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A1 Language Objectives
By the end of this lesson you will be able to: recite the 27-letter Spanish alphabet with correct letter names, explain why Spanish is called a phonetically transparent language, identify the 5 letters that behave differently from English, and spell your name aloud in Spanish.
Spanish gives you a gift that English never does: what you see is what you say. The spelling system maps directly to sound. No silent Ks, no "-ough" with five different pronunciations. Once you learn 27 letter-sound rules, you can pronounce any Spanish word you read -- even words you have never seen before. Linguists call this phonetic transparency, and it is the single biggest advantage you have as a Spanish learner.
Your First Morning in Bogota
You step outside your hotel in La Candelaria. A street vendor calls out: "Tintico! Tintico caliente!" You see a sign on a shop door: Abierto. You sound it out: ah-bee-EHR-toh. You just read your first Colombian sign -- and you were right. That is the power of phonetic transparency. By the end of this lesson, you will understand exactly why this works and be able to do it with any word.
Spanish uses 26 letters shared with English plus one extra: N (eñe). That gives you 27. But the real difference is not the count -- it is the consistency. Each letter maps to one sound (or, in a few predictable cases, two sounds with a clear rule for when each applies).
Compare this to English, where the letter "a" alone can sound like: cat, father, cake, about, wall. In Spanish, "a" always sounds like "ah." Always. No exceptions.
English has the word 'through.' How many ways can '-ough' be pronounced in English?
When Colombians spell words aloud -- at hotels, banks, pharmacies -- they use the letter names below. You need both the name (for spelling aloud) and the sound (for reading/speaking).
| Letter | Name | Sound | Example Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | a | "ah" (open) | arepa |
| B | be | soft "b" | Bogota |
| C | ce | "s" before e/i; "k" elsewhere | casa, cine |
| D | de | like English "d" | dia |
| E | e | "eh" (like "bet") | escuela |
| F | efe | like English "f" | familia |
| G | ge | "h" before e/i; hard "g" elsewhere | gato, gente |
| H | hache | always SILENT | hola |
| I | i | "ee" (like "see") | iglesia |
| J | jota | strong "h" from throat | jugo |
| K | ka | like English "k" | kilo |
| L | ele | like English "l" | leche |
| M | eme | like English "m" | mango |
| N | ene | like English "n" | noche |
| N | ene | "ny" (like "canyon") | ano |
| O | o | "oh" (pure, round) | olla |
| P | pe | like English "p" | pan |
| Q | cu | "k" (always followed by "u") | queso |
| R | ere | soft tap | pero |
| S | ese | like English "s" | sopa |
| T | te | like English "t" | tinto |
| U | u | "oo" (like "food") | uva |
| V | uve | same as "b" in Colombia | vida |
| W | doble uve | rare, borrowed words | web |
| X | equis | "ks" or "s" |
How is the letter C pronounced in the word 'cine' (cinema)?
Twenty-two of the 27 letters behave almost identically to English. Only five will surprise you. Master these five and you have mastered the entire alphabet.
Spanish H makes NO sound. Hola = "OH-lah." Hacer = "ah-SEHR." Hospital = "os-pee-TAHL." The H remains in spelling as a historical artifact from Latin, but the sound vanished centuries ago. When you see H, simply skip it.
Spanish J (jota) sounds like a strong English "h" from the back of the throat. Jugo = "HOO-goh." Jardin = "har-DEEN." In Colombia, this sound is softer than in Spain -- imagine fogging up a mirror with a bit of friction. NEVER pronounce it like English "j" in "jump."
In Colombian Spanish, B and V are pronounced the same: a soft "b." Boca and vaca start with the same sound. Do NOT add an English "v" (teeth on lip) -- this marks you immediately as a non-native speaker.
A Colombian says 'vaca' (cow) and 'boca' (mouth). How do the first sounds compare?
At the Pharmacy in Chapinero
The pharmacist asks for your name to look up your prescription: "?Me puede deletrear su apellido, por favor?" (Can you spell your last name, please?) If your name is Smith, you say: ese - eme - i - te - hache. She types each letter. Notice you said "hache" for H -- even though H is silent in pronunciation, you still need its letter name when spelling.
In Colombia, you will spell your name at hotels, banks, pharmacies, and appointments. This is not abstract knowledge -- it is the first Spanish skill you will actually use.
Hotel Check-In at Hotel Casa Dann Carlton
The receptionist says: "Bienvenido. ?Su nombre, por favor?" You give your name but she needs to type it into the system: "?Me lo puede deletrear?" (Can you spell it for me?) Practice: if your name is Maria, you say: eme - a - ere - i - a. If it is Carlos: ce - a - ere - ele - o - ese.
Now test the system. Use the rules you have learned to sound out these Colombian words. Every letter makes its predictable sound.
How would you pronounce the word 'jueves' (Thursday)?
One spelling = one sound. This is your single greatest advantage. English has ~44 phonemes with chaotic spelling; Spanish has ~24 with consistent spelling.
H (silent), J (throat "h"), B/V (identical soft "b"), N ("ny"), LL ("y"). Everything else maps closely to English.
Z and C-before-e/i always = "s." No "th" sound to worry about.
This Week's Practice
Daily: Say the full Spanish alphabet aloud once each morning using the letter names (not English names).
Spelling drill: Spell 5 words from your daily life using Spanish letter names -- your name, your city, your street, your pet's name.
Reading test: Find a Spanish-language sign or menu online. Sound out every word using the rules from this lesson. Notice how the phonetic system lets you pronounce words you have never seen.
Listening: Listen to 5 minutes of Colombian Spanish (podcast, YouTube, music). Focus on hearing the silent H, the throaty J, and the Y-sounding LL.
| examen |
| Y | ye | "y" sound (like "yes") | yo |
| Z | zeta | "s" in Colombia (seseo) | zapato |
N is a separate letter in the Spanish alphabet, not an N with a decoration. It sounds like "ny" in "canyon." Ano = "AH-nyoh" (year). Espana = "ehs-PAH-nyah." It has its own place in the dictionary between N and O.
In Colombia, LL sounds like English "y." Calle = "KAH-yeh." Llave = "YAH-beh." This merger of LL and Y is called yeismo and is standard across most of the Spanish-speaking world.
You need the alphabet to spell your name at hotels, banks, and pharmacies from day one.