If you are learning Spanish you have probably already come across some of the main differences between English and Spanish but… Have you ever heard a Spanish person speak?

You might be surprised by just how different the tone and pronunciation of Spanish native speakers can be. So, let’s take a look at some of the peculiarities of Spanish when it comes to pronunciation and the way they say the different letters … this way, you’ll be more prepared!

• – Unlike most languages in the world, the Spanish “C” between vowels is pronounced like an English “th”. This can make fluency harder to grasp at first but you’ll get the hang of it in no time!
  However, bear in mind that people from southern Spain and South America tend to pronounce “C” as an “S”, so when you get better at detecting this, you’ll also be able to identify different Spanish accents too!

• – Another peculiarity of the Spanish pronunciation is the “LL”. For English speakers, this would always be pronounced like a normal “L” – but for Spanish native speakers they make a sound similar to “y” in English. To practice this, say the word “llama” (which should sound like yama).

• – Lastly, the infamous “RR”! This is probably the most difficult one for non-Spanish speakers to master. The idea is when you see a ‘double R’ you are meant to make a rolling sound. For some it comes naturally but for most non-Spanish speakers (and of course some natives too) it’s not so easy to make the sound. You have to practice rolling your “R’s” as much as you can and practice lots of different words e.g. “correr”, “arroz”, and a double whammy- “ferrocarril”!

If you are considering learning Spanish and want to put your skills to the test then follow this link. We’ll tell you what level you’re working at and what you can do to improve!

Spanish language courses are a great way to enhance your learning and what better way than to study in Spain itself. Take a look at the different courses we offer here.