CU
In Spanish, the letters cu plus a vowel make a [kw] sound like the English Q.
Pronunciation Guides
Spanish Pronunciation
Pronunciación
Spanish pronunciation is fairly straight-forward, because there are regular rules for the pronunciation of each letter and letter combination, with very few exceptions. Most letters represent a single sound, though the pronunciation of some letters depends on the location of the letter in the word and the letters beside it.
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Please note that these lessons are only a guideline for the Spanish that I know, which is Castilian Spanish. There are many regional variations in Spanish pronunciation.
D
The Spanish letter D can be pronounced in two different ways – or not at all.
Dieresis: ü
In Spanish, when the letter G precedes a U plus a hard vowel, the U and the vowel are both pronounced. In order to obtain this W sound in front of a soft vowel, the Ü comes into play.
A2 - Low-Intermediate Spanish • accents • spelling
Diphthongs + Hiatus
When a Spanish word has two vowels side by side, various pronunciation issues come into play: syllable division, diphthongs, and hiatus.
E
The Spanish letter E is pronounced more or less like “ay” as in say or may, but without the “y” sound at the end.
Enlace / Encadenamiento
Enlace or encadenamiento is the phenomenon in Spanish whereby each word seems to run into the next, as if there are no boundaries between them.
B2 - Upper-Intermediate Spanish
F
The Spanish letter F is pronounced just like the English letter F.
G
The Spanish letter G can be pronounced in two different ways.
H
The Spanish letter H is silent. When you see an H, pronounce the word as if it weren’t there.
Hard and Soft Vowels
Spanish vowels are divided into two categories: hard and soft. Hard vowels (A, O, U) cause the consonant that precedes them to be pronounced with a hard sound, while soft vowels (E, I) are preceded by a soft sound.