ¿Cuál es tu pasatiempo favorito? ¿Qué te gusta hacer?

I like playing football.     Me gusta jugar fútbol.

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I like singing.     Me gusta cantar.

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I like cooking.     Me gusta cocinar.

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I like dancing.     Me gusta bailar.

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I like playing basketball.     Me gusta jugar baloncesto.

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I like listening to music.     Me gusta escuchar música.

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I like reading.     Me gusta leer.

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I like fishing.     Me gusta pescar.

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I like playing music.     Me gusta tocar un instrumento musical.

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I like gardening.     Me gusta la jardinería.

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You get the picture right? I hope this helps you to carry on the conversation with the Spanish speakers keen to know you better, and ask them in turn.

Until next time,
Saludos,

Mauricio Evlampieff
Rocket Spanish

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3 Spanish Pronunciation Tips and a Recipe for Success

Posted by Mauricio in Spanish | Spanish Pronunciation - (0 Comments)

Want to know the most common request I get from readers? Help me with my Spanish pronunciation! Well, sometimes when Spanish is spoken by a native English speaker it can sound a little harsh to a native Spanish speaker. In some ways Spanish is a much smoother, softer language.
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If you want to sound more like the locals, here are 3 tips to improve your Spanish pronunciation…

  1. Try to soften your lips when you speak; make your “p” sound just a little bit closer to a “b” sound.
  2. Try not to tap your teeth together so hard, and make your “t” a little bit like a “d”, for example, and you will sound more natural to Spanish speakers.
  3. For most Spanish speakers, “v” sounds the same as “b”. Listen to these differences when you are listening to native Spanish speakers.

I know it can be a bit tricky – especially when you don’t have any native Spanish speakers around to correct you if you get something wrong – but don’t let this stop you speaking Spanish! How about a bonus tip to help you relax and loosen up your linguistic abilities!

Mauricio’s Recipe for Sangria

1 bottle red wine
1 lemon
1 orange
2 TBSP sugar
1 shot of brandy
2 cups of ginger ale or club soda

Slice and squeeze fruit into the wine. Add sugar, brandy and soda. Mix all ingredients together, chill overnight, or pour over ice cubes. Mmmm.

If you would like me to step you through the Spanish alphabet and some basic Spanish words and phrases to get you started, come sign up for my free 6 Day Rocket Spanish course, where you can listen and practice with my interactive audio lessons: Free Spanish Course

Happy Spanish speaking!
Mauricio

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The Art of Spanish Pronunciation

Posted by Mauricio in Spanish | Spanish Pronunciation - (4 Comments)

If you’re looking for some quick tips on how to pronounce Spanish words or a free step-by-step Spanish pronunciation tutorial with audio, I can help.

Whether the Spanish language is completely new to you or you’ve been flexing your Spanish skills for a while, there’s nothing like a little reminder about pronunciation.

Many language learners get into bad pronunciation habits that are difficult to break, and bad pronunciation can cause confusion and misunderstanding (if you’re lucky, you’ll get a laugh, but the consequences could be more serious!).

Take the time to get this right at the start, or, if you’ve gone a little way down the track with your Spanish lessons but you have suspicions that your pronunciation isn’t quite up to scratch, take some time out to practice this before you go any further.

Make sure to practice the sounds you find most difficult, not just those you feel more comfortable with. Your patience with a little pronunciation “drilling” will be rewarded with a near-native accent!

You’ll get a lot more out of the free learn Spanish tips on this blog if you put aside a few minutes now to polish your pronunciation:

Spanish Pronunciation Tips
Step-by-Step Spanish Pronunciation Tutorial

¡Nos vemos! (See you)

Mauricio

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