Spanish Consonant
The Spanish letter C can be pronounced in two different ways.
1. When the C precedes E or I, it is a soft C and is pronounced like the TH in "thin" (in Spain)* or like the S in "say" (in Latin America). IPA symbol: [s]
Por ejemplo…
| once | eleven | |
| diciembre | December |
2. When the C precedes A, O, U, or a consonant it’s a hard C and is pronounced like a K. IPA symbol: [k]
Por ejemplo…
| como | how | |
| cuatro | four | |
| octubre | October |
* This is what you will hear in the sound files.
Please note that this explanation is only a guideline for the Spanish that I know, which is Castilian Spanish. There are many regional variations in Spanish pronunciation.
Related lessons
- Letter combinations: CH | CU
- Hard and soft vowels
- Consonants
- Spanish alphabet
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