Spanish Grammar Foundations #1: The Alphabet and Pronunciation

¡Bienvenido!

Welcome to Spanish Grammar Foundations, your daily email course designed to help you build a strong foundation in Spanish grammar.

Today, we're starting with a basic, yet fundamental topic before diving into actual grammar study - the Spanish alphabet and pronunciation.

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Before diving into our mini-grammar lesson, here’s today’s Fluency Hour assignment!

Daily Grammar Lesson (10-15 minutes)

Daily Listening (10-20 minutes) - Noticias Telemundo Podcast

Pimsleur Lesson (25-30 minutes)

Finally, if you find yourself with some free time today - honestly, ANY free time (yes, even those minutes when you're chilling on the throne, ha!), whip out your phone and do some Duolingo Practice or Anki Vocabulary Review. Let's turn even the most mundane moments into Spanish mastery!

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Spanish Grammar Foundations #1: The Alphabet and Pronunciation

The Spanish alphabet consists of 27 letters, including the same 26 letters used in the English alphabet plus one additional letter, "ñ" (enye).

The pronunciation of some letters in Spanish may differ from their pronunciation in English, so it's important to learn the correct way to pronounce each letter.

To get started, review the following Spanish alphabet and its corresponding sounds. Read them out loud 10X (at least). :-)

A - ah B - beh C - seh D - deh E - eh F - effeh G - heh H - ah-cheh I - ee J - hotah K - kah L - eleh M - emeh N - eneh Ñ - eh-nyeh O - oh P - peh Q - koo R - ereh S - ehsseh T - teh U - oo V - beh corta W - doble beh X - eh-kees Y - ee-griega Z - seh-tah

Take some time to practice each sound out loud, repeating each letter and sound several times until it feels natural. Remember, even if your grammar knowledge becomes perfect, consistent pronunciation is key to being understood when speaking Spanish.

Now, let's get a little more practice in with this Spanish alphabet video: [insert link to video].

As you practice, pay attention to the differences in pronunciation between English and Spanish. Some letters, such as "j" and "ll", may be particularly challenging for English speakers.

Don't worry, though - with practice, you'll soon become more comfortable with the sounds of the Spanish language.

¡Hasta mañana! (See you tomorrow!)

Saludos,

Levi “D-A-V-I-D” Flint

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P.S. More the Spanish Alphabet

"El alfabeto" is a great skill to begin practicing early on in your Spanish development because you are exposed to the cores sounds of the language.

Keep a few things in mind:

1) The Vowels: practice mastering the vowel sounds of Spanish early on. These are quite different than what you hear and say in English. One way to sound more native-like is to properly pronounce the a/e/i/o/u.

2) The /J/: This sound is made with both your mouth and throat. Take the time to get good at this one.

3) The R and RR: These can be tricky to master. Take your time and stay consistent when trying to improve on these.