Phonetics in Spanish. Spanish alphabet (Abecedario Español)

Letters b and v

The letters b and v represent enough interesting case in Spanish. Their peculiarity is that they are actually the same letter. Both b and v are pronounced the same, and both can express either a [b] sound or a [ sound b]. In one case, b and v are pronounced as a plosive [b], and in the other case as a fricative [ b]. Everything will depend on their position in the word and sentence. What is required of us is to remember these cases.

1. Explosive [b]

The letters b and v are pronounced as a plosive [b] when b or v appears at the beginning of a word, at the beginning of a phrase, after a pause, and after the letters m and n. Plosive [b] is exactly the same sound as Russian b (b gasoline, furniture).

For example: beso, un beso, vaca, un vaso, también, vino.

Comments: 1) beso - kiss. The first letter is pronounced [b], as it is at the beginning of the word; 2) un beso - kiss. The letter b is read as [b] because it is preceded by the letter n: unbeso; 3) vaca - cow. The first letter is read as [b], as it is at the absolute beginning. It's correct to say: tank; 4) un vaso - glass. The letter v is read as [b] because it is preceded by the letter n: unbaso; 5) también - too. The letter b is in the middle of the word, but there is a letter m before it, so it is a plosive sound [b]; 6) vino - wine. Reading bino. The case is the same as with the word vaca.

Please note that even if one word ends with m or n, and another begins with b or v, the plosive [b] will still be pronounced: u nb eso[unbeso], u n v aso[unbaso]. These letters do not have to appear in the same word.

Try to get used to the fact that v is pronounced the same as b. Don't pronounce the word vaca like in aka, and the word vino is like in foreign. At the beginning of a phrase these words will sound like b aka And b foreign.

2. Fricative [b]

The letters b and v are pronounced as a fricative [ b], when they stand in the middle of a word or phrase, are in the flow of speech, and when there are no pauses or letters m and n before them. Fricative [ b] pronounced almost like the English W (w ell), only the lips are not rounded into a tube. In order to do this correctly, you need to pronounce the usual sound b and leave a small gap between your lips so that the air can pass unhindered - you will get [ b]. This is a fricative sound.

For example: libro, una vaca, vivo

Comments: 1) libro - book. The letter b is in the middle of the word, and there are no letters m or n before it. The word is read as liwr; 2) una vaca - cow. Although the letter v is at the beginning of the word, it is preceded by the article una. This is already considered a flow of speech. If you say una vaca without pauses, you should get - unawaka; 3) vivo - I live; the first v is read as a plosive b, since it is at the absolute beginning. The second letter v is pronounced as a fricative w: biwo. Don't say: bebo or vivo .

As you can see, there are times when one word can be read in different cases differently:
vaca - una vaca, ventana - la ventana, bien - muy bien.

Try not to pronounce the Russian sound [v]. When we say “v” in Russian (V olga, pravda), we place our lower lip against our upper teeth. And the Spanish fricative [ b] pronounced using only the lips. Also, don't compare Spanish to English - don't think that because it's written v, then we have to speak in.
You can mistake the letters b and v for one. Historically, it so happened that in some words b is written, and in others v is written. It is impossible to determine by the sound of a word which of these letters should be written. For example, if there was a word b aca, then it would sound the same as v aca, or v ien would sound like b ien. You just need to remember which letter the word is written with. Here correct spelling these words: vaca and bien.

It happens, of course, that illiterate Spaniards themselves confuse these two letters and write vien instead of bien. But we must learn to write correctly and will not follow the example of the illiterate;)

You can read more about plosives and fricatives here.

1. Explosive [b]

beso, vaca, vaso, vino, blanco, verde, bolso, bastante, bajo, viejo, boca, bar, vale, verano, bien, bonito, bueno, ventana, boligrafo, viernes, barato, visa, bota, blusa, vestido, bailar, ver, banco, también, hombre, nombre, bomba, alfombra, sombrero, Colombia, un beso, un vaso, un bar, invierno, tranvía.

2. Fricative [b]

libro, Pablo, sobre, pobre, nuevo, nueve, Cuba, cubano, tabaco, abogado, sábado, posible, Isabel, telefono móvil, problema, nevera, abrir, hablar, abrigo, impermeable, debajo, escribir, habitación, ,por favor, estoy bien, muy bien, hasta la vista, ¡qué va!

3. In different positions

vivir, vives, vivo, beber, verbo, vaca blanca, también vivo en Brasil, bien-muy bien, vino barato, sombrero bonito.

The Spanish letter d has three different pronunciations. It can also be a plosive and a fricative, but also something else. Now let’s talk about everything in more detail and analyze each of the three cases.

1. Explosive [d]

The plosive [d] is pronounced exactly the same as the Russian "d". In Spanish, this sound occurs when: the letter d appears at the absolute beginning (the beginning of a word or phrase), after a pause, and after the letters l and n.

For example: donde, dinero, espalda.

Comments: 1) donde - where. Both letters d are read as a plosive sound. The first one comes at the beginning, and the second one comes after the letter n; 2) dinero - money. The letter d comes at the beginning of a word; 3) espalda - back. Although the letter d is in the middle of the word, it is preceded by the letter l, so it will be an explosive d.

2. Fricative [d]

The letter d is read as a fricative [ d ] in the middle of a word and flow of speech, when there are no pauses and the letters l and n before it. Fricative sound [ d ] pronounced in the same way as if we wanted to pronounce the usual sound d, but only leaving a small gap between the tongue and the upper teeth. Try to pronounce the usual sound d, but so that your tongue barely touches anything. This reminds English sound th in in the words of the or then . We will denote this sound with a crossed out d.

For example: cuaderno, radio, una dama.

Comments: 1) cuaderno - notebook. The letter d is pronounced as a fricative d because it is in the middle of the word between vowels; 2) radio - radio. The letter d also appears between vowels; 3) una dama - a lady. The letter d is in the flow of speech because it is preceded by the article una. Both words are pronounced in the same stream.

3. Stunned fricative [d]

The third case of the sound of the letter d occurs only when the letter d is at the end of the word. In this case it will express the voiceless fricative [ d ]. We will denote it as a reduced fricative symbol d. This sound is reminiscent of the English voiceless interdental th sound in the word thanks, but only more weakened. It can be so weakened that it becomes barely audible or not audible at all.

For example: pared, ciudad, Madrid, Usted.

There are Spaniards who pronounce these words simply as: paré, ciudá, Madrí, Usté.
We remind you once again that the stunned [ d ] pronounced only when the letter d is at the very end of the word.

There are many cases when one word can be pronounced differently in different positions:
donde - de donde, pared - paredes.

In the word pare d es the letter d is no longer at the end, so it will be pronounced like a regular fricative [ d ].

Listen and read the speaker's words, paying attention to the correct pronunciation. Try to explain each use of plosives and fricatives.

1. Explosive [d]

da, de, di, do, du, día, don, dos, dama, drama, domingo, dormir, dormitorio, dentro, deporte, director, dinero, disco, discoteca, donde, falda, espalda, fondo, lindo, grande, bufanda, sandalias, tienda, no entiendo.

2. Fricative [d]

cada, nada, Prado, todo, vida, avenida, moneda, abogado, médico, ovalado, cuadro, cuaderno, cuadrado, ordenador, rosado, anaranjado, madera, cómodo, incómodo, verde, tarde, Pedro, gordo, n, periódico, estudiante, estudiar, radio, adiós, una dama, Museo del Prado, Canada, Estados Unidos de América.

3. Fricative stunned [d]

pared, usted, Madrid, edad, universidad, ciudad, bondad, facultad, verdad, nacionalidad, juventud.

4. In different positions

delgado, bandido, verdad, verdadero, edad, soledad, demasiado, oscuridad, redondo, día - buenos días, donde - de donde, delante de, al lado de, ducha - una ducha.

The Spanish alphabet today consists of twenty-seven letters, each representing a phoneme: a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, ñ, o, p, q , r, s, t, u, v, w, x, y, z. It would be appropriate to note that the phoneme, translated from Greek as “sound” (sonido), is the smallest unit of language. The phoneme does not have an independent lexical or grammatical meaning.

In the Spanish alphabet there are 5 vowel letters (letras vocales) - “i”, “e”, “a”, “o”, “u”, the remaining 22 consonants (letras consonantes). All letters of the Spanish alphabet are feminine, therefore used with the corresponding feminine article - “la”, for example la “h” [la ache].

In the Spanish language, there are also digraphs - compound written signs consisting of two letters, they are used to indicate phonemes in writing. Digraphs are not part of the alphabet (abecedario). In Spanish, the following phonemes are digraphs: "ch", "ll", "gu", "qu" and "rr". Interestingly, the phonemes "ch" and "ll" were part of the Spanish alphabet (abecedario) until the end of 2010, being unique phonemes of the Spanish language, and in this they differ from other digraphs, such as "qu" - which in the letter can be represented by the letter “c” (before the vowels “a”, “o”, “u”) and “k”.

The exclusion of the digraphs “ch” and “ll” from the alphabet (abecedario) of the Spanish language does not at all mean that these phonemes have disappeared from the written and spoken forms of the Spanish language system. These signs still continue to be used as digraphs in writing in Spanish, representing the following phonemes:

“ch” conveys the phoneme “ch” - chico [chiko] - boy;

“ll” conveys the phoneme “th” - calle [káye] - street.

It should be remembered that in any alphabetical arrangement of words (dictionaries, indexes, lists) “ch” and “ll” will be included in the alphabetical order of the letters “C” and “L”.

Digraphs (dígrafos) “gu”, “qu”, “rr”

“gu”: Digraph (dígrafo) is pronounced as a voiced “g” before the vowels “e”, “i”, the sound “u” is not pronounced: guerra (war) is pronounced [guerra], aguijón (sting) is pronounced .

"qu": Digraph (dígrafo) is pronounced like "k" before the vowel "u", but "u" is not pronounced in these cases: queso (cheese) [keso], esquina (corner) [eskina].

"rr": A digraph (dígrafo) pronounced like "rr" is called doble erre (double "r"). Used to convey the vibrating sound "pp": carro (cart), terreno (piece of land), arriba (up).

Names of letters of the Spanish alphabet

"A, a": the first letter of the Spanish alphabet and in international Latin order, is a vowel letter. La ”a” is pronounced [a] (in Spanish, nouns are preceded by an article). In the plural (plural) – las aes [aes].

Azafran – saffron (spice)

Ajo – garlic

Abedul - birch

Agua de mayo, pan para todo el año. ( good rain in May will provide food for the whole year.)

“B, b”: second letter of the Spanish alphabet and in international Latin order. La “be” is pronounced [be] in Spanish. In the plural (plural) – las “bes” [bes].

Begonia - begonia (flower, maybe female name own)

Bergamota – bergamot (plant)

Berberis – barberry (plant)

Boda en mayo, ¡qué fallo! (Wedding in May: what a blunder!)

“C, c”: the third letter of the Spanish alphabet and in international Latin order. La “ce” is pronounced [ce] in Spanish. In the plural (plural) – las “сes” [ses].

Calendula – calendula (flower)

Cardo – thistle (plant)

Cala – kala (flower).

Come poco y cena temprano si quieres llegar a anciano. (Eat little and dine early if you want to live to a ripe old age.)

“D, d”: the fourth letter of the Spanish alphabet and in international Latin order. La “de” is pronounced [de] in Spanish. In the plural (plural) – las “des” [des].

Delfines - dolphins

Dálmata – Dalmatian (dog breed)

Danza – dance

Desayunar como un rey, comer como un príncipe y cenar como un mendigo. (Breakfast like kings, lunch like princes, and dinner like beggars.

“E, e”: the fifth letter of the Spanish alphabet and in international Latin order. La “e” is pronounced [e] in Spanish. In the plural (plural) – las “es” [es].

Empleo – work (employment)

Erizo – hedgehog

Espejo – mirror

El buen vino alegra el ojo, limpia el diente y sana el vientre. (Good wine pleases the eyes and cleanses the teeth and stomach.)

“F, f”: the sixth letter of the Spanish alphabet and in international Latin order. La “efe” is pronounced [efe] in Spanish. In the plural (plural) – las “efes” [efes].

Febrero – February

Fama – fame, fame

Frutas – fruits

Febrero, el corto, el peor de todos. (February is a short month, but of all the months it is the most nasty.)

“G, g”: the seventh letter of the Spanish alphabet and in international Latin order. La “ge” is pronounced [he] in Spanish. In the plural (plural) – las “ges” [hes].

Geranium – geranium (flower)

Garage - garage

Genio - genius

Gotta a gota, el océano se agota. (Drop by drop, and the ocean can be depleted.)

“H, h”: the eighth letter of the Spanish alphabet and in international Latin order. La ”hache” is pronounced [ache] in Spanish. In the plural (plural) – las “haches” [aches]. In Spanish it is a silent consonant, i.e. it is not pronounced.

Hoja – leaf (of wood or paper)

¡Hola! - hello (greeting)

Hasta el fin de la historia nadie cante victoria. (Until the case is over, no one celebrates victory).

“I, i”: the ninth letter of the Spanish alphabet and in international Latin order. La “i” is pronounced [and] in Spanish. In the plural (plural) – las “íes” [ies]. In addition, it should be noted that there is la “i” in Latin, different from “y” (→ y [and]), which is traditionally called “and” in Greek: i griega.

Idea - idea

Initial

Iglesia - church.

Irse de la lengua. (Spill the beans)

“J, j”: the tenth letter of the Spanish alphabet and in international Latin order. La “jota” is pronounced [jota] in Spanish. In the plural (plural) – las “jotas” [hotas].

Jabon - soap

Joyero – jeweler

Jungla - jungle

Jamás digas: nunca jamás. (Never say never)

“K, k”: the eleventh letter of the Spanish alphabet and in international Latin order. La “ka” is pronounced [ka] in Spanish. In the plural (plural) – las “kas” [kas].

Kilometraje – mileage (kilometers)

Kilogramo - kilogram

Kilo de más, kilo de menos, nos encontramos de como comemos. (A kilogram plus, a kilogram minus, we feel the way (from what) we eat.)

“L, l”: the twelfth letter of the Spanish alphabet and in international Latin order. La ”ele” is pronounced [ele] in Spanish. In the plural (plural) – las “eles” [eles].

Laurel - bay leaf

Lavandula – lavender

Lilas - lilac.

La ausencia causa olvido. (Out of sight, out of mind.)

“M, m”: thirteenth letter of the Spanish alphabet and in international Latin order. La “eme” is pronounced [eme] in Spanish. In the plural (plural) – las “emes” [emes].

Mariscos – seafood

Mar – sea

Mariposa – butterfly

Más fresca que una lechuga. (Too cunning.)

“N, n”: the fourteenth letter of the Spanish alphabet and in international Latin order. La ”ene” is pronounced [ene] in Spanish. In the plural (plural) – las “enes” [enes].

Nàcar – mother of pearl

Nube – cloud

Norte - north

Nadie da lo que no tiene. (No one can give what he doesn't have.)

“Ñ, ñ”: the fifteenth letter of the Spanish alphabet, and which does not exist in the international Latin alphabet. La ”eñe” is pronounced [enye] in Spanish. In the plural (plural) – las “eñes” [enies].

Ñ - words that begin with this letter practically do not exist in the Spanish language; those that can be found belong to the variants of the Spanish language in Latin America. And educated under the influence of Aboriginal languages.

“O, o”: The sixteenth letter of the Spanish alphabet and the fifteenth in the order of the international Latin alphabet. La "o" is pronounced [o] in Spanish. In the plural (plural) – las “oes” [oes].

Obrero - worker

Olor - smell

Octavo – eighth

Oye el gallo cantar y no sabe en qué corral. (He hears a rooster crowing, but doesn’t know in which barn. In Spanish it corresponds to: He heard a rooster crow, but doesn’t know where it is.)

“P, p”: the seventeenth letter of the Spanish alphabet and the sixteenth in the international Latin order. La “p” is pronounced [pe] in Spanish. In the plural (plural) – las “pes” [pes].

Perejil - parsley

Paloma - dove

Pajaro – bird

Palabra o piedra suelta, no tiene vuelta. (A word or a fallen stone will not return. In Spanish it corresponds to: The word is not a sparrow, you won’t catch it if it flies out.)

“Q, q”: the eighteenth letter of the Spanish alphabet and the seventeenth in the international Latin order. La “cu” is pronounced [ku] in Spanish. In the plural (plural) – las “cus” [kus].

Queso - cheese

Quinto - fifth

Quimica – chemistry

¿Qué mosca te ha picado? (Which mosquito bit you?)

“R, r”: the nineteenth letter of the Spanish alphabet and the eighteenth in the international Latin order. La “erre” is pronounced [erre] in Spanish. In the plural (plural) – las “erres” [erres].

Rana - frog

Rostro - face

Ricos - rich

Rey nuevo, ley nueva. (New king, new law. In Spanish it corresponds to: Each bird sings in its own way.)

“S, s”: the twentieth letter of the Spanish alphabet and the nineteenth in the order of the international Latin alphabet. La “ese” is pronounced [ese] in Spanish. In the plural (plural) – las “eses” [eses].

Sol - sun

Sofa – sofa

Saber es poder. (To know means to be able.)

“T, t”: the twenty-first letter of the Spanish alphabet and the twentieth in the international Latin order. La “te” is pronounced [te] in Spanish. In the plural (plural) – las “tes” [tes].

Tauro – Taurus (zodiac sign)

Timido – shy

Tiburón – shark

Tal para cual. (Which one was coming, that’s what I met.)

“U, u”: the twenty-second letter of the Spanish alphabet and the twenty-first in the international Latin order. La “u” is pronounced [u] in Spanish. In the plural (plural) – las “úes” [ues].

Universo – Universe

Unicornio - unicorn

Uniforme – form, uniform

Un clavo saca otro clavo. (They knock out a wedge with a wedge.)

“V, v”: the twenty-third letter of the Spanish alphabet and the twenty-second in the international Latin order. La “uve” is pronounced [uve] in Spanish. In the plural (plural) – las “úves” [uves].

Vaca – cow

Vino - wine

Vuelo - flight

Ver la paja en el ojo ajeno y no una viga en el propio. (Seeing the chip in someone else's eye, but not seeing the beam in your own.)

“W, w”: the twenty-fourth letter of the Spanish alphabet and the twenty-third in the international Latin order. La “uve doble” is pronounced [uve doble] in Spanish. In the plural (plural) – las “dobles ves” [dobles ves].

Web pagina - website

Washington - Washington

Web página - Web page (Site)

“X, x”: the twenty-fifth letter of the Spanish alphabet and the twenty-fourth in the international Latin order. La “equis” is pronounced [ekis] in Spanish. In the plural (plural) – las “equis” [ekis].

Xenophobia - xenophobia

X rayos - X-rays

Xena: la princesa guerrera. Xena is a warrior princess.

“Y, y”: the twenty-sixth letter of the Spanish alphabet and the twenty-fifth in the international Latin order. La “i griega” is pronounced [igriega] in Spanish. In the plural (plural) – las “griegas” [griegas].

Yegua – mare

Yedra – ivy

Yema del huevo – egg yolk

Ya que el agua no va al molino, vaya el molino al agua. (If the water does not come to the miller, let the miller go to the water. In Spanish it corresponds to: If the mountain does not come to Magomed, let Magomed go to the mountain.)

“Z, z”: The twenty-seventh letter of the Spanish alphabet, the last, and the twenty-sixth in the order of the international Latin alphabet. La “zeta” is pronounced [zeta] in Russian. In the plural (plural) – las “zeta” [zeta].

Zanahoria – carrots

Zumbidos (en los oídos) – ringing (in the ears)

Zapatos – shoes

Zamora no se ganó en una hora. (Zamora was not conquered in one hour. In Russian it corresponds to: Moscow was not built right away.)

Children who are just starting to learn Spanish should, of course, start with the very basics. The Spanish alphabet for children will become such a basis, which in this article we will analyze very thoroughly, consider which letters are included in it and what is the pronunciation of these letters.

For beginners learning Spanish, it is very important to know which letters are included and how they are read. There are certain unshakable rules for reading letters that you should know:

Spanish Language Alphabet

Pronunciation rules

Pronunciation in Spanish

Phonetics of the Spanish language

The phonetics of the Spanish language is a rather complex phenomenon, so it is not at all necessary to learn it immediately and by heart. Start, return to what you have already learned and read, and over time, the letters and their pronunciation, as well as the combination, will settle down in your head by itself. The main thing in this matter is not to overdo it and not to rush. The Spanish language is not as difficult as Russian, but you will need to show maximum attention, because phonetics is the basis of the language.

Tongue twisters for practice

For For beginners learning Spanish, it will be very useful to use tongue twisters. They can be reinforced first with correct pronunciation with transcription and only then learned by heart as much as you want. This way you can practice your pronunciation well and it will stop limping.

So, Spanish tongue twisters:

Vowels

When starting to learn Spanish, it is worth knowing how many vowel sounds there are in the Spanish language. So, there are only five of them. These are the sounds and, uh, a, oh, u. in pronunciation they are similar to similar sounds in Russian transcription. But at the same time, vowels in Spanish are divided into strong and weak. If two strong vowels appear next to each other in a word, they are pronounced separately unless they form a diphthong.

Consonants

You need to be especially careful when pronouncing consonants in Spanish. Unlike how letters are pronounced in Russian transcription, there is no softening of consonants in Spanish. Before the vowels e, i, there is no need to soften the consonants, but you should not overdo it, since the sound “y” does not exist in the Spanish language. Unlike Russian transcription, the pike consonants at the end of a word are weakened, but remain voiced.

Spanish alphabet is a variant of the Latin alphabet, spanish alphabet easy to remember, spanish alphabet- topic of the article. Spanish alphabet consists of Latin letters and three additional letters: ñ, ch, ll. As a result, the Spanish alphabet contains 29 letters, if you count the additional letter w, which is used only for writing different names, borrowed words, etc. The Spanish alphabet can contain 30 letters, because... sometimes the double letter rr is added to it. The simplest building block of the Spanish language is the letters of the Spanish alphabet. Luckily, the names of the letters in the Spanish alphabet are usually close to the sounds they represent in the words, making it very easy to read. In total, the Spanish alphabet has 29 letters in the Latin script, two of them K And W, are found only in words that came into Spanish from other languages. How does the Spanish alphabet have 29 letters if there are only 26 in the original Latin alphabet? The fact is that the Spaniards added additional elements to their alphabet that are characteristic only of their language: WITH, CH And LL. In some Spanish textbooks, another double letter is added to the alphabet - R.R., and then total quantity The number of letters in the Spanish alphabet increases to 30. Learning Spanish should start with the Spanish alphabet. First of all, you must know the letters and sounds that make up the Spanish alphabet. Also, the Spanish alphabet is important for correct use of the dictionary. Since learning the Spanish language begins with the Spanish alphabet, first you will need to learn how to read Spanish correctly, knowledge of the Spanish alphabet will help you with this. It doesn't take much time or effort to learn the Spanish alphabet, especially if it's your second language. Fortunately, the names of letters in the Spanish alphabet are usually close to the sounds they represent in words. When we learn the letters of the Spanish alphabet, we don’t get very tired, because it’s an easy task that even children can handle. Like any language, Spanish has its own reading rules, which is why Spanish transcription exists. The rules for reading the Spanish alphabet are quite simple and not as numerous as in other languages. It will be enough to remember them once. The Spanish alphabet consists of 27 letters, of which 5 are vowels and 22 are consonants. There are also digraphs, which are the following phonemes: “ch”, “ll”, “gu”, “qu” and “rr”. The letters in the Spanish alphabet are pronounced the same way as they are written, but despite this, they also have their own characteristics, which we will discuss below. So, here is the main part of the Spanish alphabet (single letters). Read the Spanish alphabet and learn the names of all the letters.

Spanish alphabet

A a	a	A	J j	jota	hota	R r	here	era
B b	be	bae	K k	ca	ka	rr	err	Erre
C c	ce	se	Ll	ele	ele	Ss	ese	ese
Ch ch	che	what	Ll ll	elle	ale	T t	te	te
D d	de	de	Mm	eme	uh	U u	u	at
E e	e	e	Nn	ene	ene	V v	uve	uwe
F f	efe	efe	Nn	ene	enye	W w	double uve	doble uve
G g	ge	heh	O o	o	O	X x	equis	ekis
H h	ache	ache	P p	pe	pe	Y y	i griega	and Griega
I i	i	And	Q q	cu	ku	Z z	ceda	set

Vowels

A a	[ a ]	Pronounced like the Russian sound [a] under stress - n A mouth	madre, ambos, mapa
E e	[ e ]	Pronounced almost like the Russian sound [e] under stress - uh you	café, compadre, embarcar
I i	[ i ]	Pronounced like a Russian sound [and] under stress - n And* in*	finca, timbre, mi
O o	[ o ]	Pronounced like the Russian sound [o] under stress, but with greater rounding of the lips - O pen	telefono, amo, foco
U u	[ u ]	It is pronounced like the Russian sound [у] under stress, but the lips are rounded more energetically - at xo	universo, reunión, unidos
Y y	[ i ]	Pronounced like the Russian sound [and]	blanco y negro
Y y	[ j ]	Pronounced as a semivowel [th] - kra th	mayo, muy

Consonants

B b	[ b ]	At the beginning of a word and in the middle of a word after m And n sounds like a Russian sound [b]	beber, bonita
B b	[ b ]	Between vowels and before other consonants it is pronounced as the average between the Russian sounds [b] and [v]	arriba, febrero
C c	[ k ]	Before a, o, u and consonants are pronounced like the Russian sound [k]	сaza, octubre
C c	[ s ]	Before e And i pronounced like a dull lisping Russian sound [s]	once
CH ch	[ t∫ ]	Pronounced like the Russian sound [ch], but more energetically and firmly	chico, machismo
D d	[ d ]	Pronounced softer than the Russian sound [d], but never deafened	madre, diablo
F f	[ f ]	Pronounced almost like the Russian sound [f]	eficaz, frío, frenes
G g	[ g ]	Before a, o, u and consonants, as well as in combination gu (where u is not pronounced) is pronounced as a Russian sound [g] (if there is a triple sign above the vowel u " ü ", it is pronounced)	agosto, gafas
G g	[ h ]	Before e And i pronounced somewhat more intensely than the Russian sound [x]	biology, gemelos
H h	[ - ]	Silent consonant, not pronounced	hermano, hacer, deshacer
J j	[ h ]	Pronounced like a strong Russian sound [x], but at the end of the word it sounds very weak	mensaje, reloj
K k	[ k ]	Pronounced like the Russian sound [k]	kilogramo, kilometro
Ll	[ l ]	Pronounced softer than the Russian sound [l], but harder than [l]	los, helado, pastel
llll	[ j ]	Pronounced approximately as [th], and in Argentina - as [zh] or [j]	llama, calle
Mm	[ m ]	Pronounced like the Russian sound [m], but more energetic and short	madre, música, embajada
Nn	[ n ]	Pronounced like the Russian sound [n]	no, en, andar
Ñ ñ	[ ñ ]	Pronounced as [ny] in words co no yak, nya nya, se no op	ñoño, cañón, campaña
P p	[ p ]	Pronounced like the Russian sound [p]	padre, suponer
Q q	[ k ]	Only found in combination qu (where u is not pronounced), and is pronounced like the Russian sound [k]	quetzal, que
R r	[ r ]	In the middle and at the end of a word it is pronounced like the Russian sound [r]	primavera
R r	[ rr ]	At the beginning of a word it is pronounced as a double Russian sound [р] - [рр]	rojo, ruso
Ss	[ s-∫ ]	Pronounced as an average between the Russian sounds [s] and [sh]	mesa, senior
Ss	[ s-z ]	Before consonants d, m And g pronounced almost like the Russian sound [z], but weaker	desde, desgastar
T t	[ t ]	Pronounced like the Russian sound [t], but without aspiration. Doesn't soften in front of e And i.	todo, yate, temer
V v	[ b ]	At the beginning of a word and after m, n pronounced almost like the Russian sound [b]	ventana, vino
V v	[ v ]	In the middle of a word, the average between the Russian sounds [b] and [v] is pronounced.	cerveza, novio
W w	[ w ]	Pronounced like the English sound [w] - w ater	kilowatt, Zimbabwe
X x	[ ks ]	Pronounced as a combination of Russian sounds [ks]	éxito, experience
Z z	[ s ]	Pronounced like a lisping Russian sound [s]; written before a, o, u, consonants and at the end of a word.	zorro, vez

Letter of the Spanish alphabet	Approximate match sound in Russian	Usage example	Notes
A	A	gato [gato] = cat	-
b	b	boca [sides]=mouth	not at the beginning of words and not after the sound [m], pronounced weakly with lips not completely closed.
c	1. Before i and e - c 2. In other cases - to	cenar [senar]=have dinner cantar [kantar]=sing	In case 1 in northern Spain it is pronounced like th in the English word thick.
ch	h	muchacho [muchach] = boy	-
d	d	dato [dato]=date	-
e	uh	mesa [mesa]=table	-
f	f	fumar [fumar]=smoking	-
g	1. Before i and e - x 2. In other cases - d	1. gente [hente]=people 2. gústo = taste	-
gue, gui	ge, gi	guía [gia]=guide, guerra [guerra]=war	-
h	unreadable	haber = to have	-
i	i	final [final]=final	-
k	A	kilo [kilo]=kilogram	-
l	l	mal [mal=bad]	sound between l and l
ll	th	llamar [yamar]=to call	-
m	m	medusa [medusa] = jellyfish	-
n	n	nulo [nulo]=zero	-
ñ	no	аño [anyo]=year	-
o	O	rosa [rrosa]=rose	-
p	n	profesor [professor]=teacher	-
qu	To	queso [queso]=cheese	-
r	1. At the beginning of a word and after n, l, s - pp 2. In other cases - p	1. roca [rrok] = rock 2.cara [kara]=face	-
s	With	casa [kasa]=house	-
t	T	tema [theme]=topic	-
u	at	luna [moon]=moon	-
v	b	vaca [baka]-cow	The rules for reading are no different from the rules for reading b: not at the beginning of words and not after the sound [m] is pronounced weakly with lips not completely closed.
X	1. Between vowels - ks 2. Before a consonant - s	1.examen [exam] = exam 2. texto [testo]=text	-
y	th	yo [yo]=I, hay [ay]=available	no different from the combination ll
z	With	paz [pass]=peace	no different from s. In northern Spain it is pronounced like th in the English word thick.

Diphthongs

A diphthong (phonetic diphnong) is a combination of two vowels pronounced into one syllable. In Spanish, a diphthong usually consists of a combination of the so-called “strong” vowels a, o, e and the “weak” vowels i and u. In this case, the “strong” vowel is syllabic, and the “weak” vowel sounds like a short semivowel.

with final i: ai [ay], ei [hey], oi [oh]: dais [dais], peine [payne], sois [soys]

with final u: au [аў], eu [еў], ou [оў]: fauna [фаўна], deuda [де́ўДа], COU [кў]

with initial i: ia [ya], ie [ye], io [yo]: iu [yu]: piano [piano], ciela [syela], adiós [adyos], viuda [byuda]

with initial u: ua [ўа], ue [ўе], uo [ўо]: agua [а́Гўа], bueno [ўе́но], cuota [кўо́та]

At the beginning and at the end of a word, i is written as y: yo, soy

When combining two weak vowels first of them sounds briefly: iu [yu] and ui [ўи]: ciudad [съьуДаД], ruido [Рўи́До]. The exception is the word muy(very), which is pronounced [muy]

Thrifthongs

A triphthong is three vowels pronounced as one syllable.
There are 4 triplets in the Spanish language: [yay], [yey], [ўay], [ўey]. The stressed syllable-forming vowels in them are the strong vowels a and e: estudiáis [estudyays], limpiéis [limpyeys], situáis [situays], actuéis [actueys]

Place of stress

1) If a word ends in a vowel sound, a diphthong or the consonants n, s and there is no stress mark anywhere in the word, then the stress falls on the penultimate syllable:

gato [gato] - cat
serio [seryo] - serious
flores [flores] - flowers
comen [komen] - (they) eat

2) If a word ends in a consonant (except -n and -s), then the stress falls on the last syllable:

cantar [kantar] - sing;
animal [animal] - animal;
universidad [uniBersiDaD] - university;

3) Words deviating from these rules are written with emphasis:

Moscú [Moscow] - Moscow;
estudió [estuDyo] - studied;
frencés [frances] - French;
estación [estasyon] - railway station;
cantará [kantara] - (he, she) will sing;
cámera [camera] - camera.

In Russian transcription, using capital letters and the signs ӈ and ў, sounds that are missing in the Russian language are shown:

B - pronounced as b with lips not completely closed. It is heard as some kind of intermediate sound between [v] and [b]. There is no [v] sound in Spanish;
L - a sound intermediate between l and l, pronounced when the tip of the tongue touches the upper alveoli (the bumps above the upper teeth);
G - Ukrainian g, in Russian - g in “aha” and “for God’s sake”;
R - multi-impact vibrant, rolling r;
D - interdental slot ringing sound similar to English the in this, but with the tip of the tongue less extended. Sounds like a weak d, weakens at the end of the word almost to the point of disappearing;
ў - short y, pronounced like the English w in the word water;
N - middle lingual palatal stop. Similar to Russian н, but pronounced with pressing not the front part of the tongue to the alveoli, but the middle part of the tongue to the upper palate;
ӈ - soft palate nasal sonant, pronounced like ng in the English word sing;

Letter	Letter position and denoted by it corresponding sounds	Examples from Russian transcription
A	[A]	gato [gato]
b	1. At the beginning of a word and after m and n - [b] 2. In other cases [B]	1. boca [sides], hombre [ombre], un baso 2. nube [nuBe], carbón [carbon]
c	1. Before i and e - [s], in the north of Spain it is pronounced like th in the English word thick. 2. In other cases - [k]	1. cenar [senar] 2. cása [kasa], clase [class]
ch	[h]	muchacho [muchacho]
d	1. At the beginning of a word and after n and l [d] 2. In other cases - [D]	1.dato [dato], anda [anda], cáldo [kaldo] 2.todo [todo], madre [madre]
e	[e]	mesa [mesa]
f	[f]	fumar [fumar]
g	1. At the beginning of the word before a, o, u and field n - [g] 2. Between vowels and next to a consonant except n - “G” 3. Before e, i - [x]	1.gallina [gaina], gota [gota], gusto [thick], tengo 2.lago [Lago], siglo [siglo], cargo [cargo] 3. gente [hente], agitar [ahitar]
gue, gui	1. At the beginning of the word and after n - [ge], [gi] 2. Between vowels and next to a consonant except n - [Ge], [Gi]	1. guerra [gera], lengua [Léӈgўa] 2.águila [aGiLa], pagué [paGe]
güe, güi	1. At the beginning of the word and field n - [гўе́], [гўи́] 2. Between vowels and next to a consonant except n - [Гўе́], [Гўи́]	1. güirero [gўirero], lingüística [Liӈgўistika] 2.agüero [aГўero], vergüenza [berGўensa]
h	Can't read	haber [aBer]
i	1. Before a, e, o, u and after a, e, o - [th] 2. In other cases - [and]	1. piano [piano], cielo [syelo], acción [aksyon], ciudad [syudad], aire [aire], veinte [beinte], boina [slaughterhouse] 2. instituto [institute]
j	[X]	rojo [Rojo]
k	[To]	kiosko [kyosko]
l	[L]	sala [sala]
ll	[th]	calle [kaye]
m	[m]	música [music]
n	1. Usually [n] 2.Before p, b, v, m - [m] 3.Before k, g, j - ӈ	1. nada [nada], once [onse] 2. un poco [umpoko], un balcón [umbaLkon] 3.cinco [siӈko], lengua [Léӈgўa], un jardín [uӈhardin]
ñ	[N]	año [ano]
o	[O]	todo [todo]
p	[n]	para [pair]
qu	[To]	queso [keso], aquí [aki]
r	1. At the beginning of the word, after n, l and s - [P] 2. In other cases - [r]	1. rosa [Dew], sonrísa [dream of Risa], alrededor [aLReDeDor], desrizar [dezRisar] 2.comprender [comprender]
rr	R	torre [toRe]
s	1. Before voiced consonants like [z] 2. In other cases [s]	1. desde [dezde], los gatos [lozGatos] 2. sala [sala], mesa [mesa]
t	[T]	teatro [teatro]
u	1.before a, e, i, o and after a, e, o - [ў] 2. In other cases - [y]	1. agua [а́Гўа], bueno [ўе́но], ruido [Рўи́до], cuota [кўо́та], fauna [faўna], Europa [еўropa], COU [кў], 2.luna [moon]
v	same as b	vaca [tank], lavar [LaBar]
x	1. Between vowels "ks" 2.before consonants "s"	1.examen [examen] 2. texto [testo]
y	th	yerro [yero], voy [fight]
z	Similar to s. In northern Spain it is pronounced like th in the English word thick.	voz [bos], zapatos [sapatos].