Pronunciation of M

Start first lesson

1. Lesson 1

14 questions

2. Lesson 2

13 questions

3. Lesson 3

15 questions

Explanation

Quick Answer

The letter min Spanish is pronounced a lot like the letter m in English, for example in words such as mom or move. Compare the sound of the English m in mom and move with the m in their Spanish translations, mamáand mover.

The Sound of the Letter “M”

“M” Is a Consonant

The letter m represents the Spanish consonant sound, or phoneme, /m/. When a consonant sound is uttered, the flow of air out of the mouth is partially or completely blocked at some point.

The name of this letter is pronounced eme.

How to Pronounce "M" in Spanish

The Spanish m is bilabial, which means it is pronounced by pressing the lips together to close the mouth completely for an instant, like you would if you were pronouncing a p or a b. At the same time, the air is let out uninterruptedly through the nose.

The vocal cords vibrate when uttering m, so linguists classify it as voiced, or sonorain Spanish. Check out how the m is pronounced in these words: modelo(model), mundo(world), amor(love), hambre(hunger), campo(field), and álbum(album).

Is the Spanish "M" Similar to the English "M"?

Yes, it’s very much like the English m in words such as mix or come.

Spelling Tip: Never Use “M” Before “V”

The letter m is never used before v in Spanish. The letter n is written instead, as in enviar(send) or invento(invention).

The Silent "M"

The m that comes at the beginning of Spanish words that start with the prefix mnemo- is silent, as in mnemotecnia(mnemonics) or mnemotécnico(mnemonic)—just like in English!

It's also important to know that a few Spanish words contain the letter group mm, which can be pronounced either as a longer m or as a single m, for example: gamma(gamma) or emmental(Emmentaler).

Examples

Let’s look at some examples of words containing the letter m in different word positions and letter combinations.

Spanish	English	Position-Combination
madera	wood	beginning of word + vowel
mesa	table	beginning of word + vowel
mío	mine	beginning of word + vowel
motocicleta	motorcycle	beginning of word + vowel
mucho	a lot	beginning of word + vowel
democracia	democracy	inside word + between vowels
sentimientos	feelings	inside word + between vowels
sumar	to add	inside word + between vowels
dormir	to sleep	inside word + beginning of syllable
jazmín	jasmine	inside word + beginning of syllable
submarino	submarine	inside word + beginning of syllable
comprar	to buy	inside word + end of syllable
cumbre	summit	inside word + end of syllable
insomnio	insomnia	inside word + end of syllable
islam	Islam	end of word
referéndum	referendum	end of word
tótem	totem pole	end of word

One Letter, One Sound

The pronunciation of the letter m varies little throughout the Spanish-speaking world, so there shouldn’t be much difference between the way mamá(mom) sounds in Cuba, Paraguay, or Equatorial Guinea.