Common Mispronounced Letters by Spanish Students

Learning a new language can be challenging and intimidating, especially when you’re a native speaker of a different language.

For Spanish speakers learning English, one of the most common issues they face is mispronouncing words. To help Spanish speakers learn how to pronounce English words correctly, here is a list of the ten most commonly mispronounced words by Spanish speakers.

By learning how to correctly pronounce these words, Spanish speakers can become more confident in their English speaking skills.

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Pronunciation of th

When learning English as a second language, native Spanish speakers often make the mistake of pronouncing “th” as if it were an “s” sound. This is because the “th” sound does not exist in Spanish.

The correct pronunciation of “th” is actually a combination of two sounds: a short voiceless “th” followed by a long voiced “th.” To produce this sound correctly, make sure to pronounce both parts of the “th” in the same breath and emphasize the middle “h” sound. For example, to pronounce the word “the,” place the tongue between the top and bottom teeth, use a breathy tone, and say the word with an even voice.

Practice saying words like “the,” “they,” “there,” and “this” to get used to the correct pronunciation. With enough practice, you’ll soon be able to distinguish between “th” and “s” without any trouble!

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Pronunciation of v

One of the most difficult sounds for Spanish speakers to pronounce when learning English is the letter V. The sound of the letter V can be difficult because it does not exist in Spanish and must be learned as a new sound.

In English, the letter V is pronounced as a short, voiced fricative sound. This means that it is a consonant sound that is made by partially blocking the airflow with the upper teeth and the lower lip while vibrating the vocal chords.

To make this sound, place your lips together slightly and then move your top lip down and back up against your bottom lip as if you were blowing air through a straw.

To practice this sound, start by saying the word “very” several times. Once you become comfortable with this, try practicing other words that contain the letter V such as “love” or “vast”. You can also practice phrases such as “It’s very easy” or “I love it very much”.

With regular practice, you should be able to pronounce this sound like a native speaker in no time.

Pronunciation guide for adult learners of English

Pronunciation of b

The letter b is an important consonant in the English language, and yet it is often mispronounced by native Spanish speakers. In Spanish, b is pronounced with a softer sound, like a v. However, in English, b is pronounced with a more pronounced sound. To make the correct sound, say “buh” as if you’re blowing out a candle. Make sure your lips are close together and your breath is forceful.

For example, when saying the word “bad”, the letter b should be pronounced as “buh”. The same goes for words like “book”, “ball”, and “baseball”. The pronunciation of b should be consistent regardless of the other letters in the word.

It can be difficult to get the pronunciation right at first, but with practice and dedication, native Spanish speakers can become more confident in their pronunciation of this important consonant.

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Pronunciation of g

The letter G can be tricky for Spanish-speaking students in English. In Spanish, the letter G is usually pronounced as a hard “h” sound. However, in English, it can be pronounced as either a soft or hard sound.

When the letter G is followed by a vowel, it is usually pronounced with a soft sound, similar to the “j” sound in Spanish. For example, the word “go” would be pronounced like “jo” in Spanish. Similarly, words like “game” or “great” would be pronounced like “xame” and “xreat” in Spanish.

On the other hand, when the letter G is followed by a consonant, it is usually pronounced with a hard sound. For example, the word “gift” would be pronounced like “hif-t” in Spanish. Similarly, words like “grass” or “guard” would be pronounced like “has-s” and “hard” in Spanish.

It is important to remember that the letter G can be pronounced as either a soft or hard sound depending on the letters that follow it. With practice and careful listening, you will become more familiar with the pronunciation of this letter.

Pronunciation of j

For Spanish speakers learning English, the letter j can be one of the more difficult letters to pronounce. In Spanish, the letter j is pronounced like the ‘h’ in English. However, in English, the letter j is pronounced as a ‘juh’ sound, similar to the sound you make when you say ‘juice’.

Here are some examples of words beginning with a j that native Spanish speakers may find difficult to pronounce:
• Jar – Pronounced as ‘jahr’
• Jump – Pronounced as ‘juhmp’
• Jewelry – Pronounced as ‘joo-el-ree’
• Journey – Pronounced as ‘juhr-nee’
• January – Pronounced as ‘jan-yoo-air-ee’

It’s important to note that many words that begin with a ‘j’ can also be spelled with a ‘g’, such as ‘gene’ or ‘general’. In these cases, the ‘g’ is often pronounced with the same ‘juh’ sound as a j.

In order to get the correct pronunciation of words beginning with a j, it’s helpful to practice saying them out loud. This will help you get the hang of the sound and remember how to correctly pronounce them. With some practice, you should be able to get the hang of this tricky letter quickly!

Pronunciation of w

The letter w is one of the most commonly mispronounced letters by Spanish-speaking English students. This is due to the lack of the letter w in Spanish and the fact that it is often confused with the letter v.

When pronouncing the letter w in English, the lips should come together in a pucker and then release with a quick burst of air. This differs from the pronunciation of the letter v, which is pronounced by placing the top and bottom teeth together, allowing air to pass through them.

The letter w can be found in many words such as “water,” “window,” “week,” and “wonderful.” To practice, try saying these words out loud or repeating them in a sentence. You can also practice by saying tongue twisters that contain the letter w, such as “Which witch switched the switches?”

By practicing and being aware of the difference between pronouncing the letter w and v, Spanish speaking English learners can avoid mispronouncing words that contain this letter.

Pronunciation of y

The letter y can be a tricky one for Spanish speakers learning English, as it can be pronounced in a variety of ways. Let’s look at the most common pronunciations.

When y appears at the beginning of a word, it is usually pronounced like the “e” in “yes”. For example: “yesterday” is pronounced “es-ter-de”.

When y appears at the end of a word, it is usually pronounced like the “ee” in “bee”. For example: “happy” is pronounced “hap-pee”.

When y appears at the end of a syllable, it is usually pronounced like the “i” in “bit”. For example: “family” is pronounced “fam-i-lee”.

Finally, when y appears in the middle of a word, it is usually pronounced like the “y” in “yes”. For example: “canyon” is pronounced “can-y-on”.
It’s important to remember that there are some exceptions to these rules. For instance, the word “gym” is pronounced “jim” and not “gee-em”. The best way to make sure you are pronouncing y correctly is to practice by repeating words aloud.

Pronunciation of z

When it comes to the letter z, Spanish-speaking English learners often make the mistake of pronouncing it like “th”. However, this is incorrect; the letter z should be pronounced more like the “s” in words such as sun or sing. An example of this can be seen in the word “zoo”, which should be pronounced as “soo”. Similarly, the word “zebra” should sound like “sebra”.

It’s also important to note that in Spanish, the letter z is a voiced consonant, meaning it is pronounced with vibration in the vocal cords. In English, however, the letter z is not a voiced consonant, so it should be pronounced with less emphasis than other letters.

Overall, when it comes to pronouncing the letter z, native Spanish speakers should remember to say it like an “s” rather than a “th”, and use less vocal emphasis than they would in Spanish. With a little practice, they’ll have the letter z down pat in no time!

Pronunciation of ll

The letter “ll” in English can be tricky for Spanish speakers to pronounce correctly. The letter “ll” is pronounced differently than the Spanish letter “ll”. In Spanish, the letter “ll” is pronounced like the English letter “y”, but in English, it is pronounced like a “j” sound.

For example, the word “dollar” would be pronounced “doh-jair” and the word “lily” would be pronounced “lij-ee”. Additionally, the name “Will” would be pronounced “wij”.
It’s important to practice and get used to the sound of the letter “ll” in English to ensure you are pronouncing words correctly.

To practice, try saying the following sentences out loud:
“I want a million dollars.”
“Lily picked a beautiful flower.”
“Will took me to the park yesterday.”

Once you have mastered the pronunciation of the letter “ll”, you can easily recognize and pronounce other words that contain it. With some practice, you will soon be able to use this letter confidently in your everyday conversations!

Pronunciation of ch

The letter “ch” can be a bit tricky for native Spanish speakers learning English. In Spanish, the letter “ch” is pronounced as an “sh” sound. However, in English the “ch” is pronounced differently. The letter “ch” is usually pronounced as a “k” or “tʃ” sound.

For example, the word “chocolate” is pronounced as “cho-co-la-te” with the letter “ch” having a “tʃ” sound. Another example is the word “chair”, which is pronounced as “cher” with a hard “k” sound.

When using the letter “ch” in English words, remember that it is usually pronounced as a “k” or “tʃ” sound. This should help you avoid making mistakes and improve your pronunciation when speaking English.

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