You’ve nailed the greetings and ordered your first tapas-but somewhere between pero and perro your tongue still stumbles. Spanish pronunciation looks straightforward, yet those rolling r’s, silent h’s and smooth vowels can trip up even confident learners.
This pronunciation guide pulls together about 39 sounds and patterns that matter most in everyday Spanish. We’re not throwing dusty linguistic theory at you-just the biting points where your mouth needs to work differently. Each entry gives you a clear meaning and a natural example, so you see the sound in action without drowning in jargon.
Ready to give your tongue a tiny workout? SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM of the article for the free printable Spanish pronunciation guide vocabulary list PDF and the free downloadable printable Spanish pronunciation guide flashcards.
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Quick Quiz
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Browse the Full List
| Word | IPA | Type | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ortografía | /oɾtoɣɾaˈfja/ | noun | spelling | La ortografía es importante.,Spelling is important. |
| pequeño | peˈkeɲo | adjective | small | Mi cuarto es pequeño.,Compré una mesa pequeña. |
| perro | ˈpero | noun | dog | Mi perro es muy tranquilo.,El perro corre en el parque. |
| preguntar | pɾeɣunˈtaɾ | verb | to ask | Voy a preguntar. / Pregunta por la dirección. |
| pronunciación | /pɾonunθjaˈθjon/ | noun | pronunciation | Tu pronunciación es clara.,Your pronunciation is clear. |
| querer | keˈɾeɾ | verb | to want; to love | Quiero agua. |
| rápido | ˈrapiðo | adjective | fast; quick | El tren es rápido. |
| siempre | ˈsjempɾe | adverb | always | Ella siempre sonríe. |
| sílaba | /ˈsi.la.βa/ | noun | syllable | Divide la palabra en sílabas.,Divide the word into syllables. |
| sonido | /soˈniðo/ | noun | sound | Ese sonido es difícil.,That sound is difficult. |
| tiempo | ˈtjempo | noun | time; weather | No tengo tiempo. / Hace buen tiempo hoy. |
| trabajar | tɾabaˈxaɾ | verb | to work | Trabajo en una tienda.,Mañana voy a trabajar. |
| vivir | biˈβiɾ | verb | to live | Vivo en Madrid. / Quiero vivir aquí. |
| vocal | /boˈkal/ | noun | vowel | La a es una vocal.,A is a vowel. |
Free Spanish Pronunciation Guide Vocabulary List and Flashcard PDFs to Download
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