Pronunciación para hablantes de inglés y urdu (pronunciation for English and Urdu speakers)
How to read the Roman and Urdu guides, and the Spanish sounds you already know from English and Urdu.
15 minutes · A free lesson from Start here · Roman and Urdu pronunciation guides and English meanings are shown under each phrase
Every Spanish word and sentence in this course comes with two reading aids. The Roman line spells the sound the way an English speaker would read it; the Urdu line writes it in Urdu letters. Both are close guides, not exact ones. Listen to the audio, copy the voice, and use the guide to remember what you heard. You can show both guides, one of them, or neither, in the lesson settings.
Sounds Urdu speakers already have
- A single r between vowels is one quick tap, like Urdu ر: pero (but), caro (expensive). rr, and an r at the start of a word, is a stronger roll: perro (dog), rojo (red).
pero Say pehroh پےرو Means: but caro Say karoh کارو Means: expensive perro Say pehrroh پےرّو Means: dog rojo Say rrohkhoh رّوخو Means: red - j, and g before e or i, are the Urdu خ: jamón (ham), gente (people).
jamón Say khamohn خامون Means: ham gente Say khehnteh خےنتے Means: people - p, t and k have no puff of air, like Urdu پ، ت and ک, not like the English ones: pan (bread), tú (you), casa (house).
pan Say pan پان Means: bread tú Say too تُو Means: you (informal) casa Say kasa کاسا Means: house, home - t and d are made with the tongue against the back of the top teeth, like Urdu ت and د: todo (everything), día (day).
todo Say tohdoh تودو Means: everything, all día Say deea دیا Means: day
Sounds English speakers already have
- ch is the English "ch": chico (boy).
chico Say cheekoh چیکو Means: boy - ñ is the "ny" of "canyon": mañana (tomorrow).
mañana Say manyana مانیانا Means: tomorrow; morning - ll and y sound like the y of "yes": llamar (to call), yo (I).
llamar Say yamar یامار Means: to call yo Say yoh یو Means: I - h is always silent: hola (hello), hablar (to speak).
hola Say ohla اولا Means: hello hablar Say ablar ابلار Means: to speak
Five pure vowels
Spanish vowels are short and never glide, much like the Urdu vowels in ا، ے، ی، او and و:
- a, as in "father" but shorter: casa.
casa Say kasa کاسا Means: house, home - e, like Urdu ے, never the "ay" of the English word "day": mesa (table).
mesa Say mehsa مےسا Means: table - i, like "ee": sí (yes).
sí Say see سی Means: yes - o, never the "oh-oo" of the English word "go": no (no).
no Say noh نو Means: no, not - u, like "oo": tú.
tú Say too تُو Means: you (informal)
Letters that change their sound
- b and v sound the same: vaso (glass) and beso (kiss) start alike.
vaso Say basoh باسو Means: glass beso Say behsoh بےسو Means: kiss - c before e or i, and z, are "th" in most of Spain and "s" in Latin America: cena (dinner), zapato (shoe). Both are correct.
cena Say thehna ثےنا Means: dinner zapato Say thapatoh ثاپاتو Means: shoe - Between vowels, d is softer, close to the th of the English word "this": nada (nothing). A clear d is still understood.
nada Say nada نادا Means: nothing - qu is a plain k, and its u is silent: queso (cheese).
queso Say kehsoh کےسو Means: cheese
Listen and repeat
Say it out loud (30 seconds): Lea en voz alta: Me llamo Ali. Mañana voy a hablar con mucha gente en español.Say: leha ehm bohth alta. meh yamoh alee. manyana boy a ablar kohn moocha khehnteh ehn ehspanyohl.لےا اےم بوث التا. مے یامو الی. مانیانا بوئی ا ابلار کون مُوچا خےنتے اےن اےسپانیول.Means: Read aloud: My name is Ali. Tomorrow I am going to talk to a lot of people in Spanish.
A model answer
Me llamo Ali. Mañana voy a hablar con mucha gente en español.Say: meh yamoh alee. manyana boy a ablar kohn moocha khehnteh ehn ehspanyohl.مے یامو الی. مانیانا بوئی ا ابلار کون مُوچا خےنتے اےن اےسپانیول.Means: My name is Ali. Tomorrow I am going to talk to a lot of people in Spanish.
Lesson quiz
Check what you have learned. Choose an answer to see whether it is right, and why.
Quick check: Which Spanish sound is the Urdu خ?
- ch in “chico”
- j in “jamón”
- ll in “llamar”
Show the answer
B: j in “jamón” — j, and g before e or i, are the Urdu خ: jamón, gente.
Quick check: How is the r at the start of “rojo” said?
- Rolled, like rr
- As one quick tap
- It is silent
Show the answer
A: Rolled, like rr — An r at the start of a word is rolled. A single r between vowels is one tap, like Urdu ر.
Quick check: How do “vaso” and “beso” start?
- With two different sounds, v and b
- With a silent letter
- With the same sound
Show the answer
C: With the same sound — b and v sound the same in Spanish.
Quick check: How should the e in “mesa” sound?
- Like the “ay” of “day”
- Like “ee”
- Like Urdu ے, with no glide
Show the answer
C: Like Urdu ے, with no glide — Spanish vowels are short and pure. They never glide.