Explanation
The letter zin Spanish is pronounced in two different ways depending on the area:
In Latin America and parts of Spain, the z is pronounced like the English s in sapphire. Compare the sound of the s in sapphire and the sound of the z in its Spanish translation, zafiro. Please select the Latin American pronunciation option.
In central and northern Spain, the z is pronounced like the English th in threat. Compare the sound of the th in threat and that of the z in its Spanish translation, amenaza. Please select the Spain pronunciation option.
The letter sin Spanish is pronounced like the letter s in English, as in the words sound and mustard. Compare the sound of the s in sound and mustard with the sound of s in their Spanish translations: sonidoand mostaza.
The Sound of the Letter Z
Z Is a Consonant
The letter z represents the Spanish consonant sounds, or phonemes, /s/ and /θ/. 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 zeta.
The /s/ sound, pronounced like the English s in sing, is used throughout Latin America and is widespread in two regions of Spain: Andalusia and the Canary Islands. Conversely, the /θ/ sound, which is pronounced like the English th in thing, is used in the rest of Spain, that is, the central and northern regions.
Z in Latin America and Parts of Spain
How to Pronounce It
This z is alveolar, which means it is pronounced with the tip or front part of the tongue touching or near the gums of the upper teeth, so that the air is uninterruptedly expelled through a small gap in between. To describe this constant flow of air in a consonant, linguists use the term fricative, or fricativain Spanish.
Additionally, the vocal cords do not vibrate when uttering z, so linguists classify it as voiceless, or sordain Spanish. Check out how it is pronounced in the Latin American pronunciation option of these words: zapato(shoe), zona(area), azul(blue), rezar(to pray), trenza(braid), and actriz(actress).
Z in Central and Northern Spain
How to Pronounce It
This sound of the Spanish z is interdental, which means it is pronounced with the tongue between the teeth, leaving a narrow opening to let the air out and make a buzzing sound. It’s also a fricative, or fricativa, because of the way the air flows out uninterruptedly.
The vocal cords do not vibrate either, so it’s also classified as voiceless, or sorda. You may check the way it is pronounced in the same words mentioned above, but this time, make sure to select the Spain pronunciation option.
So, What Is Seseo?
Seseois the term linguists use to refer to the pronunciation of the letter z like an /s/ in Spanish. As mentioned above, this is the standard pronunciation in Latin America and the south of Spain, and it’s a perfectly correct pronunciation. Be prepared to hear native speakers from Seville, Havana, and Santiago de Chile pronounce zapato(shoe) as /sapáto/. Only parts of Spain—the center and the north—use the alternative /θ/ (th) sound, where zapatosounds like /θapáto/. You can read more about the Spanish c, z, seseo, and ceceo here.
Spelling Problems: Minimal Pairs
It’s important to be aware of seseo and the areas where it’s used because there are Spanish words that are spelled nearly the same, except that one uses an s and the other uses a z. These words are bound to sound the same in certain regions! Linguists call these pairs of words minimal pairs, or pares mínimosin Spanish. For example, the words casa(house, home) and caza(hunting, hunt) are pronounced exactly the same in Latin America, Andalusia, and the Canary Islands: /kása/. However, central and northern Spaniards pronounce these two words differently.
Examples
Let’s look at some examples of words containing the letter z in different word positions and letter combinations. Please note that the two pronunciations discussed above may be heard by selecting either the Latin American or Spain pronunciation options.
The Sound of the Letter S
S Is a Consonant
The letter s represents the Spanish consonant sound, or phoneme, /s/. 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 ese.
How to Pronounce S in Spanish
The Spanish s is alveolar, which means it is pronounced with the tip of the tongue near or touching the gums of the upper teeth. The air is uninterruptedly expelled through a small gap between the tongue and the gums. To describe this constant flow of air in a consonant, linguists use the term fricative, or fricativain Spanish.
Additionally, the vocal cords do not vibrate when uttering s, so linguists classify it as voiceless, or sordain Spanish. Check out how the s is pronounced in these words: saco(sack), sí(yes), asado(grilled), esperar(to wait), ensalada(salad), and además(besides).
Is the Spanish S Similar to the English S?
Yes, it’s almost identical to the English s in same or this. Compare the s in same and this to the Spanish s found in their translations: mismoand este.
In general, the pronunciation of s does not change across the Spanish-speaking world, but there are some important dialectal variations, such as the aspirated or silent s and the ceceo. Read on to learn more!
The Aspirated or Silent S
In some areas, such as Chile and parts of the Caribbean or Spain, you may hear native speakers replace the sound of s at the end of a syllable or word with a soft aspirated sound that is similar to the English h of hello. In this case, the s in a word like oscuro(dark) may be aspirated and pronounced /ohkúɾo/. In some parts, this sound becomes so soft that it's lost altogether, so you may hear a word like detrás(behind) pronounced /detɾá/.
So, What Is Ceceo?
Ceceo is the term linguists use to refer to the pronunciation of the letter s in Spanish like the th in thing in English. This sound, or phoneme, is represented by the symbol /θ/. It is used by native speakers from certain areas of Spain, particularly Andalusia (a region in southern Spain). Be prepared to hear some Andalusian Spanish speakers pronounce paso(step) as /páθo/ rather than the standard /páso/.
Words That Start with an S + a Consonant
Words beginning with an s and followed by a consonant are not common in Spanish. They’re usually loanwords that Spanish has borrowed from other languages, like English. Because Spanish speakers aren’t used to beginning words like this, they will normally place an imaginary e before the s to facilitate its pronunciation. For that reason, the word sketch(sketch) is pronounced /eskéʧ/ in Spanish. This has brought about Hispanic variant spellings for some of these foreign loanwords, for example: espray(spray).
Examples
Let’s look at some examples of words containing the letter s in different word positions and letter combinations.
Now let's take a look at some sentences that contain z and s in Spanish!
Want to learn more about Spanish pronunciation? Check out the following articles!
• How to Pronounce the Letter "Z" in Spanish
• How to Pronounce the Letter "S" in Spanish
• How to Pronounce "C" and "Z" in Spanish
