Spanish Alphabet and Spelling Basics

The Spanish Alphabet

The Spanish alphabet has 27 letters. It's similar to English but includes one extra letter: ñ.

The Letters

Important Notes

The Letter Ñ

Ñ is a distinct letter, not just "N with a decoration." The tilde (~) changes the pronunciation completely.

• año (year) vs ano (anus)
• niño (boy) vs nino (not a word)

Letters Not in the Alphabet

These were once considered separate letters but are no longer:

• CH (che) - now just C + H
• LL (elle) - now just L + L
• RR (erre) - double R, important for pronunciation but not a separate letter

Spelling Words Aloud

When spelling in Spanish, you say the letter names. This is essential for giving your name, email, or clarifying spelling.

Basic Formula

Just say the letter names in sequence:

• Madrid → "eme - a - de - erre - i - de"
• José → "jota - o - ese - e con acento"

Common Clarifications

When letters sound similar, Spanish speakers often clarify:

B vs V (both sound similar in Spanish):

• B → "be grande" or "be de burro" (big B, B of donkey)
• V → "ve pequeña" or "ve de vaca" (small V, V of cow)

Y vs LL:

• Y → "ye" or "i griega" (Greek i)
• LL → "elle" or "doble ele" (double L)

C, S, Z (sound the same in Latin America):

• C → "ce de casa"
• S → "ese de sol"
• Z → "zeta de zapato"

Accents and Special Characters

Accents (tildes):

• á → "a con acento" or "a con tilde"
• é → "e con acento"
• í → "i con acento"
• ó → "o con acento"
• ú → "u con acento"

Dieresis:

• ü → "u con diéresis" (only appears in güe, güi: pingüino, vergüenza)

Special punctuation:

• @ → "arroba"
• . → "punto"
• - → "guion"
• _ → "guion bajo"

Practice Examples

Spelling Names

María: "eme - a - erre - i con acento - a"

Carlos: "ce - a - erre - ele - o - ese"

Ángel: "a con acento - ene - ge - e - ele"

Spelling Email Addresses

juan@email.com: "jota - u - a - ene - arroba - e - eme - a - i - ele - punto - ce - o - eme"

pedro.garcía@correo.es: "pe - e - de - erre - o - punto - ge - a - erre - ce - i con acento - a - arroba - ce - o - erre - erre - e - o - punto - e - ese"

Pronunciation Tips for Beginners

Vowels (Always Consistent)

• A → like "ah" in "father"
• E → like "eh" in "bed"
• I → like "ee" in "see"
• O → like "oh" in "go"
• U → like "oo" in "boot"

Challenging Letters

H - Always silent!

• hola → sounds like "ola"
• hacer → sounds like "acer"

J - Like a strong English "H"

• José → "ho-SEH"
• jugar → "hoo-GAR"

R vs RR:

• R (single) → soft tap (but rolled at the beginning of words)
• RR (double) → strongly rolled
• pero (but) vs perro (dog)

LL - Like English "Y" in most places

• llamar → "ya-MAR"
• pollo → "PO-yo"

Ñ - Like "ny" in "canyon"

• mañana → "ma-NYA-na"
• señor → "se-NYOR"

Common Spelling Patterns

Words that end in vowels, N, or S

Most common pattern in Spanish:

• casa, gato, perro
• examen, joven, orden
• libros, casas, flores

Silent H

Many words start with H (always silent):

• hola, hoy, hacer, hablar, hombre

QU combination

Q is always followed by U (like English):

• que, quien, quiero (the U is silent)

GU combination

Before E or I, U is silent:

• guerra (war) → "GEH-rra"
• guitarra → "ghee-TA-rra"
• When U should be pronounced, add dieresis: pingüino

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Spell These Words Aloud

1. España
2. México
3. Buenos Aires
4. teléfono
5. cumpleaños

Exercise 2: Listen and Write

Practice with a partner or recording:

• One person spells a word letter by letter
• The other writes it down

Exercise 3: Your Information

Practice spelling:

• Your full name
• Your email address
• Your street address
• Your phone number

Quick Reference for Clarification

When someone asks "¿Cómo se escribe?" (How do you spell it?), use these:

Example: "Pedro" → "pe mayúscula - e - de - erre - o"

Cultural Notes

• In Spain, Z and C (before E, I) sound like "th" in "think"
• In Latin America, they sound like S
• The letter W only appears in foreign words
• K is rare, mostly in foreign words or abbreviations

Next Steps

Once you've mastered the alphabet:

1. Practice pronunciation with native speakers
2. Learn spelling patterns and rules
3. Study accent rules (acentuación)
4. Practice dictation exercises

Pro Tip: Listen to Spanish speakers spell things on the phone or at stores. This real-world practice is invaluable for learning the rhythm and flow of spelling in Spanish.