Abecedario (alphabet)

El abecedario: Drag the mouse over the letter to hear it en español

Canción del abecedario: ABC song

The Alphabet Chart

Letter

Name of the letter (pronunciation)

 Letter Sound

Similar English Pronunciation

Example

A

ah

ah

Same as English.

bat

Arco

(Ahr-koh)

B

beh

v

Same as

bus

Barco

(Bahr-koh)

C

seh

k

Same as a strong "k"

Before "a", "o", "u"

Casa

(Kahr-sa)

s

Before "e" or "i" sounds like 

Center 

 In some parts of Spain same as "th"

that 

Circo

(seer-koh)

 

Centro

(then-tro)

CH

cheh

ch

Same as

Chance

Chico

(chee-koh)

D

deh

 

Same as

Donut

Dedo

(deh-doh)

E

eh

eh

Same as a long “a”

Day

Seco

(Seh-koh)

F

ehfe

 

Same as

Fish

Foco

(foh-coh)

G

heh

g

Sounds like “g”  before "a", "o" or "u"

Gas

Gato

(gah-toh)

h

sounds like “h” before "e" or "i" 

General

Gente

(Hehn-te)

H

acheh

silent

No sound

Huevo

(oo-e-voh)

I

ee

ee

Long ee sound

teeth

Risa

(rree-sah)

J

jotah

h

Same as "h"

hat

justicia

joos-tee-seeah

K

kah

k

Same as "k"

Kilo

kilo

kee-loh

L

eleh

l

Same as "l"

Last

lupa

loo-pah

LL

ehjeh

y

Same as "y" 

Yatch

llanto

yahn-toh

M

ehmeh

m

Same as "m" 

Mother

Mamá

mah-mah

N

ehneh

n

Same as "n"

 Name

nombre

nohm-breh

Ñ

eñieh

ny

Same as "ny" 

Canyon

niño

nee-nyoh

O

oh

oh

Long “o”

Horse

Foco

(Foh-koh)

P

peh

P

Same as "p"

Patch

Papa

(pah-pah)

Q

(qu)

Coo

 

k

Same as "k", useful only before "e" or "i"

Ketchup

Qué

(keh)

R

ereh

r

Same as "r" if there is only one “r”

Three

 

If written at the beginning of the word, with strong “r”

 

Barco

(Bahr-koh)

 

 

Rosa

(rroh-sah)

RR

Doble ereh

rr

With a strong “r”

Perro

(Peh-rroh)

S

ehseh

s

Same as "s" 

Sand

sandía

(sahn-dee-ah)

T

teh

t

Same as "t"

Tent

taco

(tah-coh)

U

oo

oo

Double "o"

Look

Usar

oo-sahr

V

oobeh

b

Same as a soft "v"

Vector

vector

(vehk-tohr)

W

doble-beh

w

Same as "w"

Oswald

Oswaldo

(Ohs-wahl-doh)

X

Eh-kiss

S,

 

cks

 

sh

  • Similar to s

 

  • Similar to cks before a vowel

 

  • Similar to sh

Xochitl

(Soh-chee-tl)

 

examen

(eks-ah-mehn)

 

xocolatl

(xoh-coh-lah-tl)

Y

eegreeehga

Y

 

 

e

When in a word same as "y"

Yes

 

If alone then same as ee

Eel

yoyo

(yoh-yoh)

 

y

(ee)

 

sehtah

S

 

 

C

 

 

th

Same as "s"

Sounds like "See"  
(in Latin America)

 

Same as "c" before "e" and "i"

 

Same as "th"
(in Spain)

Thin

 

Zapato

(sah-pah-toh)

   

zig-zag

(cig-zag)

 

Zimbabue

(thim-bah-bueh)