How can I pronounce better in Spanish?

Spanish is written phonetically so this makes it somewhat easier to pronounce than English. However, there are still some differences. We can start with the vowels. In English, we have A E I O U, and they are elongated. For example, car. In Spanish, you need to learn to shortern your vowels. For example, cama. There are also letters in the Spanish alphabet which are pronounced using sounds that do not exist in the English language, like the Spanish J and R. For example, Jaen, perro. If you really want to sound Spanish, you should remember that the English ‘T’ and ‘D’ are plosive. For example, dog, take. In Spanish, however, these are pronounced slightly interdentally, which just means you put your tongue slightly and quickly between your teeth to make the Spanish ‘d’ and ‘t’. For example, habilidad or tutelar. The final point, and one of the easiest to remember is the pronunciation of the C and Z which normally sounds like the English ‘th’. Eg. Zaragoza, Piscina. If the word begins with a C though, it is pronounced like English. Eg, caza. Spanish tongue twisters can be done in spare time in order to practise and make normal conversation seem easy in comparison! An example is ¿Usted no nada nada? No, no traje traje. This one allows you to practise both shortened vowels and the Spanish J.

Answered by Louise D. Spanish tutor

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