Spanish Vowels
Spanish has five vowels: a, e, i, o, and u.
Spanish Vowel Pronunciation
Spanish has the same five vowels as English, but Spanish vowels are generally shorter (in duration) than their English counterparts.
Take the letter o. When you say the letter o in English, you tend to stretch it out and add a bit of of an uh sound at the end. In Spanish, o is much shorter and is pronounced with rounded lips from start to finish (sort of like the vowels you would use in English choral music).
Here are the five Spanish vowels and their pronunciations.
Spanish Vowel Sounds
| Spanish Vowel | Pronunciation | Example Words |
|---|---|---|
| a | ah | papa, agua |
| e | eh | esperanza, bebé |
| i | ee | sí, chica |
| o | oh | loco, bonito |
| u | oo | grupo, futuro |
Spanish Diphthongs
A diphthong is a sound formed by two vowels in a single syllable. In Spanish, diphthongs can be formed by combining a strong vowel (a, e, or o) and a weak vowel (i or u), or by combining two weak vowels. When a diphthong is made up of a strong vowel and a weak vowel, the strong vowel is stressed a bit more than the weak vowel.
Spanish Diphthong Pronunciation
Below are examples of Spanish diphthongs and their pronunciation.
Spanish Vowel Hiatus
When a strong vowel and a weak vowel appear together and the weak vowel is accented, the vowels belong to two separate syllables. This is called a hiatus. Two strong vowels together also form a hiatus.
Hiatus Pronunciation
Remember that the h is silent in Spanish, so it does not make any sound in the words azahar and alcohol in the table above.
Want to learn more about Spanish pronunciation? Check out the following articles!
