Have you come across some hard Spanish words that get your tongue tied? There are a lot of words and aspects of Spanish pronunciation that English speakers struggle with.<\/p>\n
I’ll point you to the 54 most difficult Spanish words to pronounce, each with a tip to master them and other words like them, and the audio will help you practice your way to beautiful pronunciation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Listed below are some of the hardest words to pronounce in Spanish. I’ve focused on more common words that people need to use. Master these and the rest is easy!<\/p>\n
In rainy Latin American countries, you’ll likely see this word often\u2014it can pour a lot in the wet seasons<\/a>. And to be honest, I’ve even seen a few Spanish speakers struggle with this word.<\/p>\n The number of syllables and the vowel diphthong in the middle make it a hard one.<\/p>\n TIP<\/strong>: Break this down into separate syllables and say it slowly until you’re comfortable. There’s no rush!<\/p>\n “Im-peR-mi-a-bil-i-SAN-teh”<\/p>\n Example sentence:<\/strong><\/p>\n Necesitamos aplicar impermeabilizante al techo para evitar filtraciones.<\/em>\u00a0(We need to apply waterproofing to the roof to prevent leaks.)<\/p>\n Two double “r’s” here in one word!<\/p>\n TIP<\/strong>: The “r” in Spanish is rolled both at the start of any word and when they’re doubled, while a standalone “r” is also pronounced differently from English.<\/p>\n For many English speakers, these sounds are very hard, but they’re possible. When making any “r” sound in Spanish, the tip of your tongue should lightly touch the top of your mouth. Alternatively, to find the right position, say “t” in English. That’s where your tongue goes.<\/p>\n To roll the “r” then, the issue is getting your tongue, in that position, to vibrate. Breathe out of your mouth and let your tongue vibrate up and down. You can do it!<\/p>\n Example sentence:<\/strong><\/p>\n El ferrocarril es un medio de transporte importante en muchos pa\u00edses.<\/em>\u00a0(The railroad is an important means of transportation in many countries.)<\/p>\n This word is great fun. You have the double-whammy of “rr,” as well as “ll,” with lots of syllables to boot.<\/p>\n TIP:<\/strong> Correct pronunciation of “ll” depends on the country. But for much of Latin America, it’s the same as an English “y,” but a bit harder.<\/p>\n In Spain, “ll” is pronounced like the “j” in jump; in Argentina<\/a>, it’s pronounced like an English “sh,” and in Venezuela and Colombia, it’s pronounced somewhere between an English “y” and “j.”<\/p>\n Example sentence:<\/strong><\/p>\n Los desarrolladores est\u00e1n trabajando en una nueva versi\u00f3n de la aplicaci\u00f3n.<\/em>\u00a0(The developers are working on a new version of the application.)<\/p>\n The accents aren’t where you’d expect with these words, and many English speakers pronounce them “DI-fi-cil” and “fa-CIL,” instead of their correct pronunciations: “di-FI-cil” and “FA-cil.”<\/p>\n TIP<\/strong>: Note where the accents are and stress that syllable. Say the word ten times until your tongue can’t conceive of pronouncing it any other way.<\/p>\n Example sentence:<\/strong><\/p>\n Aprender un nuevo idioma puede ser dif\u00edcil al principio, pero con pr\u00e1ctica se vuelve m\u00e1s f\u00e1cil.<\/em>\u00a0(Learning a new language can be difficult at first, but with practice it becomes easier.)<\/p>\n The temptation here would be to say the similar-sounding English word, then add a \u201cmen-TAY\u201d to the end.<\/p>\n TIP<\/strong>: Remember to pronounce the final “e” as “eh,” not “ay,” then break these words down into syllables and give each the same weight.<\/p>\n Turn your English off and say “des-a-for-tu-na-da-MEN-te” slowly at first, then accelerate to normal speaking speed.<\/p>\n Example sentence:<\/strong><\/p>\n Actualmente estoy estudiando para mis ex\u00e1menes finales.<\/em>\u00a0(Currently, I am studying for my final exams.)<\/p>\n Desafortunadamente, no podr\u00e9 asistir a la fiesta de este fin de semana.<\/em>\u00a0(Unfortunately, I won’t be able to attend the party this weekend.)<\/p>\n Probablemente ir\u00e9 al cine esta noche.<\/em>\u00a0(I’ll probably go to the movies tonight.)<\/p>\n The “r-d” combination in Spanish is a really difficult move for the tongue\u2014almost like quick tongue acrobatics.<\/p>\n TIP<\/strong>: Put your effort into the first syllable and that difficult “r,” then let the “d” be softer, and the\u00a0“de” half of the word like an afterthought.<\/p>\n Example sentence:<\/strong><\/p>\n El c\u00e9sped est\u00e1 muy verde gracias a la lluvia reciente.<\/em>\u00a0(The grass is very green thanks to the recent rain.)<\/p>\n Nos vemos esta tarde para tomar un caf\u00e9.<\/em>\u00a0(See you this afternoon for a coffee.)<\/p>\n People often get tongue-tied with this word, perhaps because it’s similar to English but with an extra syllable at the start. The number of “t’s” and “d’s” can also add to your troubles.<\/p>\n TIP<\/strong>: Note the stressed syllable in the middle and don’t stress yourself about the difference between “t” and “d” in this word. Pronounce that first syllable well, so that your mouth is aware you’re going into a Spanish word rather than English.<\/p>\n Example sentence:<\/strong><\/p>\n Las estad\u00edsticas muestran que hay una tendencia al alza en el uso de internet.<\/em>\u00a0(The statistics show that there is an upward trend in internet usage.)<\/p>\n The obstacle here would be that “v” is pronounced as a soft “b,” plus the double set of diphthongs (“ue”).<\/p>\n TIP<\/strong>: There’s no compromising. The “v” in Spanish is always pronounced as “b,” and in the middle of a word it’s a gentler version of a “b” with the lips barely touching.<\/p>\n To pronounce the diphthong, just say both vowel sounds, then blur them together. So “oo-eh” becomes “weh.”<\/p>\n Example sentence:<\/strong><\/p>\n Me encanta desayunar huevos revueltos con tocino los domingos.<\/em>\u00a0(I love having scrambled eggs with bacon for breakfast on Sundays.)<\/p>\n This is another one of those trick words that you’ll be tempted to pronounce just like you would in English. Resist this urge!<\/p>\n TIP<\/strong>: Practice pronouncing this: “ee-DEH-ah,” until it becomes natural to you!<\/p>\n Example sentence:<\/strong><\/p>\n Tengo una idea genial para nuestro pr\u00f3ximo proyecto.<\/em>\u00a0(I have a great idea for our next project.)<\/p>\n What a lot of vowels and diphthongs to boot, followed by those meddlesome “r’s!”<\/p>\n TIP<\/strong>: For the first diphthongs, just like the “ue” explained above, pronounce the two vowels until they merge together. So, “ah-eh” becomes “ay.”<\/p>\n Next, practice that “ue” followed by the “r.” Once you’ve mastered these two parts, you can build on the rest.<\/p>\n Example sentence:<\/strong><\/p>\n Tenemos que llegar temprano al aeropuerto para no perder nuestro vuelo.<\/em> (We have to arrive early at the airport so we don’t miss our flight.)<\/p>\n Looking for more difficult words to test your pronunciation skills? Have a try with these!<\/p>\n\n2. Ferrocarril<\/em>\u00a0(Railroad)<\/h3>\n
3. Desarrolladores<\/em>\u00a0(Developers)<\/h3>\n
4. Dif\u00edcil<\/em>, F\u00e1cil<\/em>\u00a0(Difficult, Easy)<\/h3>\n
5. Actualmente<\/em>, Desafortunadamente, Probablemente<\/em>\u00a0(Currently, Unfortunately, Probably)<\/h3>\n
6. Verde<\/em>, Tarde<\/em>\u00a0(Green, Afternoon)<\/h3>\n
7. Estad\u00edstica<\/em>\u00a0(Statistics)<\/h3>\n
8. Huevos revueltos<\/em>\u00a0(Scrambled eggs)<\/h3>\n
9. Idea<\/em>\u00a0(Idea)<\/h3>\n
10. Aeropuerto<\/em>\u00a0(Airport)<\/h3>\n
More Hard Spanish Words<\/h2>\n