{"id":179974,"date":"2021-08-08T08:40:05","date_gmt":"2021-08-08T12:40:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/english-pronunciation-for-spanish-speakers\/"},"modified":"2025-01-30T01:31:50","modified_gmt":"2025-01-30T06:31:50","slug":"english-pronunciation-for-spanish-speakers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/english\/english-pronunciation-for-spanish-speakers\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Most Common English Pronunciation Mistakes for Spanish Speakers and How to Fix Them"},"content":{"rendered":"

When you first started learning English, did you catch yourself wanting to roll your R\u2019s?<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Maybe words like \u201cbirthday\u201d and \u201cshampoo\u201d were harder to pronounce because they contained unfamiliar sounds.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If your first language is Spanish, there are certain aspects of English pronunciation that you\u2019ve probably never encountered before in your native language. <\/span>English pronunciation is well-known for having its quirks, but your native language has a huge influence on how you learn English.<\/b> As a Spanish speaker, you\u2019re likely to find different pronunciation points more challenging compared to Japanese or Arabic speakers.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When you take your native language into account, what you get is a roadmap that directs you to where exactly you can improve your pronunciation. And that\u2019s what this blog post is all about! We\u2019ll look into the <\/span>most common pronunciation mistakes made by Spanish speakers<\/b>, along with how to work on these so you can have smoother conversations in English.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Learning English as a Spanish Speaker<\/b><\/h2>\n

Spanish and English are two of the <\/span>most widely spoken languages<\/span><\/a> in the world. There\u2019s a lot of interplay between them too! Spanish is a popular language for native English speakers to study, and many Spanish speakers are also either bilingual in English or they\u2019re in the process of learning the language.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

English might not come as easily as <\/span>Romance languages<\/span><\/a> like Portuguese and French, but <\/span>becoming fluent in English as a Spanish speaker is very much a doable goal. <\/b>Although English does have several sounds that you\u2019ll never find in Spanish, there\u2019s a ton of related vocabulary \u2013 at least 30% of English words sound like their Spanish versions, so sometimes you can guess the meaning of a sentence.<\/span><\/p>\n

Common Mistakes in English Pronunciation for Spanish Speakers<\/b><\/h2>\n

These are the most common errors among Spanish speakers when they\u2019re learning English:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Turning V into B<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

One of the most confusing English letters for Spanish speakers is usually V. This is because in Spanish, the letters B and V are both pronounced as a B sound, with both lips pressed together. As a result, Spanish speakers might pronounce the V in English as a B \u2013 for example, \u201cvan\u201d and \u201cseven\u201d can end up sounding like \u201cban\u201d and \u201cseben.\u201d Even intermediate and advanced learners can still struggle with the V sound because it\u2019s very intuitive to turn it into a B.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tip:<\/b> V and B have similar mouth positions. However, B involves closing your lips together while with V, you press your upper teeth against your bottom lip. Try saying each sound slowly in front of a mirror!<\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

2. Switching Y and J<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Spanish speakers might interchange Y and J \u2013 \u201cyour\u201d might end up being pronounced as \u201cjour,\u201d and \u201cJane\u201d might become \u201cYane.\u201d For English speakers, both are very much separate sounds, but they\u2019re actually interchangeable in many Spanish dialects. In fact, many Spanish speakers are used to thinking of them as <\/span>allophones<\/span><\/a> \u2013 ultimately two subtle variations of the same sound. They might even have a hard time setting the two apart!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tip:<\/b> Check first if you can recognize the Y and J sounds separately. Listen to videos or audios of native speakers pronouncing words with Y or J and alternate between both sounds until you can recognize them confidently.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Mispronouncing SH<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

The SH sound doesn\u2019t exist in Spanish, so it can take some getting used to for Spanish speakers! One potential mistake is saying SH as S (\u201cshe\u201d becomes \u201csee\u201d), which happens when you don\u2019t draw your tongue back. It can also be mispronounced as CH (\u201cche\u201d instead of \u201cshe\u201d), especially since the CH sound is present in Spanish.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tip:<\/b> Start by hissing out the S sound (\u201cssssssss\u201d). From here, round your lips closer together and pull your tongue back to produce the SH sound.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Rolling your R<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Rolling or trilling your R comes naturally in Spanish, but Spanish speakers can carry this over to their English, which uses a different kind of R that\u2019s softer. When you roll your R, you\u2019re touching the tip of your tongue against your upper palate. However, with the <\/span>English R sound<\/span><\/a>, the tip of your tongue isn\u2019t touching anything. Spanish speakers often find R especially challenging when paired with consonants (such as in \u201ctrain,\u201d \u201cfront,\u201d and \u201ccry\u201d).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tip:<\/b> Check videos and diagrams of the mouth positioning for the English R. You\u2019ll notice that it\u2019s not the same as with a usual rolled R! Then practice with words that have R at various positions (start, middle, and end).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Adding E to S at the start of a word<\/b><\/h3>\n

With words that start in S such as \u201cstory\u201d and \u201cspoon,\u201d you might get the urge to add E to the start because it feels much more familiar. In Spanish, there are no words that start with S, so some Spanish speakers default to saying ES instead (\u201cestory\u201d and \u201cespoon\u201d).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

More frequently, Spanish speakers don\u2019t have issues with correctly pronouncing words like these in isolation, but when they say full sentences out loud, they can slip up and accidentally add E.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tip: <\/b>Choose a word that starts with S and say it out loud while prolonging the S sound (\u201cssssstory\u201d). Then raise the difficulty level by adding a word before it (\u201cour ssssstory\u201d). As the transition between the two words become smoother, work on shortening the S sound.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Replacing TH with T or D<\/b>\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

The TH letter combination doesn\u2019t appear in written Spanish, but some Spanish speakers say the TH sound unconsciously when D is in between two vowels. Still, Spanish speakers often need to practice pronouncing the TH sound in English specifically. There\u2019s a tendency at first to pronounce the voiced TH as D (\u201cbrother\u201d to \u201cbroder\u201d) or the unvoiced TH as T (\u201cmath\u201d to \u201cmat\u201d).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tip:<\/b> The tip of your tongue should be sticking out slightly when you say the TH sound. This doesn\u2019t happen with D or T, where the tip of the tongue is touching above your teeth.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Saying N instead of M\u00a0<\/b>\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

You might have no issues with pronouncing the M sound on its own because it\u2019s used fairly often in Spanish. Still, maybe you found it strange the first time when you encountered English words that end with M, such as \u201cteam,\u201d \u201chim,\u201d and \u201cproblem.\u201d This doesn\u2019t really happen in Spanish, and it\u2019s more common for words to end in N instead.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A common mistake among Spanish speakers is accidentally replacing the M at the end of words with N. They can mispronounce \u201cteam\u201d and \u201chim\u201d as \u201ctean\u201d and \u201chin.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tip:<\/b> Take a word ending in M such as \u201cproblem.\u201d Work backwards by saying M on its own, then adding each letter before it (\u201cem,\u201d then \u201clem\u201d and \u201cblem\u201d) until you\u2019re pronouncing the whole word.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

8. Mixing up short and long vowels<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Spanish has only five vowel sounds, while English has nearly twenty! Spanish doesn\u2019t make any distinction between long and <\/span>short vowels<\/span><\/a>, either, so Spanish speakers can mix up similar-sounding vowels or substitute them with vowels from Spanish. \u201cHeat\u201d and \u201chit\u201d are often pronounced the same way, as well as \u201cfool\u201d and \u201cfull.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

9. Pronouncing every word like it\u2019s written<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

One of the biggest adjustments when switching from Spanish to English is how irregular English pronunciation can be compared to spelling. In Spanish, words are pronounced like how they\u2019re written, while English will often have silent letters or sounds that don\u2019t match up with the spelling. As a result, Spanish speakers might pronounce every letter in a word, such as including the K in \u201cknee.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tip:<\/b> English can definitely be unpredictable no matter your native language, so it\u2019s normal to get confused with pronunciation! The key is to get plenty of listening exposure \u2013 you might think you know how to pronounce a new word based on its spelling, but it\u2019s always worthwhile to check.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

10. Stressing every word<\/b>\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

Spanish doesn\u2019t have the same rhythm or melody as English. With Spanish, syllables are pronounced evenly and take around the same amount of time to say. In comparison, English emphasizes some syllables strongly, and there are more changes in pitch.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Because this isn\u2019t a feature in their native language, Spanish speakers can sound flatter when they switch to English. They might also stress too many words instead of emphasizing only the keywords of a sentence.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tip:<\/b> Keep the basic <\/span>word and sentence stress rules in English<\/span><\/a> in mind! Stress in English will never be as regular as in Spanish, but being aware of these rules will make it easier to remember. Afterwards, try shadowing by paying attention to the pitch and tone of native speakers and then recording yourself imitating these.<\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/b><\/h2>\n

All of the pronunciation difficulties that Spanish speakers tend to have with English come from the differences in the two languages<\/b>. If you\u2019ve never pronounced a sound before, then it takes time and effort to make it a natural part of how you speak.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Still, these ten common pronunciation mistakes vary in impact. For example, even if you consistently roll your R when speaking English, you\u2019ll still be understood. However, mispronouncing SH or long vowels might make other people think of other words than the ones you have in mind.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When you first started learning English, did you catch yourself wanting to roll your R\u2019s?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Maybe words like \u201cbirthday\u201d and \u201cshampoo\u201d were harder to pronounce because they contained unfamiliar sounds.\u00a0…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":739,"featured_media":249304,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"slim_seo":{"description":"In this guide, we go over the most challenging aspects of English pronunciation for Spanish speakers, from saying the V sound to using proper sentence stress.","title":"10 Most Common English Pronunciation Mistakes for Spanish Speakers and How to Fix Them - FluentU"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[685,704],"tags":[],"coauthors":[208],"class_list":["post-179974","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english","category-parrot"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179974","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/739"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=179974"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179974\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":249305,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179974\/revisions\/249305"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/249304"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=179974"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=179974"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=179974"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=179974"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}