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Introductory note:

The language is commonly known as "Spanish" , but its real name is "castellano"
[cahs-teh-yah-noh]. Since there are variations of the language according to regions, I have
grouped them in two: "Castillian" and "Latin American".

The Castillian is spoken in Spain. The other in the Americas. This course will concentrate in
Latin American Spanish.

VOCABULARIO [boh-ka-boo-lah-ree-oh] (Vocabulary)

Spanish Grammar

Introductory note:

The language is commonly known as "Spanish" , but its real name is "castellano"
[cahs-teh-yah-noh]. Since there are variations of the language according to regions, I have
grouped them in two: "Castillian" and "Latin American".

The Castillian is spoken in Spain. The other in the Americas. This course will concentrate in
Latin American Spanish.

VOCABULARIO [boh-ka-boo-lah-ree-oh] (Vocabulary)
Note: Click on the blue colored words to hear sound clips

1. hola [oh' - lah] (hello),

2. adiós [ah- dee-ohs'] (good bye),

3. gracias [grah'-see-ahs] (thank you),

4. de nada [day-nah'-dah] (it's nothing)

5. buenos dìas [boo-eh'-nohs dee'-ahs] (good morning)

6. buenas tardes [boo-eh'-nahs tahr'-dehs] (good afternoon)

7. buenas noches [boo-eh'-nahs noh'-chehs] (good night)

DIALOGO (dialogue)

- Buenos dìas, ¿Còmo està usted? [boo-eh'-nohs dee'-ahs, ¿ko'-moh es-tah' oos-ted'?] (Good morning, How are you?)

- Bien gracias ¿y usted? [bee-ehn' grah'-see-ahs, ee oos-ted'?] (Fine thank you, and you?)

- Muy bien gracias. [bee-ehn' grah'-see-ahs] (Very well thank you)


- ¿Como se llama usted? [ko'-moh seh-jah'-mah oos-ted'?] (What is your name [literally: how do you call yourself])

- Me llamo Eber ¿y usted? [meh jah'-moh eh-behr Ee oos-ted'?] (My name is...[lit. I call myself] and you?)

- Mi nombre es Aaron [mee nohm'-breh ehs Ah-ah-ron ] (My name is...)


Nota (note)

La expreciòn "¿Cual es su nombre? [coo-ahl' ehs soo nohm'-breh?]" tambien es aceptable.
(The expression "¿Cual es su nombre?" [ literally: What is your name] is also acceptable)

El Alfabeto (the alphabet)

Vowels' sound and pronunciation of the alphabet

Sound of Vowels

a = ahe = ehi = eeo = ohu = oo

In Spanish every vowel is pronounced like English short vowels. An English long vowel is the
equivalent of two Spanish vowels.

Spanish uses the same Latin alphabet as English, except for the addition of three letters that I
have written within quotation marks. Regardless if the "Real Academia de la Lengua Española"
[Royal Academy of the Spanish language] approves it or not, the sounds and use of these letters
are widely used in Latin America.

Names of the Letters

a - i

A [ah], B [beh], C [seh], "CH" [che'], D [deh], E [eh ], F [eh'-feh], G [heh], H [ah'-cheh'], I [ee]

j - q

J [hoh'-tah], K [kah], L [eh'-leh], "LL" [el'-jeh], M [eh'-meh], N [eh'-neh ], Ñ" [eh'-nye], (new sound, this is an approximation), O [oh], P [peh], Q [koo]

r - z

R [eh'-rre], S [eh'-seh], T [teh], U [oo], V [beh], "W" [doh'-bleh beh], X [eh'-kees], Y [jeh or ee gree-eh'-gah], Z [seh'-tah].

Pay close attention to this sign ( ' ) above the vowels. It is called "acento" [ah-sen-toh] (accent). I
will not go into details about it at this point. Just remember that in Spanish is used to give stress
to the vowel that has it. ie. Televisión the stress is on the "o". They will look like this: á, é, í, ó,
ú. Or with the capital letters: Á, É, Í, Ó, Ú.

I am using the apostrophe to give the stress when giving the sound of the words, written in
brackets "[ ]". I have used the parenthesis for the translation of the word.

Sound of Letters

B and V = Latin Americans make no difference in pronunciation ever. Although according to the rules of grammar they should be pronounced the same way as in English.

C = Followed by the vowels "e" or "i" sounds like English "s" ie. Cerca [ser'-ka] (near), cine
[see'-neh] (movie theatre).

Followed by the vowels "a", "o", and "u" sounds like English "k" ie, cara [ka'-rah] (face), coro
[coh'-roh] (choir), culto [cool'-toh] (cult)

D = English "d" is strong. Spanish "d" is soft. Pronounce Spanish "d" placing tongue slightly between front teeth.

G = followed by the vowels "e" and "i" sounds like English letter "h". Example : general [heh-
neh - ral'] (general) Gedeón [heh - de - ohn'] Gibraltar [Hee-bral-tar'], girar [hee-rar'] (spin).


Followed by "a", "o", "u" sounds like "g" in "finger". ie. gato [gah'-toh] (cat), gozo [goh'-soh]
(joy), guante [goo-ahn'-teh] (glove).

To get the hard sound with the vowels "e" and "i" add the vowel "u" after the "g", but do not
pronounce the "u". i.e. "guerra" [geh'-rrah] (war), "guitarra" [gui-tah-rrah] (guitar) {the first
syllable is pronounced the same in both languages.

Although not a common thing, the "u" can have two dots above, like this "ü." . This tells the
reader that the "u" has to be pronounced in a case of a word that have the hard sound of the "g"
that is combining with the vowels "e" and/or "i". Example: sinvergüenza [sin-ver-goo-en'-sah]
(shameless), pingüino [peen-goo-ee'-noh] (penguin)

H = Always silence, unless placed after letter "c" to form letter "ch".

J = Like hard English letter "h" in "home". ie. Japón [hah-pon'] (Japan)

"LL" = At the beginning of a word sounds like English "j". Example:

"lluvia" [joo'-vee-ah] (rain), "llave" [jah'-veh] (key).

In the middle of a word sounds like English "y" in "beyond". Example: "caballo" [kah-bah'-yoh]
(horse), "cabello" [kah-beh'-yoh] (hair).

Ñ = Closer English sounds "onion". Example "piñata" [pee-nyah'-tah], "niño" [nee'-nyoh]


(child), "Señor" [seh-nyohr' ](mister), "Señorita" [seh-nyoh-ree'-tah] (Miss).

Q = In proper Spanish this letter only combines with "e" and

"i" but it has to have the vowel "u" in between but the "u" will be silent. Sounds like

k. Example: "que" [keh] (what), "quien" [kee-ehn'] (who).

R = Roll the tongue. When a word starts with "r" is always strong. When a single "r" is in the
middle of a word is very soft (softer that English "r". i.e. "sombrero" [sohm-breh'-roh] (hat),
"Eber" [eh'-behr] (that's my own name).

To have the strong sound in the middle of the word, it will be written with double "r" ("rr".
Example: "burro" [boo-rroh] (donkey), "perro" [peh-rroh] (dog).

Y = When starting a word sounds like English "j". In any other case sounds like English "ee". It
also sounds like that as a conjunction, the equivalent of "and".

Z = In Latin America sounds like "s". In Castillian sounds "th".

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