Spanish pronunciation : Vowels

About this resource

Description
Martín Ventola’s 3 rules to remember about Spanish vowels:

They are short sounds
They are “pure” sounds
They start and end differently from English vowels.
Visit Martin’s blog, Spanish Pronunciation 101, for a detailed description of the correct pronunciation of Spanish vowels.

Vowel A : In Spanish, the “a” is similar in sound to the “a” in the English word “start.”

ala, casa, mala, masa, lana, sala, sana

Qué bonita es la casa blanca.

Vowel E:

leche, cheque, sesenta, elefante

En enero, tenemos mucha nieve.

Vowel I: The Spanish “i” sounds like the “ee” sound in the English word “fleece”

mi, si, ni, fin, Lima, policía, bicicleta

Fui al cine con mis amigos.

Vowel O:

no, oso, ocho, chocó, coco, mono, solo

Los ojos oscuros son bonitos.

Vowel U: Spanish “u” equivalent to the “oo” sound in the English words, “too” and “goose.”

uno, humo, tubo, nunca, futuro, multa

Hubo un culo en el tubo. (A little bathroom humor here. :P)

Extra credit: A trabalenguas (tongue twister) in Spanish: A, E, I, O, U: El burro sabe más que tú.