vowels!

VOWELS!
Learning the basics of a new language (the alphabet and pronunciation, for example) will help
you progress faster. Here is how:
•
More confidence
•
Easier to understand and figure things out if you aren’t constantly wondering, how do
you spell that? Did he say ‘tengo’ or ‘tango’?
•
Improved reading skills
The good news is that there are only 5 vowel sounds in Spanish – NOT 14, like we have in
English. The most important thing to keep in mind is that in Spanish vowel sounds are short,
crisp, and pure. There’s no bend or twang in their pronunciation (after saying the English
vowels a few times, you’ll notice the difference). Below is a table with English approximations
of these sounds, along with a few examples of words in Spanish to practice saying out loud.
“SOUNDS LIKE”
SPANISH WORDS
(in English)
TO PRACTICE
a
“father”
mano (hand), canasta (basket)
e
“weigh”*
México, ceder (cede)
i
“see”
cinco (5), limpio (clean)
o
“no”
no, loco (crazy)
u
“do”
Unidad (unity), común (common)
VOWELS
*See explanation for e on following page.
LET’S PRACTICE:
Match the English word on the left with the correct Spanish vowel on the right.
Blue
A
Ought
E
Show
O
Neighbor
I
Need
U
Explanation of Vowel Sounds
A
Pronounced similarly to the "a" in "father" or the "o" in "loft." There are some speakers who
sometimes pronounce a somewhere halfway between the "a" in "father" and the "a" in "mat,"
but in most areas the first sound given is standard.
Examples:
la, pan, clase, cama, nada, encantada, naranja, manzana, madre, ambas, mapa
*E
Generally pronounced like the "e" in "met" when it is at the beginning or within a word. It is
similar to the Canadian "eh," kind of a shortened version of the "é" in the English "café," when
it is at the end of the word. Sometimes it can be somewhere between those two sounds. It's not
quite the sound of the English letter "a," which if pronounced slowly, often has an "ee" sound
at the end (ay-ee), but closer to the "e" of "met." Keep in mind that even when it's at the end of
the word, in a sentence it may sound more like the "e" of met. For example, in a phrase such as
de vez en cuando (once in a while, occasionally), each e has approximately the same sound.
Examples:
el, él, ese, mes, leche, café, edad, enemigo, teléfono, emergencia, compadre, embarcar, enero
I
Pronounced similarly to the "ee" in "feet" and the "e" in "me," although usually a little briefer.
Examples:
mi, bonita, señorita, día, aquí, allí, fin, chiquita, salir, hijo, finca, timbre, bisturí
O
Pronounced like the "oa" in "boat" or the "o" in "bone," although usually a little briefer.
Examples:
yo, los, hola, color, doctor, gato, nombre, dos, son, llamo, amo, foco, ojo, Orozco
U
Generally pronounced like the "oo" in "boot" or the "u" in "tune." Do not pronounce it like the
"u" in "uniform." In the combinations gui and gue, as well as after q, the u is silent. Examples:
guía, guerra, quizás. If the u should be pronounced between a g and i or e, an umlaut (also
called a dieresis) is placed over it. Examples: vergüenza, lingüista
Examples:
tú, uno, gusto, saludos, azúcar, ayuda, computadora, universo, reunión, unidos
TIP – Speak out loud, at a normal conversational volume. This will help you to practice
forming and remembering the new sounds. It will also help you learn Spanish faster practicing the pronunciation of a new language in this way helps students progress at a
quicker pace than if they mumble quietly or do not practice at all.
Say the following sentences out loud. Make sure the vowels are short and crisp.
•
La historia es interesante y difícil.
•
El elefante es enorme.
•
Ana ama a Armando.
•
Onofrío no es honesto ni honrado.
•
Umberto y Úrsula estudian en la universidad.
Other tips for learning a new language - http://www.hablayapanama.com/resources/languagelearning-tips/
*If you would like additional practice, please go to:
http://www.studyspanish.com/pronunciation/vowel_a.htm and choose activities from“Topics
1-10,”located on the left-hand side, to practice your vowels. ¡Buena suerte!
Mispronouncing vowels can sometimes change the meaning of words.
comemos = we eat, we’re eating
pido = I order, I’m ordering
plato = dish, plate
dolor = pain
mesa = table
harina = flour
presente = present (time or adjective)
mano = hand
hambre = hunger
hombre = man
hombro = shoulder
comimos = we ate
pedo = fart
plata = silver
dólar = dollar
misa = Mass
arena = sand
presento= I present, I’m presenting
mono = monkey
copa = a glass
quepa = (subj. of caber)
capa = layer
Trabalenguas (Tonguetwisters)
Trabalenguas cacatrepa
Una cacatrepa trepa
tiene tres cacatrepitos.
Cuando la cacatrepa trepa
trepan los tres cacatrepitos.
Trabalenguas palabra enredosa
Supercalifragilisticoespiralidoso,
aunque al oirlo hablar
se te hace medio enredoso,
si lo dices con humor
sera mas fabuloso,
supercalifragilisticoespiralidoso.
Trabalenguas tomatero
El tomatero Matute
mató al matutero Mota
porque Mota el matutero
tomó de su tomatera un tomate.
Por eso, por un tomate,
mató el tomatero Matute
al matutero Mota.