El alfabeto/abecedario (The Spanish Alphabet)
Now, we will learn the alphabet in Spanish, an important foundation for reading, writing, and speaking the language.
(See alt text in this document)
Below, you will also find some important consonant clusters that are commonly used in Spanish.
(See alt text in this document)
Remember these useful questions when asking people for clarification on how to spell a word or a name:
- ¿Cómo se escribe?, or ¿Cómo se deletrea?
- How do you spell…?
- ¿Cómo se escribe tu nombre?
- How do you spell/write your name?
- Mi nombre se escribe eme-i-ere-i-a-eme.
- My name is spelled M-i-r-i-a-m.
- ¿Cómo se escribe “libro”?
- How do you spell/write “book”?
- Libro se escribe ele-i-be-ere-o.
- Book is spelled l-i-b-r-o.
Pronunciación del español (Spanish Pronunciation)
Welcome to the first “¿Sabías que…?” of this book, where you will learn about the pronunciation of key Spanish sounds that will help you improve your listening and spelling skills. But remember: it’s not about sounding like a native speaker, but about developing the skills to comprehend and to be more intelligible. Each chapter will introduce you to a specific aspect of pronunciation.
(See alt text in this document)
Have you heard this famous tongue twister in Spanish?
Erre con erre, guitarra; 🎸
Erre con erre, carril;
Rápido ruedan los carros, 🚙
Rápido el ferrocarril 🚂
Translation:
R with R, guitar;
R with R, rail;
The cars roll quickly,
Quickly the railway.
Listen to the tongue twister here.
Can you try saying it out loud? Don't worry if you sound like a motorboat on your first try—practice makes perfect!