The Spanish Alphabet

Spanish uses 27 letters, including one that English does not have: ñ. The alphabet looks familiar, but the sounds are more consistent than English.

The 27 Letters

A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, LL, M, N, Ñ, O, P, Q, R, RR, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

The Most Important Part: The Vowels

Spanish vowels are the backbone of the language. They always sound the same — no exceptions.

Vowel	Sound	Example	Pronunciation
A	“ah”	casa	KAH-sah
E	“eh”	mesa	MEH-sah
I	“ee”	sí	see
O	“oh”	solo	SOH-loh
U	“oo”	uno	OO-noh

If you master these five sounds, your Spanish pronunciation will already be strong.

Historical Note: LL and CH in the Spanish Alphabet

For many years, the Spanish alphabet officially included two extra “letters” that English does not:

• CH
• LL

These were not considered combinations — they were treated as separate letters with their own place in dictionaries and alphabet charts.

Examples of how they were listed:

• A
• B
• C
• CH
• D
• E
• L
• LL
• M
• N
• Ñ

Why were they included?

Because each one represents a single, unique sound:

• CH → “ch” as in chocolate
• LL → “y” sound as in lluvia

What changed?

In 1994, the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) updated the alphabet and decided:

• CH and LL are no longer separate letters
• They are now considered digraphs (two letters = one sound)
• They still exist in spelling and pronunciation, but not as official alphabet entries

Key Pronunciation Rules

Spanish pronunciation is rule‑based. Once you learn the patterns, you can decode almost any word.

A. The Letter C

• Before a, o, u → sounds like k
  • casa (KAH‑sah)
  • cosa (KOH‑sah)
• Before e, i → sounds like s
  • cena (SEH‑nah)
  • cine (SEE‑neh)

B. The Letter G

• Before a, o, u → hard “g”
  • gato (GAH‑toh)
• Before e, i → sounds like a strong English “h”
  • gente (HEN‑teh)
  • girar (HEE‑rar)

C. The Letter H

• Always silent
  • hola → “ola”
  • huevo → “we‑vo”

D. The Letter J

• Always pronounced like a strong “h”
  • jamón (ha‑MON)
  • jugar (hoo‑GAR)

E. The Letter LL

• Usually pronounced like y
  • lluvia → “yoo‑vee‑ah”

Some regions pronounce it like “j” in “judge,” but the “y” sound is the most universal.

F. The Letter R and RR

Spanish has two “r” sounds:

Single R

• Soft, like a quick tap
  • pero (PEH‑ro)

Double R (RR)

• Rolled or trilled
  • perro (PEH‑rro)
  • carro (KAH‑rro)

At the beginning of a word, R is always rolled:

• ratón (rra‑TON)

Accent Marks (´) and Stress

Accent marks in Spanish are not decorative — they tell you exactly where to put the stress.

Why Stress Matters

Stress can change meaning:

• papa = potato
• papá = dad

General Stress Rules

If a word does not have an accent mark:

1. If it ends in vowel, n, or s → stress the second‑to‑last syllable
   • casa → CA‑sa
   • lunes → LU‑nes
2. If it ends in any other consonant → stress the last syllable
   • doctor → doc‑TOR
   • reloj → re‑LOJ

When an Accent Mark Appears

The accent mark tells you exactly where to stress:

• teléfono → te‑LÉ‑fo‑no
• inglés → in‑GLÉS
• rápido → RÁ‑pi‑do

Try these exercises to reinforce what you learned.

1. Pronounce these words out loud

• casa
• guitarra
• queso
• lluvia
• jamón
• perro

Focus on vowel clarity and the special consonant sounds.

2. Identify the stressed syllable

Mark the syllable you think is stressed:

• exámenes
• computadora
• reloj
• teléfono

3. Silent Letter Check

Which letter is silent in each word?

• huevo
• ahora
• hola

4. Sound Matching

Which word contains the “y” sound?

• lluvia
• gato
• mesa

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to greet people, introduce yourself, ask someone’s name, and use basic subject pronouns. These are the first real building blocks of conversation in Spanish.

By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to confidently start a simple conversation with anyone

Spanish greetings change depending on the time of day. These expressions are used constantly in everyday life.

Common Greetings

Spanish	Meaning	Notes
Hola	Hello	Used Anytime
Buenos días	Good morning	Until around noon
Buenas trades	Good afternoon	Noon to sunset
Buenas noches	Good evening / good night	After sunset

Polite Expressions

Spanish	Meaning
¿Cómo estás	How are you (informal)
¿Qué tal	How’s it going
Mucho gusto	Nice to meet you
Encantado/a	Delighted to meet you

Note:  Encantado is used by men; encantada is used by women.

Introducing Yourself

Introducing yourself is simple and formulaic in Spanish.

Key Phrases

Spanish	Meaning
¿Cómo te llamas	What’s your name
Me llamo……	My name is……
Yo soy……	I am……
Este es……/Esta es……	This is……(introducing someone else)

Examples

• Me llamo Ana. → My name is Ana.
• Yo soy Carlos. → I am Carlos.
• ¿Cómo te llamas → What’s your name

Subject Pronouns

These pronouns help you talk about yourself and others.

Pronoun	Meaning
yo	I
tú	You(informal)
él	he
ella	she

Examples in sentences

• Yo soy estudiante. → I am a student.
• Tú eres mi amigo. → You are my friend.
• Él es profesor. → He is a teacher.
• Ella es mi hermana. → She is my sister.

Cultural Note: Formal vs. Informal “You”

Spanish has two ways to say “you”:

• tú → informal (friends, peers, children)
• usted → formal (strangers, elders, professionals)

In this beginner lesson, we focus on tú, but students should know that usted exists and is used to show respect.

Practice Activities

Activity 1 — Translate

Translate the following into Spanish:

1. Good afternoon
2. My name is Luis
3. Nice to meet you
4. What is your name

Activity 2 — Fill in the Blank

1. Yo ___ Ana.
2. ¿Cómo ___ llamas
3. Él ___ mi amigo.
4. Mucho ___.

Activity 3 — Create a Dialogue

Write a short 4‑line conversation between two people meeting for the first time. Example structure:

• Greeting
• Asking name
• Giving name
• Saying “nice to meet you”

Activity 4 — Pronunciation Practice

Say these aloud:

• Hola
• Buenos días
• Me llamo…
• Mucho gusto

Focus on the vowel sounds and the silent h in hola.

Numbers, Days, and Months

Numbers 0–100 (Los Números)

0–10

Number	Spanish
0	cero
1	uno
2	dos
3	tres
4	cuatro
5	cinco
6	seis
7	siete
8	ocho
9	nuevo
10	diez

11-20

Number	Spanish
11	once
12	doce
13	trece
14	catorce
15	quince
16	dieciséis
17	diecisiete
18	diechiocho
19	diecinueve
20	veinte

Tens (20-100)

Number	Spanish
20	veinte
30	treinta
40	cuarenta
50	cincuenta
60	sesenta
70	setenta
80	ochenta
90	noventa
100	cien

Forming numbers 21–99

Spanish uses a simple pattern:

• 21–29 → written as one word
  • 21 = veintiuno
  • 22 = veintidós
  • 23 = veintitrés
• 30–99 → “tens + y + ones”
  • 31 = treinta y uno
  • 42 = cuarenta y dos
  • 57 = cincuenta y siete

Spanish uses tener (to have) for age.

Key Phrases

• ¿Cuántos años tienes → How old are you
• Tengo ___ años. → I am ___ years old.

Example: Tengo 14 años. → I am 14 years old.

Important notes

• Days are NOT capitalized in Spanish.
• The week starts on Monday, not Sunday.

Spanish	English
lunes	Monday
martes	Tuesday
miércoles	Wednesday
jueves	Thursday
viernes	Friday
sábado	Saturday
domingo	Sunday

Note: Months are not capitalized in Spanish.

Note: Months are not capitalized in Spanish

Spanish	English
enero	January
febrero	February
marzo	March
abril	April
mayo	May
junio	June
julio	July
agosto	August
septiembre	September
octubre	October
noviembre	November
diciembre	December

Formula:

el + number + de + month

Examples:

el 5 de mayo = May 5th

el 20 de octubre = October 20th

el 1 de enero = January 1st

To say the year:

2024 = dos mil veinticuatro

Cultural Note: Calendar Differences

Spanish calendars start on Monday, not Sunday.

Dates are written 5/10/2024 = 5 October 2024 (not May 10)

Birthdays are celebrated with “Feliz cumpleaños“

Activity 1 — Translate the Numbers

Translate into Spanish:

1. 14
2. 27
3. 35
4. 99

Activity 2 — Ask & Answer Age

Write:

1. How do you ask someone’s age
2. How do you say “I am 12 years old”

Activity 3 — Days of the Week

Write the Spanish word for:

1. Wednesday
2. Saturday
3. Monday

Activity 4 — Write the Date

Write these dates in Spanish:

1. April 3
2. December 20
3. January 1

Articles and Gender

Every noun in Spanish is either masculine or feminine. This is grammatical gender — it does not always relate to biological gender.

General Patterns

• Masculine nouns usually end in -o
  • el libro (the book)
  • el chico (the boy)
• Feminine nouns usually end in -a
  • la mesa (the table)
  • la chica (the girl)

Other common endings

• Masculine: -ma, -pa, -ta (Greek origin)
  • el problema
  • el mapa
  • el planeta
• Feminine: -ción, -sión, -dad, -tad
  • la canción
  • la televisión
  • la ciudad
  • la libertad

Important Note

Gender is a property of the noun, not the person using it.

Define Articles (The)

Spanish has 4 ways to say “the”

Article	Gender	Number	Example
el	masculine	singular	el perro
la	feminine	singular	la casa
los	masculine	plural	los perros
las	feminine	plural	las casas

Key Rule:

Articles must match the noun in gender and number.

Indefinite Articles (A, An, Some)

Spanish has 4 indefinite articles:

Article	Meaning	Example
un	a / an (masculine)	un libro
una	a / an (feminine)	una silla
unos	some (masculine)	unos amigos
unas	some (feminine)	unas amigas

Pluralization Rules

1. Ends in a vowel → add -s

• casa → casas
• libro → libros

2. Ends in a consonant → add -es

• papel → papeles
• color → colores

3. Ends in -z → change z to c + -es

• lápiz → lápices
• luz → luces

Common Exceptions

Some nouns break the usual patterns:

• el día (masculine, ends in -a)
• la mano (feminine, ends in -o)
• el agua (feminine noun, but uses el to avoid double “a” sound)
  • plural: las aguas

These exceptions must be memorized.

Spanish has two verbs that both mean “to be”: ser and estar. They are not interchangeable. Choosing the right one is essential for describing people, places, things, and situations accurately.

Conjugation of Ser and Estar

Ser — to be (permanent / defining)

Pronoun	Conjugation
yo	soy
tú	eres
él / ella	es
nosotros	somos
ellos / ellas	son

Pronoun	Conjugation
yo	estoy
tú	estás
él / ella	está
nosotros	estamos
ellos / ellas	están

When to Use Ser

Use ser for things that are:

1. Permanent characteristics

• Ella es alta.
• Él es simpático.

2. Identity

• Yo soy estudiante.
• Ella es mi amiga.

3. Origin / nationality

• Yo soy de México.
• Ellos son colombianos.

4. Time and dates

• Hoy es lunes.
• Son las tres.

5. Profession

• Mi padre es profesor.
• Ella es doctora.

When to Use Estar

Use estar for things that are:

1. Location

• Yo estoy en casa.
• El libro está en la mesa.

2. Temporary states

• Ella está cansada.
• Nosotros estamos ocupados.

3. Emotions

• Yo estoy feliz.
• Ellos están tristes.

4. Present progressive (‑ing)

• Estoy estudiando.
• Ella está comiendo.

The Easy Memory Trick: DOCTOR vs. PLACE

SER = DOCTOR

• Description
• Occupation
• Characteristics
• Time
• Origin
• Relationship

ESTAR = PLACE

• Position
• Location
• Action (‑ing)
• Condition
• Emotion

Cultural Note: Emotional Honesty in Spanish

Spanish speakers use estar for emotions because feelings are seen as changeable, not fixed traits. Example:

• “Estoy triste” = I feel sad right now
• “Soy triste” = I am a sad person (a defining trait)

Activity 1 — Choose Ser or Estar

Fill in the blank:

1. Yo ___ de Texas.
2. Ella ___ feliz hoy.
3. Nosotros ___ en la escuela.
4. Él ___ alto.

Activity 2 — Translate

Translate into Spanish:

1. She is my friend.
2. We are tired.
3. I am at home.

Activity 3 — Correct the Mistake

Fix the incorrect verb:

1. Yo soy en la clase.
2. Ella es triste hoy.
3. Ellos están de México.

Activity 4 — Write Your Own

Write 3 sentences using ser and 3 using estar.

Regular verbs follow predictable patterns. Once students learn ‑AR, ‑ER, and ‑IR endings, they can conjugate hundreds of verbs instantly.

This lesson gives them the full system, patterns, examples, and practice.

Subject Pronouns

English	Spanish
I	yo
You (informal)	tú
he / she	él / ella
we	nosotros
they	ellos / ellas

An infinitive is the base form of a verb – the “to ___” form.

Examples:

hablar = to speak

comer = to eat

vivir = to live

Spanish infinitives always end in -ar, -er, or -ir.

Remove -ar and add these endings

Pronoun	Ending	Example: hablar
yo	-o	hablo
tú	-as	hablas
él / ella	-a	habla
nosotros	-amos	hablamos
ellos / ellas	-an	hablan

Other common -AR verbs:

estudiar = (to study)

trabajar = (to work)

caminar = (to walk)

Remove -er and add:

Pronoun	Ending	Example: comer
yo	-o	como
tú	-es	comes
él / ella	-e	come
nosotros	-emos	comemos
ellos / ellas	-en	comen

Other common -ER verbs:

aprender (to learn

beber (to drink)

leer (to read)

Remove -ir and add:

Pronoun	Ending	Example: vivir
yo	-o	vivo
tú	-es	vives
él / ella	-e	vive
nosotros	-imos	vivimos
ellos / ellas	-en	viven

Other common -IR verbs

escribir (to write)

abrir (to open)

recibir (to receive)

-AR = a-family endings (as, a, amos, an)

-ER = e-family endings (es, e, emos, en)

-IR = same as -ER except nosotros = -imos

Spanish sentences follow this pattern:

subject + conjugated verb + rest of sentence

Examples:

• Yo estudio español.
• Ella come pizza.
• Nosotros vivimos en Texas.

Spanish often drops the subject pronoun because the verb ending already tells who is speaking.

• Hablo español = I speak Spanish
• Comemos tacos = We eat tacos

Practice Activities

Activity 1 — Conjugate the Verb

Conjugate estudiar:

1. yo ______
2. tú ______
3. él ______
4. nosotros ______
5. ellos ______

Activity 2 — Fill in the Blank

Choose the correct form:

1. Ella ______ (comer) arroz.
2. Nosotros ______ (vivir) en Houston.
3. Yo ______ (hablar) inglés.

Activity 3 — Translate

Translate into Spanish:

1. We eat tacos.
2. I live in a big house.
3. They study every day.

Activity 4 — Write Your Own

Write 3 sentences using ‑ar, ‑er, and ‑ir verbs.

Congratulations! You have finished your crash course in Spanish on Spanish Learning Hub!