Un momento…
DiegoThe θ sound
In Spain, c before e/i and the letter z are pronounced with the θ sound — like the “th” in English think: cielo, cena, zapato. Before a/o/u, c sounds like /k/: casa.
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The Spanish alphabet
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The 27 letters
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Pronunciation notes
V sounds like B
There is no difference in sound between b and v. That's why, when spelling aloud, you clarify: “be de Barcelona” versus “uve de Valencia”.
The H is silent
The h is not pronounced: hola, huevo, ahora. It is only heard in the digraph ch (coche).
The strong (guttural) sound
The j, and g before e/i, have a harsh sound made in the throat: jamón, gente, gigante. Before a/o/u, g is soft: gato.
The rolled “rr” sound
Although the letter is named “erre”, its sound is a trill — the tongue taps rapidly — as in perro, rosa, carro. It rolls strongly at the start of a word and when written double (rr); a single r between vowels is soft: pero.
A very Spanish letter
The ñ has its own sound, as in España, niño or año. It doesn't exist in many other alphabets.
No longer letters
Since 2010 the RAE no longer counts ch or ll as letters of the alphabet, although they remain digraphs: coche, calle.
Spelling out loud
When you spell something out on the phone, you clarify each letter with a city or a name: “be de Barcelona”, “uve de Valencia”. That way letters that sound alike don't get confused.
Madrideme · a · de · erre · i · de
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