Post by Radrook Admin on Aug 2, 2020 3:26:23 GMT -5
One rule that will help tremendously is to always pronounce the Spanish vowels short. Pronouncing them long is one tell-tale sign that the person is not a Latino but a very basic learner of the language who is still struggling.
Another rule is to remember to always to trill or role the "r" by pressing the tip of the tongue against the palate and making it flutter against it by a stream of air. This sound is heard also when the Irish use it. In fact, it is identical to the way that the Irish and the Russians use it. A double "r"or two "r's" in a row simply indicates that you should extend the vibration or rolling sound longer. For example, as in the word "cerrado" which means closed or in the word "burro" which means donkey.
Yet another rule that is very frequently forgotten, although it is very simple to remember, is the double L's, or two of them next to one another as in the word Caballo, are always pronounced as a "ÿ". So the word Caballo, which means horse, is pronounced as "cabayo". The same applies to the words bello=beautiful, which is pronounced as "behyo". The surname Collazo" is pronounced as "Coyaso".
In Spanish, we also have an accent mark or tilde above the vowels that should be accentuated in a word. This helps to differentiate between the meanings of words that are spelled identically.
Unlike English, in which nouns are not given gender, in Spanish inanimate objects are given gender and the adjectives related to these words must reflect that gender. For example, the word house, "casa" is feminine. So any adjective describing it must indicate the feminine. La casa esta Vieja. The house is old. The adjective "vieja" for öld"is feminine. El carro esta viejo" Since carro is masculine it takes a masculine adjective "viejo".
Then we have the letter "J" The letter "J" in Spanish is pronounced as an "h" as in the word "mujer" pronounced as "mooher" meaning woman. Also as in the word "mojado" or "mojada" pronounced "mohado" or "mohada"which means wet. Or as in the word "mejor" pronounced "mehor" which means better. The surname Jose follows the samet rule. It is pronounced as "Hoseh".
The letter ñ with that funny sign above it, is pronounced as an "n" merged with the "ÿ" sound. It is called an eñe and is a completely separate letter from(N). This lette sounds much like the ni in onion or the ny in the canyon.
The Tilde or accent mark above a vowel is to differentiate between words spelled identically but which have different meanings.
The letter "h"in Spanish is almost aways silent: Here are some examples. "h" "hambre" = hunger "hora" = hour "haber" "hijo" = son "habito" "hiso" = did "ähora" = now.
Want to learn more? Here is an excellent place to start:
Finally, one peculiarity that I have noticed is the pronunciation of the "vowel"ä" in Spanish as in the English word "Ass". Please note that the letter ä" in Spanish never sounds like the ä" in the English "word äs: does. Instead, it resembles the sound of the letter "ö" in the word Oz, Osborn, osprey, or the sound of the ä" in Douglas, Thomas. But never as in the word "as or "ass". So please remember this when pronouncing the surname Dias or Diaz. This will prevent you from giving the impression of purposefully insulting the person whom you are addressing by carelessly or perhaps maliciously pronouncing it as "The ass." or Thee Ass!"