Page 497 - diccionario

SPANISH GRAMMAR / GRAMÁTICA ESPAÑOLA
495
CONSONANTS
Some Spanish consonants are the same as their English counterparts. Pronunciation of other consonants varies according to which vowel follows, and also
according to what part of Spain you are in. The Spanish alphabet also contains three consonants which are not found in the English alphabet: ch, ll and ñ.
b generally a much softer ´b´ than the English one: somewhere between an English ´b´ and ´v´ -try saying this with your lips slightly closed, (the
English ´b´ is pronounced with closed lips). When initial, or preceded by a nasal sound, the sound is as the ´b´ in ´book´.
c a hard ´c´ as in ´cat´ when followed by ´a´, ´o´, ´u´ or a consonant-, as the ´th´ in ´thi´ before ´e´ or´i´(resulting in a lisping sound)
ch as the ´ch´ in ´choose´. ch represents [c], which is similar to English /c/ (church, cheek, reach). Examples: chato, chaleco, mucho
d in a initial position, as the ´d´ in ´dog´; elsewhere as the ´th´ in ´then´
g in a initial position, as the ´g´ in ´gate´ before ´a´, ´o´ and ´u´; everywhere else, the Spanish ´g´ is much softer than the English one. Before ´e´
or´i´ it is a harsh, breathy sound, similar to the ´h´ in ´hit´
h silent, never pronounced
j a has, guttural sound similar to the ´ch´ in the Scottish loch or German ich.
ll between the ´ly´ sound in ´million´ and the ´y´in ´yes´. It represents (a palatal lateral) in northern Spain and in Bolivia, Paraguay, and most of Peru,
as well as in the Bogotá area of Colombia. This sound is similar to that heard in English million. In other parts of the Spanish-speaking world, ll
represents [y]. Examples: calle, llano, olla.
ñ this is a nasal sound like the ´ny´ sound in ´onion´ or ´canyon´. represents [ñ] among all speakers of Spanish. It is similar to the sound heard in
English canyon, but is more one articulation than the English. Examples: cañón, año, ñato.
q as the ´k´in ´kick´; as in English the ´q´ is always followed by a silent ´u´. It is only combined with ´e´as in ´que´ and ´I´ as in ´qui´
r a rolled ´r´ sound; a longer and stronger sound when it is a double ´rr´ or when a word begins with ´r´
s as the ´s´ in ´send´
v the same sound as the Spanish ´b´
x as the ´x´ in ´taxi´ when between two vowels; as the ´s´ in ´say´ when the ´x´ precedes a consonant
z as the ´th´ in ´thin´
Other consonants that exist both in English and Spanish are:
p It represents [p], which never has the aspiration of English /p/ (pill, papa), but is like that of spot. Examples: padre, capa, apuro, punto.
b It and v represent /b/, which has two variants, according to position in the phrase: [b], [b]. These do not depend on spelling, which goes back
centuries. Either letter represents [b] at the beginning of a breath group or when preceded by [m] (spelled either m or n), and is much like
English /b/. Examples: bomba, burro, en vez de, vine, invierno. In spite of spelling, the last three examples are [embézde], [bíne], [imbjérno].
Either letter represents [b] in all other situations. English has no equivalent. It is a /b/ with the lips slightly open. Examples: haba, uva, Cuba, la
vaca. Generally in intervocalic position.
m It represents [m], which is essentially the same as English /m/ (much). Examples: madre, mano, cama. [m] does not occur syllable final in
Spanish. Álbum is pronounced [álbun], in non educated language.
f It represents [f], which is similar to the /f/ of English. In some areas and among certain strata of Hispanic society the articulation is bilabial
rather than labiodental.
t It represents [t], which never has the aspiration of English /t/ in prevocalic stressed position (tea, two, ten). It is more similar to the English /t/
of the cluster [st] (stop, step). Examples in Spanish: tela, tino, tinta. The point of articulation is dental.
d It represents /d/, which has three variants according to position in the phrase: [d], [d]. At the beginning of the breath group or after /n/ and /l/,
d represents [d], which is similar to the English /d/ of dame, did, darn. Examples: donde, falda, conde. In all other situations the letter
represents [d]. There is a tendency in modern Spanish to move from the fricative [d] ( to zero articulation ). Examples: hado, cuerda, es de, dos
dados, cuadro, padre, abad, usted, Madrid. In intervocalic position. The last two words are usually pronounced (though it is not the educated
way to pronunce it) without final consonant, and the consonant tends to be very weak in the ending /-ado/: hablado, estado, mercado.
s In Spain, except the southwest, this letter represents [S], an apicoalveolar sibilant, similar to the /s/ of southern Scotland and that of older
speakers of the Midland dialect of the United States. Examples: solo, casa, es. Before a voiced consonant within the phrase it usually
represents [Z]. Examples: desde, mismo, es verde, los labios, las manos. In southwestern Spain and in all of Spanish America except a small
area of Colombia, this letter represents [s], a dental sibilant of high resonance similar to the usual “feminine” sibilant of much of the United
States. In some areas it is actually lisped. Before a voiced consonant within the phrase it usually represents [z], a voiced sibilant similar to the
/z/ of English razor, ooze, Examples: desde, mismo, es verde, los labios, las manos. In the Caribbean and in coastal Spanish generally, there is a
strong tendency to aspirate the /s/ syllable final, and the above voicing does not occur.