How to Spell Words in Spanish and Avoid 8 Common Mistakes
Confidently knowing how to spell words in Spanish is easy once you understand a few pronunciation and spelling rules. In this guide, we’ll go over eight common Spanish spelling mistakes, ideas and resources you can use to practice spelling and how to ask “How do you spell…?” in Spanish.
Contents
- Common Spanish Spelling Mistakes
- How to Practice Spelling Spanish Words
- How to Ask “How Do You Spell” a Word in Spanish
- Spanish Spelling Quiz
- And One More Thing…
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Common Spanish Spelling Mistakes
1. When to Use R vs. RR
The Spanish r sound is one of the most difficult for English speakers to master. There are two r sounds: R suave (soft r) and R fuerte (strong r).
R suave is made by flicking the tongue against the roof of the mouth and sounds like a very quick “d.” For example:
Acabar (to finish)
Orden (order)
Arte (art)
R fuerte is commonly referred to as the “rolled r.” It sounds like a trill and is made by pushing air out of the mouth while lightly pressing the tongue against the roof of the mouth. For example:
Rincón (corner)
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Arriba (up)
Alrededor (around)
Many people assume that when they hear an r fuerte it means a word has a double r (rr) but this is not always the case. Here are some rules to keep in mind:
1. You will never find a double r at the beginning or end of a word. A single r at the beginning of a word makes the r fuerte (rolled r) sound.
2. You will never find a double r after a consonant. However, a single r will make an r fuerte sound after the consonants l, n or s. (For example, in the word enriquecer )
3. If you add a prefix to the beginning of a word that starts with r, you must double the r to maintain the r fuerte.
For example, the first r in the word retrato (portrait) makes an r fuerte sound. To say “self-portrait,” we must add the prefix auto. But in the word autoretrato, the r would make a soft sound.
To maintain the correct pronunciation of the word, we must add a second r to form the word autorretrato . Some other examples are the words antirrobo (anti-theft) and intrarregional (intraregional).
Finally, listen to these video snippets to hear how r and rr sound in sentences:
- Interactive subtitles: click any word to see detailed examples and explanations
- Slow down or loop the tricky parts
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- Review words with our powerful learning engine
2. When to Use Cs, Zs vs. Ss
The Spanish letter c sounds different depending on the region.
In Latin American Spanish, c can make two sounds: hard c ( acabar ) and soft c ( hacer ).
If the c comes before an e or an i, it’s a soft c. If not, it makes a hard sound.
In European Spanish, you don’t have to worry about mixing up c’s and s’s, because the two letters make totally different sounds! The s sounds like it does in English, but the c resembles the “th” at the end of the English word “tooth.”
Z also makes the same th sound in Spain.
When in Spain, if you hear a th sound followed by an e or an i, the word might be spelled with a c or z. You just have to memorize the difference. But if the following sound is anything else, it must be a z.
Here are some examples of c, z and s being used in native Spanish sentences:
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3. When to Use B vs. V
In English, the letters b and v make similar but distinct sounds. In Spanish, they often sound exactly the same—a soft sound somewhere in between the English b and the English v.
Knowing how to spell words that use b and v mostly boils down to context and memorization. For example, you know how vivir (to live) is pronounced and how it’s spelled because you’ve memorized it.
One common mistake that I see all the time—even among my native-Spanish-speaking students—is the difference between haber (to be/have) and a ver (a colloquial phrase meaning “can I see that?”). Although these two words are pronounced exactly the same, context can clear up any misunderstandings about which word is necessary.
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4. When to Use Y vs. LL
The letter y and the double l (ll) are generally pronounced the same. However, depending on which region you’re in, they can be pronounced distinctly:
- Like an English “y” in the word “yes”
- Like an English “j” in the name “Jessica”
- Like the “sh” sound in “shoe” (in Argentina and Uruguay)
Because of this, it can be tricky to distinguish between haya (the subjunctive conjugation of the verb haber, to have), allá (there) and halla (to discover or locate). In cases like this, context is key to figuring out which word to use.
Some common double-l words are:
Llamar (verb) — To call
Llover (verb) — To rain
Llegar (verb) — To arrive
Ella (pronoun) — She
Ello (pronoun) — It
Some common words with y are:
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Ayer (noun) — Yesterday
Mayoría (noun) — Majority
Ayudar (verb) — To help
Proyecto (noun) — Project
Yendo (verb) — Going
Here are some example sentences:
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5. When to Use Tildes in Ñ
The ñ sounds like “ny” in the word “unyielding” or the “ni” in the word “onion.” N by itself is pronounced the same as the English n.
Some of the most common words you’ll encounter with an ñ are:
Español — Spanish
Mañana — Morning/tomorrow
Niño /a — Boy
Cumpleaños — Birthday
Baño — Bathroom
Año — Year
Enseñar — To teach
Example sentences:
Check out this post to learn how you can type ñ (and other Spanish accents) on a keyboard:
How to Type Spanish Accents on Every Device | FluentU Spanish Blog
Not sure how to type all the various Spanish accents on your computer or phone? Read this post to first learn the three main types of Spanish accents with accents, then…
6. When to Use the Silent H
Knowing when to use—or not use—the Spanish silent h is something that even native speakers struggle with.
Once again, this one is all about memorization. Be on the lookout for verbs conjugated in the past perfect or pluperfect—these conjugations use the auxiliary verb haber, which begins with a silent h. For example:
Esta noche he quedado para cenar con dos amigos. (Tonight I’ve made plans to have dinner with two friends.)
Me alegro que lo hayas pasado bien. (I’m happy that you had a good time.)
Si hubieras dicho algo, habría cambiado todo. (If you had said something, it would have changed everything.)
Of course, haber is far from the only Spanish word that begins with a silent h, although it is one of the most common. Here are some more:
Hacer (verb) — To do, to make
Hablar (verb) — To speak
Hasta (prep.) — Until
Hoy (noun) — Today
Hermano /a (noun) — Brother
Hijo /a (noun) — Son
Hambre (noun) — Hunger
Hora (noun) — Hour, time
Remember that if you do hear an h-sound in Spanish, it’s actually a g or a j. These two letters make a guttural h sound, but g only makes this sound before an e or an i.
For example, in the words:
Fijar (to fix/set)
Orejas (ears)
Digestión (digestion)
Let’s take a look at some example sentences:
7. When to Use Accent Marks
In Spanish, leaving off an accent mark can completely change the pronunciation—and meaning—of a word. And the rules are so regular and simple, it’s silly to not learn them.
In most words, the stress is on the second-to-last syllable. For example, this is the case for:
Mochila (backpack)
Naranja (orange)
Libro (book)
With words that end in consonants other than n and s, you must stress the last syllable of the word. For example:
Abrir (to open)
Ajedrez (chess)
Aprendiz (apprentice)
If you hear a word that strays from this pattern, you need to put an accent mark. First, listen for the stressed syllable, and then place the accent mark above that syllable’s vowel. For example:
Móvil (mobile)
Filosofía (philosophy)
Árbol (tree)
Example sentences:
8. When to Use Gui vs. Gue
The letter g followed by an e or an i in Spanish makes a guttural h sound, such as in fingir (to pretend) or gente (people). Here are some guidelines for spelling with the letter g:
If you hear a word with an English-sounding g sound followed by an e or i sound, you must insert a silent u between the g and the vowel.
This frequently happens in –ar verb conjugations to maintain regular pronunciation patterns. For example, the verb llegar (to arrive) conjugated in the preterite tense yo form becomes llegué (I arrived).
This silent u also appears in words like:
Guitarra (guitar)
Hamburguesa (hamburger)
Guerra (war)
Some Spanish words contain the syllable gue or gui, but the u isn’t silent—instead, it sounds like an English w.
If you hear the sound gweh or gwee in Spanish, you must add a diéresis (umlaut): two small dots over the u, like in words like:
Vergüenza (shame)
Bilingüe (bilingual)
Pingüino (penguin)
Example sentences:
How to Practice Spelling Spanish Words
- Write words by hand and use repetition. Writing by hand is the first step you should take when learning to spell a new word. Recent studies show that different parts of our brains are activated when we write by hand instead of just typing, helping us memorize words.
- Take online quizzes. Spanish Learning Lab has one here that has you listen to audio snippets and select which spelling of the word is correct. You can also take the quiz at the end of this post. Digital Dialects also has a huge collection of Spanish spelling quizzes. You choose a topic then fill in the blanks with the missing letters of a word.
- Play Scrabble or crossword puzzles. I like spelling games because they don’t just teach you how to spell a few words. They test your knowledge of all the Spanish spelling rules and let you practice putting them to use. Here’s a free online Spanish Scrabble game you can play. Linguno offers free daily online Spanish crosswords that let you select your level (A1-C2) and the puzzle’s theme. They also have verb conjugation crosswords.
- Write a lot (and have your work corrected). Prioritize writing activities in your study routine. Journal in Spanish, make lists in Spanish, write short stories, etc. I like looking up writing prompts for inspiration if I’m stuck and don’t know what to write. Once you’ve written something, upload it to a site or app like HiNative, HelloTalk or italki to get corrections from native speakers.
How to Ask “How Do You Spell” a Word in Spanish
To ask how a Spanish word is spelled, you can say ¿cómo se escribe…? or ¿cómo se deletrea…?
To understand (or give) the answer, you’ll need to know the alphabet. Here’s the Spanish alphabet with the names of the letters (and their pronunciations):
| Spanish Letter | Name of Spanish Letter | English Letter |
|---|---|---|
| A | Ah | A |
| B | Beh | B |
| C | Ce | C |
| Ch | Che | Ch |
| D | Deh | D |
| E | Eh | E |
| F | Efeh | F |
| G | Ge | G |
| H | Hache | H |
| I | I | I |
| J | Jota | J |
| K | Ka | K |
| L | Ele | L |
| Ll | Elle | Ll |
| M | Eme | M |
| Ñ | Eñe | |
| O | O | O |
| P | Pe | P |
| Q | Ku | Q |
| R | Ere | R |
| Rr | Erre | |
| S | Ese | S |
| T | Te | T |
| U | U | U |
| V | Ve
Uve | V |
| W | Doble ve
Doble u Doble uve Uve doble | W |
| X | Equis | X |
| Y | I griega | Y |
| Z | Zeta | Z |
If you want a deeper guide to the Spanish alphabet and its pronunciations, I recommend checking out this guide:
How to Pronounce the Spanish Alphabet | FluentU Spanish Blog
Learn your ABCs with this guide to the Spanish alphabet. Study all 27 letters and see tips on how to pronounce them. This useful guide comes complete with the official and…
Spanish Spelling Quiz
Read the following Spanish words and say them out loud. Then, check your pronunciation by listening to the audio in the answer key below.
1. Artista (artist)
2. Rico (delicious)
3. Carro (car)
4. La cicatriz (scar)
5. La cara (face)
6. Rechazar (to reject)
7. Soñar (to dream)
8. Valer (to be worth)
9. Brindar (to toast)
10. El proyecto (project)
11. Bella (beautiful)
12. La araña (spider)
13. Hay (there is/are)
14. El hielo (ice)
15. Jamás (never)
16. El estándar (standard)
17. Me gustó (I liked it)
18. La vergüenza (shame)
19. Yo pagué (I paid)
Answer key:
1. Artista (artist)
2. Rico (delicious)
3. Carro (car)
4. La cicatriz (scar)
5. La cara (face)
6. Rechazar (to reject)
7. Soñar (to dream)
8. Valer (to be worth)
9. Brindar (to toast)
10. El proyecto (project)
11. Bella (beautiful)
12. La araña (spider)
13. Hay (there is/are)
14. El hielo (ice)
15. Jamás (never)
16. El estándar (standard)
17. Me gustó (I liked it)
18. La vergüenza (shame)
19. Yo pagué (I paid)
¿Ya viste? (You see?) Spanish spelling is simple when you get the hang of a few rules.
Learning Spanish spelling will help you skyrocket your writing abilities—a useful skill for everything from term papers to WhatsApp messages.
Depending on your level, you can also benefit from listening to a podcast or watching a telenovela (soap opera). Any kind of authentic audio content—preferably with text—will help you differentiate between the sounds.
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
And One More Thing…
If you've made it this far that means you probably enjoy learning Spanish with engaging material and will then love FluentU.
Other sites use scripted content. FluentU uses a natural approach that helps you ease into the Spanish language and culture over time. You’ll learn Spanish as it’s actually spoken by real people.
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Review a complete interactive transcript under the Dialogue tab, and find words and phrases listed under Vocab.
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