Pronunciation of P

Start first lesson

1. Lesson 1

14 questions

2. Lesson 2

12 questions

3. Lesson 3

14 questions

Explanation

Quick Answer

The letter pin Spanish is pronounced a lot like the letter p in English, such as in words like put or soup, but without any trace of aspiration. Compare the sound of the English p in put and soup with the p in their Spanish translations, ponerand sopa.

The Sound of the Letter “P”

"P" Is a Consonant

The letter p represents the Spanish consonant sound, or phoneme, /p/. 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 pe.

How to Pronounce "P" in Spanish

The Spanish p is labial, which means it is pronounced by pressing the lips together to close the mouth completely for an instant. Then the air is let out abruptly.

The vocal cords do not vibrate when uttering p, so linguists classify it as voiceless, or sordain Spanish. Check out how the p is pronounced in these words: pata(leg), prado(meadow), ropa(clothes), cuerpo(body), aceptar(accept), and kétchup(ketchup).

Is The Spanish "P" Similar to the English "P"?

Yes, it’s very similar to the English p in words such as pack or cup, but there is no aspiration when uttering it.

When "P" Becomes Softer or Silent

In everyday speech and in certain positions inside a word—frequently at the end of a syllable and before certain consonants—you may hear a softer p, almost closer to a b. This can be seen, for example, in concepto(concept) or cápsula(capsule). Sometimes the p is so soft that it’s almost lost—so much so that two words have developed accepted spelling variants without the p: septiembre(September) and séptimo(seventh), which can be spelled setiembreand sétimo! However, we recommend that you stick to the standard way of spelling these words.

When “P” Is Not Pronounced

You will also find that the letter p is not pronounced in the letter groups ps- or pt- at the beginning of words, for example psicología(psychology) or pterodáctilo(pterodactyl).

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

Spanish	English	Position-Combination
peso	weight	beginning of word + vowel
poder	power	beginning of word + vowel
placer	pleasure	beginning of word + consonant
prensa	press	beginning of word + consonant
apurarse	hurry	inside word + between vowels
copa	glass	inside word + between vowels
campo	field	inside word + beginning of syllable
espárrago	asparagus	inside word + beginning of syllable
egipcio	Egyptian	inside word + end of syllable
apnea	apnea	inside word + end of syllable
óptimo	ideal	inside word + end of syllable
autostop	hitchhiking	end of word
hándicap	handicap	end of word
microchip	microchip	end of word

One Letter, One Sound

The pronunciation of the letter p varies little throughout the Spanish-speaking world, so there shouldn’t be much difference between the way papá(dad) sounds in Havana, Madrid, or Santiago.