Spanish Vowel
When by itself or accented, the Spanish letter I is pronounced "ee," as in see or fee, but without the "y" sound at the end.
Por ejemplo…
| i | the letter i | |
| cinco | five | |
| sí | if | |
| repita | repeat | |
| pimienta | pepper |
When I is unaccented and preceded or followed by a strong vowel, it diphthongs with that vowel and is thus pronounced more like "y":
| abierto | open | |
| baile | dance | |
| estudioso | studious |
Type of vowel
| Hard vs soft | I is a soft vowel | |
| Strong vs weak | I is a weak vowel |
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.
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