The rule, in plain English
Spanish spelling gives reliable pronunciation clues. A word ending in a vowel, -n or -s is normally stressed on the next-to-last syllable; a word ending in another consonant is normally stressed on the last syllable. A written accent marks stress that breaks those defaults, separates vowels into a hiatus (país, río), or distinguishes words and interrogatives (tú/tu, sí/si, qué/que). Spanish vowels stay short and pure. A weak vowel i or u can combine with another vowel in one syllable (diphthong); an accented weak vowel normally breaks that combination. Consonant patterns are consistent, although c/z and ll/y vary by region.
Why it's hard for English speakers
English stress and vowel sounds are unpredictable, so English speakers may reduce unstressed vowels or ignore written accents. In Spanish, keeping every vowel clear and reading the accent mark as part of the spelling makes both pronunciation and meaning more accurate.
Default word stress
| Word ending | Default stress | Examples | Accent needed when... |
|---|---|---|---|
| vowel, -n or -s | next-to-last syllable | CA-sa, HA-blan, JO-ven | another syllable is stressed: can-CIÓN, in-GLÉS |
| other consonant | last syllable | ha-BLAR, ciu-DAD, re-LOJ | another syllable is stressed: FÁ-cil, LÁ-piz |
| antepenultimate or earlier | always written | TE-lé-fo-no, MÚ-si-ca | always |
Five clear Spanish vowels
| Letter | Keep the sound... | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| a | open and steady | casa, mapa |
| e | clear, without an English-style glide | mesa, café |
| i | high and steady | vino, sí |
| o | rounded and steady | foto, no |
| u | rounded; silent in que/qui and gue/gui unless marked ü | luna, queso, pingüino |
Diphthong or hiatus?
| Pattern | Result | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| weak i/u + strong a/e/o, weak vowel not stressed | usually one syllable (diphthong) | tierra, bueno |
| two weak vowels | usually one syllable (diphthong) | ciudad, ruido |
| two strong vowels a/e/o | separate syllables (hiatus) | teatro, poeta |
| stressed weak vowel í/ú beside another vowel | separate syllables (hiatus) | María, país, río, baúl |
Accents that distinguish meaning or questions
| Without accent | With accent | Example |
|---|---|---|
| tu (your) | tú (you) | Tú tienes tu libro. |
| el (the) | él (he) | Él compra el pan. |
| si (if) | sí (yes / oneself) | Sí, voy si puedo. |
| mi (my) | mí (me after a preposition) | Es para mí, no para mi hermano. |
| te (you / to you) | té (tea) | Te preparo té. |
| de (of/from) | dé (form of dar) | Quiero que me dé agua. |
| se (pronoun) | sé (I know / be!) | Sé que se llama Ana. |
| mas (but, literary) | más (more) | Quiero más. |
| que, como, donde, cuando | qué, cómo, dónde, cuándo | ¿Qué haces? / No sé cuándo llega. |
High-value consonant patterns
| Spelling | Pronunciation guide | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| h | silent | hola, ahora |
| j; g before e/i | strong breathy sound | jamón, gente, girar |
| g before a/o/u | hard g sound | gato, goma, gusto |
| ñ | one distinct sound | niño, España |
| r / rr | tap / trill between vowels | pero / perro |
| b / v | normally the same sound | baca / vaca |
| c before e/i; z | s in most of Latin America; th-like in much of Spain | cine, zapato |
| ll / y | pronunciation varies by region | llave, yo |
| qu before e/i | k sound; u is silent | queso, quince |
| gü before e/i | the diaeresis makes u audible | pingüino, vergüenza |
Example sentence bank
Shuffling examples…
Common mistakes
- Como estas?¿Cómo estás?The interrogative cómo and final-stressed estás need accents, plus Spanish opening punctuation.
- Tu eres mi amigo.Tú eres mi amigo.The subject pronoun tú has an accent; possessive tu does not.
- inglesinglésA word ending in -s would normally stress the next-to-last syllable, so final stress must be written.
- pronouncing every hhola and ahora have a silent hThe letter h is silent in standard Spanish pronunciation.
Practice
___ eres mi amigo. (you)
Esta casa ___ lejos. (is)
Yes = ___ (with accent)
'hablan' is stressed on…
Which word means ‘your’?
He buys bread = ___ compra pan. (he)
Which word means ‘if’?
How are you? = ¿___ estás?