A Zero To A Hero: Learn Spanish! Ep. 8 - “¿Cómo se pronuncia…?”
Feb 25, 2020
Explore essential tips to enhance your Spanish pronunciation, as Catriona and Héctor dive into everything from the five stable vowels to the unique guttural J sound. Discover the nuances between the single L and double LL, and learn why there's no true V in Spanish. The hosts emphasize the importance of intelligibility over perfection, and demonstrate minimal pairs for practicing trilled R sounds. Finish with a pronunciation challenge featuring key phrases that will boost your conversational skills.
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Master The Five Stable Vowels
- Practice the five Spanish vowels (a, e, i, o, u) with a steady mouth position and same sound each time.
- Break long words into syllables, practice each, then recombine to maintain consistent vowel sounds.
English Vowels Cause Over-Insertion
- English has more vowel sounds which makes English speakers add extra sounds into Spanish words unconsciously.
- Recognize and reduce inserted English vowel variations to sound more natural in Spanish.
Treat H As Silent
- Remember the Spanish H is silent; start words like "Hamburgo" at the vowel sound.
- Keep a short list of common example words to check letter pronunciations when practicing.