Spanish Consonants

Learn Spanish Consonants

Consonants that pose problems for English speakers include b, v, ñ, rr,and ll.

1. The letters b and v

In English, the letters b and v are clearly differentiated. They’re not so clear in Spanish. Ask a native Spanish speaker to say the English word very and he may well end up saying berry.

The vibrating v sound doesn’t exist in Spanish. Instead, v is pronounced in a much softer way. Listen to the following words that start with v and repeat each of them in the space that follows.

voy, vamos, ver, viajar, vivir, vela, vaca, vacaciones

When the v sound comes in the middle of a word, it becomes less distinguishable from b. Try these words aloud.

avión, novia, cerveza, llave, invierno, octavo, prevenir

Spanish speakers themselves often have a hard time distinguishing the two sounds and may write b as v and vice versa. One way they distinguish the two is to talk about b grande (big b) and v pequeño (little v).

2. The letter ñ

The ñ sound is pronounced a little bit like an n with a hum. Think of it as an “ny” sound, like “canyon.” Practice with these words.

señor, señora, señorita, niño, niña, baño, mañana, ñaño

3. The letter rr

The double-R sound can be incredibly difficult for English speakers. Yet it is a very important sound in the Spanish language, because some words can completely change their meaning depending on whether or not the r sound is trilled (caro—expensive versus carro—car, pero—but versus perro—dog).

To pronounce the double-R sound properly, you need to learn to trill your r’s. Try making a purring sound like a cat. Feel your tongue vibrate.
Practice rolling your r’s with the following words.

correr, barrer, cerrar, guitarra, aburrido, pelirrojo

Now, practice the difference between a rolled and unrolled r with the following words.

carro / caro perro / pero

4. The letter ll

The double-L sound in Spanish is pronounced in a variety of ways across the Spanish-speaking world. In many parts of South America, it is pronounced like a j. In much of Spain, it’s pronounced like a y. In still other regions, it is pronounced just like a regular l.

Practice a South American pronunciation of ll with the following words.

ella, talla, allí, callado, pollo, caballo, llamar, llegar, llover

In the next lesson you will learn about Spanish Accent Marks. Click to go to next lesson. Spanish Accents

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