Like any language, Spanish has its fair share of extremely difficult words to pronounce. Some are long with many repeated syllables, others are short but contain sounds that your mouth has never had to produce to say any English word. Yet other hard Spanish words are difficult simply because their spelling would be pronounced very differently in English!
These words will have anything but a seasoned pro struggling; but if you can master the pronunciation of the entire list, you’re well on your way to being a fluent speaker.
50 most difficult Spanish words to pronounce
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Aburrido | Bored |
| Aguacate | Avocado |
| Ahorrar | Save Money |
| Alrededor | Around |
| Anaranjado | Orange |
| Apoderarse | Take over, take control of |
| Aprovecharse | Take advantage of |
| Balbucear | Babble |
| Carrera | Career |
| Carro | Car |
| Ciudad | City |
| Corredora | Broker |
| Desarrollando | Developing |
| Desempeñar | Play |
| Desmesuradamente | Disproportionately |
| Desordenada | Messy |
| Desoxirribonucleótido | Deoxyribonucleotide |
| Dispuesto | Available |
| Distribuidores | Distributors |
| Equivocarse | Make a mistake |
| Esbirro | Henchman |
| Espantapájaros | Scarecrow |
| Establecer | Establish |
| Estadounidense | American |
| Ferretería | Hardware store |
| Ferrocarril | Railroad |
| Idiosincrasia | Idiosyncrasy |
| Irresponsable | Irresponsible |
| Irrumpir | Burst |
| Jamonero | Ham |
| Juguetón | Playful |
| Ojalá | I hope so! |
| Ornitorrinco | Platypus |
| Otorrinolaringólogo | Otolaryngologist |
| Paraguas | Umbrella |
| Parangaricutirimicuaro | Village in Michoacán |
| Perro | Dog |
| Pertenecer | Belong |
| Pingüino | Penguin |
| Prendiendo | Lighting |
| Propósito | Purpose |
| Prórroga | Extension |
| Ronronear | Purr |
| Semejante | Similar |
| Sonrojado | Blushing |
| Trastorno | Disorder |
| Triángulo | Triangle |
| Verdadero | Correct |
| Vergüenza | Shame |
| Zurcir | Darn |
Most difficult Spanish words
What is truly the most difficult Spanish word to pronounce is very subjective, but these tongue-twisting vocab words will certainly warm up your mouth and vocal cords. They’re great practice for your pronunciation and accent!
When you listen to Spanish speakers (whether in real life, on TV or an audiobook) or on the radio or a podcast), pay close attention to how the pronounce the vowels in a word. One of the beautiful things about Spanish is the consistency of pronunciation. Once you know how a vowel is said, you can pronounce any other Spanish word that includes that vowel. It will always be identical.
That way, once you master simpler words in Spanish, you can extrapolate those pronunciation rules to deduce how even these more complex Spanish words are said. You will be pronouncing the most difficult Spanish words without breaking a sweat in no time at all. Best of all, you’ll be impressing your friends and native speakers in the process. No Spanish word will be too hard for you to pronounce!
Spanish pronunciation tips for hard words
Pro tip: if you find that one of the words on this list is particularly challenging for you, record yourself trying to pronounce it. When you hear your voice later on, it will be easier to determine where exactly you are getting tripped up. Then, you will be able to focus your effort on improving your pronunciation where it matters most. This is a great way to maximize the impact of your practice time. Most Spanish learners don’t get an opportunity to analyze their own voice – but it’s a powerful tool for mastering these difficult words.
As a bonus, try to string some of these hard Spanish words together and you will have one of the hardest sentences to pronounce in Spanish. This list is also a great place to look if you want to find the hardest word for hangman in the Spanish dictionary! For more tips and daily vocab, subscribe for our free Word-A-Day email.
Once you master these words, you will find it easy to pronounce any other Spanish word that you come across!
Challenging Spanish vocab
Remember, these are some of the most complicated words to pronounce in Spanish. Many of the sounds that are included in this list may not even be present in your native language, so don’t get frustrated. Not only does your mouth not have any experience making that sound, but it’s also a new skill for your brain to wrap itself around as well.
What is the hardest word to say in Spanish?
In our opinion, of this entire list of difficult Spanish words, the hardest word to say is “Espantapájaros”. This is because or the multiple repeated consonants with different accentuation. It’s a real tongue-twister!
Remember to take it slow at first – it doesn’t matter if you sound silly – you don’t need to speak as fast as a native Spanish speaker would, you only need to master the individual sounds. Once you have done so, you can begin to string the syllables together, and eventually work them into actual Spanish sentences. For more practice, you may also want to graduate to these challenging Spanish tongue twisters. You’re well on your way to masterful Spanish pronunciation!
It is important to not get frustrated when learning difficult words in Spanish because frustration can lead to a negative mindset and hinder learning. This can lead to a lack of motivation and a lack of progress in learning the language. It is important to approach learning with a positive attitude and to be patient and persistent in order to effectively learn and retain new vocabulary.
If you want to learn Spanish fast, check out these 25 FREE Spanish audiobooks.
You may also like to read:
What does te amo mucho mean in Spanish?
How to say the color orange in Spanish.
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50 most difficult Spanish words to pronounce
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These hard Spanish words will have anything but a seasoned pro struggling. If you can master the pronunciation of the entire list, you’re well on your way to being a fluent speaker.
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Language-Pro
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Last updated:
December 3, 2022
There are two big milestones in foreign language pronunciation: the first one is being effortlessly understood, and the second is sounding like a native speaker when you speak Spanish.
In this article, I’m going to focus on that first milestone and on correcting those words and aspects of Spanish pronunciation that English speakers struggle with the most.
I’ll point you to the 10 most difficult Spanish words to pronounce, each with a tip to master them and other words like them.
Contents
- The Biggest English-speaker Difficulties in Spanish
- How to Handle Spanish Pronunciation Difficulties
-
- Exaggerate Sounds
- Don’t Rely on English Vowel Sounds
- Listen and Mimic
- Try Some Popular Tongue twisters
- Join Some Words
- Be Comfortable with Speaking in a Very Different Way
- How to Handle the Top 10 Hardest Words to Pronounce in Spanish
-
- 1. Impermeabilizante (Waterproof)
- 2. Ferrocarril (Railroad)
- 3. Desarrolladores (Developers)
- 4. Difícil, Fácil (Difficult, Easy)
- 5. Actualmente, Desafortunadamente, Probablemente (Currently, Unfortunately, Probably)
- 6. Verde, Tarde (Green, Afternoon)
- 7. Estadística (Statistics)
- 8. Huevos revueltos (Scrambled eggs)
- 9. Idea (Idea)
- 10. Aeropuerto (Airport)
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The Biggest English-speaker Difficulties in Spanish
There was an interesting Reddit discussion where someone asked what English speakers sound like to native Spanish speakers.
Commenters stressed things like the pronunciation of “b” (covered below), using English intonation (for example, that rising tone at the end of sentences to ask a question) and without a doubt, mispronunciation of “e” (pronouncing the name José as “hoe-ZAY” instead of “ho-SEH”).
The funniest clue that someone is an English speaker is that they’ll pronounce perro (dog) like pedo (fart).
The Spanish “r” is definitely at the top of the list of uphill battles for English speakers—both the rolled version and the single R—and it can be make or break being understood. Especially for telling the difference between words like caro (expensive) and carro (car)!
Vowels in Spanish are another one on the list. They’re choppy and short and all the same length, except when one vowel follows another. English speakers tend to vary the length of vowels, and they’ll often distort the sounds, as with the pronunciation of “e,” above.
When it comes to the letters “b” and “v,” English speakers struggle to let go of the “v” sound they’re used to, rather than pronounce the letter exactly like a “b.”
There are also a few sounds in Spanish that English speakers pronounce too harshly. These include the Spanish “d” and “t,” which are softer, with almost no air blown out. When pronouncing the “t” in Spanish, the tip of your tongue should just touch the back of your teeth.
How to Handle Spanish Pronunciation Difficulties
Exaggerate Sounds
In Spanish, almost all consonants, vowels and syllables are fully pronounced, with vigor, dedication and an open mouth. English speakers muffle a lot of the sounds in words and we join words together and close our mouths more.
So if it feels like you’re exaggerating in Spanish, that’s what you should do, and make it a habit.
Don’t Rely on English Vowel Sounds
While in English most vowels in everyday speech are pronounced as a schwa—a short “uh” sound—that isn’t the case in Spanish.
Making this switch, and pronouncing each vowel properly, makes all the difference.
Here are some more tips for nailing Spanish vowels:
- The “a” in Spanish is always pronounced like the “a” in “hat” (but shorter) or “haha” (but more open)
- The “e” is always pronounced “eh,” as in “bed” (but shorter).
- The “i” is always pronounced like the “ee” in “see.”
- The “o” is pronounced like the “o” in “more,” but shorter.
- The “u” is pronounced like the “oe” in “shoe”
In all cases, a wide open mouth is important to making these vowels sound natural.
Listen and Mimic
Really paying attention to how native speakers talk, and then trying to mimic that, will help with your overall pronunciation.
You can listen to how native speakers talk and mimic them with a program like Spanishpod101. Here, you’ll find video and audio content with transcripts, vocabulary lessons and grammar notes. The transcripts make it easy to follow along and repeat after the speakers.
You can also listen to native speakers with a program like FluentU, which uses authentic Spanish videos with interactive captions to immerse you in the language. The subtitles are vetted by language experts, ensuring their accuracy, and there are accompanying transcripts for each video. You can also get some speaking practice through personalized quizzes, which include questions to which you can speak your answer.
One scary but useful trick you can try is to record yourself (you’ll hear your flaws much more clearly that way) and then compare that to recordings made by native Spanish speakers. You’ll hear the discrepancies quite clearly and can practice listening and repeating those trouble areas.
Try Some Popular Tongue twisters
And if you really want to exercise your mouth and tongue, you can try out these popular Spanish tongue twisters for size:
Cuando cuentes cuentos, cuenta cuantos cuentos cuentas, porque si no cuentas cuantos cuentos cuentas nunca sabrás cuantos cuentos contaste. (When you tell stories, count how many stories you tell, because if you don’t count how many stories you tell, you’ll never know how many stories you told.)
Tres tigres tragaban trigo en un trigal, en tres tristes trastos, tragaban trigo tres tristes tigres. (Three tigers swallowed wheat in a wheat field, in three sad containers, three sad tigers swallowed wheat.)
Pepe peina pocos pelos pero peina peluqueros, peina Pepe peluqueros con el peine de los pelos. (Pepe combs few hairs, but he combs hairdressers, Pepe combs hairdressers with the hair comb.)
Join Some Words
In Spanish, we join words that start and end with the same letter.
For example, Qué es eso (What is that) is often pronounced “quee-so” (yes, like the word for cheese, but with a longer “e” sound) and Voy a hacer (I’m going to do…) is pronounced “boi a-ser.”
Be Comfortable with Speaking in a Very Different Way
When you switch from, say, Windows to Linux, or from eating dinner to eating desert, you don’t expect the same feelings and experiences to translate to that new thing.
To the extent that you can, you need to completely switch off English and your preconceived notions about how things should be said, and log yourself into a different system.
How to Handle the Top 10 Hardest Words to Pronounce in Spanish
Listed below are some of the hardest words to pronounce in Spanish. I’ve focused on more common words that people need to use. Master these and the rest is easy!
1. Impermeabilizante (Waterproof)
In rainy Latin American countries, you’ll use this word often. It can pour a lot in the rainy seasons. And to be honest, I’ve even seen a few Spanish speakers struggle with it.
The number of syllables and the vowel diphthong in the middle make it a hard one.
TIP: Break this down into separate syllables and say it slowly until you’re comfortable. There’s no rush!
“Im-peR-mi-a-bil-i-SAN-teh”
2. Ferrocarril (Railroad)
Two double “r’s” here in one word!
TIP: The “r” in Spanish is rolled both at the start of any word, and when they’re doubled, while a standalone “r” is also pronounced differently from English.
For many English speakers, these sounds are very hard, but they’re possible. When making any “r” sound in Spanish, the tip of your tongue should lightly touch the top of your mouth. Alternatively, to find the right position, say “t” in English. That’s where your tongue goes.
To roll the “r” then, the issue is getting your tongue, in that position, to vibrate. Breathe out of your mouth and let your tongue vibrate up and down. You can do it!
3. Desarrolladores (Developers)
This word is great fun. You have the double-whammy of “rr,” as well as “ll,” with lots of syllables to boot.
TIP: Correct pronunciation of “ll” depends on the country. But for much of Latin America, it’s the same as an English “y,” but a bit harder.
In Spain and in Argentina, “ll” is pronounced like the “j” in jump, and in Venezuela and Colombia, it’s pronounced somewhere between an English “y” and “j.”
4. Difícil, Fácil (Difficult, Easy)
The accents aren’t where you’d expect with these words, and many English speakers pronounce them “DI-fi-cil” and “fa-CIL,” instead of their correct pronunciations: “di-FI-cil” and “FA-cil.”
TIP: Note where the accents are and stress that syllable. Say the word ten times until your tongue can’t conceive of pronouncing it any other way.
5. Actualmente, Desafortunadamente, Probablemente (Currently, Unfortunately, Probably)
The temptation here would be to say the similar sounding English word, then add a “men-TAY” to the end.
TIP: Remember to pronounce the final “e” as “eh,” not “ay,” then break these words down into syllables and give each the same weight.
Turn your English off and say “des-a-for-tu-na-da-MEN-te” slowly at first, then accelerate to normal speaking speed.
6. Verde, Tarde (Green, Afternoon)
The “r-d” combination in Spanish is a really difficult move for the tongue—almost like quick tongue acrobatics.
TIP: Put your effort into the first syllable and that difficult “r,” then let the “d” be softer, and the “de” half of the word like an afterthought.
7. Estadística (Statistics)
People often get tongue-tied with this word, perhaps because it’s similar to English but with an extra syllable at the start. The number of “t’s” and “d’s” can also add to your troubles.
TIP: Note the stressed syllable in the middle and don’t stress yourself about the difference between “t” and “d” in this word. Pronounce that first syllable well, so that your mouth is aware you’re going into a Spanish word rather than English.
8. Huevos revueltos (Scrambled eggs)
The obstacle here would be that “v” is pronounced as a soft “b,” plus the double set of diphthongs (“ue”).
TIP: There’s no compromising. The “v” in Spanish is always pronounced as “b,” and in the middle of a word it’s a gentler version of a “b” with the lips barely touching.
To pronounce the diphthong, just say both vowel sounds, then blur them together. So “oo-eh” becomes “weh.”
9. Idea (Idea)
This is another one of those trick words that you’ll be tempted to pronounce just like you would in English. Resist this urge!
TIP: Practice pronouncing this: “ee-DEH-ah,” until it becomes natural to you!
10. Aeropuerto (Airport)
What a lot of vowels and diphthongs to boot, followed by those meddlesome “r’s!”
TIP: For the first diphthongs, just like the “ue” explained above, pronounce the two vowels until they merge together. So, “ah-eh” becomes “ay.”
Next, practice that “ue” followed by the “r.” Once you’ve mastered these two parts, you can build on the rest.
For even more troubling and tricky Spanish words, see here.
Mastering pronunciation can be a tough journey, though rewarding, and the bonus is that the better your pronunciation, the more you’ll understand as well—even in the worst situations, like over a crackly phone line!
Download:
This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you
can take anywhere.
Click here to get a copy. (Download)
Learning languages can be a struggle at times and Spanish is no exception. Whether you have trouble with pronunciation or just with remembering how to conjugate some common words, you’re not alone!
The Spanish language contains a lot of sounds and vocabulary that can prove to challenge for an English speaker, but with enough practice, you’ll be able to master them in no time.
But not all hope is lost. Here is a list of some of the most difficult Spanish words, so you can get ahead of the game and start practicing now.
The most difficult words to pronounce
1. Desafortunadamente
This is one of the first Spanish words you’ll learn when you first start out. The problem is that it has eight syllables, de-sa-for-tu-na-da-men-te.
But fear not: each syllable is fairly easy for Spanish learners, it’s just a long word that you have to practice pronouncing. For hard words like this, a good technique is to go backward progressively.
For example, first, say “te”. Then say, “men-te”, then “da-men-te”, etc. It’s a pretty effective way of training your mouth to get used to difficult Spanish words.
2. Aburrido
The dreaded double r. One of the most notoriously difficult sounds in the Spanish language for a native English speaker.
To make it worse, the “U” and the “O” can also be difficult for many English speakers since they make different sounds in Spanish. Plus, the letters “B” and “D” can be tricky to pronounce if you don’t know the rules.
But don’t worry, the rolled R can be perfected after training your tongue a bit. We can go over that later.
The “U” and the “O” sounds can be mastered in the same way. Just remember that Spanish vowels are much shorter than in English. Your cheek muscles should also be tighter when you say the vowels, so make sure you keep your mouth tense.
Finally, for the “B” and the “D”, here’s a good tip that many native Spanish speakers don’t realize: they are pronounced differently when they sit between two vowels. This kind of sound is called an “approximate” because your mouth should be approximately close, but not completely.
Practice making a normal “B” sound, but don’t let your lips touch and you’ll have the /β̞/ sound. And for the letter D, make the “TH” sound from the word “that”, /ð̞/.
This might sound like a lot to learn at once, but this word is great for Spanish students. Once you’ve mastered this word, you’re basically a pro at Spanish pronunciation.
3. Cuatro
For such a basic Spanish word, this is one of the most difficult Spanish words to pronounce. The “tr” sound is definitely tricky for English speakers.
Remember not to pronounce the last syllable like you would in English. For the “R”, you have to make your tongue quickly tap the roof of your mouth.
The Spanish single r is actually the same sound that Americans make for the letter “T” or “D” sometimes. Think about what your tongue does when saying the word “water” quickly.
Once you get that sound, add the “T” sound first. Practice saying these two sounds consecutively until you’re able to pronounce them all together.
DID YOU KNOW…?
Spanish pronunciation is one of the most difficult parts of the language for an English speaker. In our Online Spanish Conversation Group Classes, you’ll be able to practice your pronunciation in a relaxed environment, so you don’t get frustrated. ¡La práctica hace el maestro!
4. General
This word is often pronounced incorrectly when English natives speak Spanish.
In Spanish, the letter G is pronounced like an English “H” /h/ when it’s followed by the letter E or I. So the first syllable should be said the same way as “hen” in English (At least in Latin America, but in Spain it makes a stronger sound).
Desafortunadamente, sometimes the most difficult Spanish words to pronounce are the ones that look too easy.
5. Murciélago
This is one of the best words to learn Spanish vowels. It’s one of the only Spanish words with every vowel, so make sure you write this one down if you need to practice these sounds.
Murciélago isn’t something native speakers will hear every day, but for Spanish learners, it’s a great word to practice your vowel pronunciation.
Tricky Spanish words to remember
1. Sensato vs Sensible
Just like in life, when you are learning a language, you have to beware of false friends.
Sensato does not mean sensitive, it means sensible. Un chico muy sensato is a smart kid.
But sensible doesn’t mean sensible, it means sensitive. Un chico muy sensible is a very sensitive kid.
So they might not be the most difficult Spanish words to pronounce, but you definitely need to keep an eye out for pairs like this when you’re speaking Spanish.
2. Quitar vs Remover
This is another famous pair of words that causes trouble for many Spanish learners.
Quitar does not mean to quit, it means to remove / take off / get rid of.
- Usa jabón para quitar esa mancha. – Use soap to remove / get rid of that stain.
As you might expect, remover does not mean remove. It means to stir.
- Sigue removiendo para que no se queme. – Keep stirring so it doesn’t burn.
This pair tends to be some of the most difficult Spanish words for learners to remember, so the best thing to do is to practice using it in context.
3. Agujeros vs Agujetas
Since these two words can sound so similar to many foreigners, plus the fact that it can be relatively difficult Spanish words to pronounce, they definitely make it onto this list.
Agujeros means holes, as in little holes in the ground or in your shirt.
- Esta camiseta es muy vieja ya, mira cuántos agujeros… – This shirt is old by now, look how many holes it has…
The Spanish word “agujetas” refers to muscle aches, like when your body is sore from a workout.
- No quiero subir las escaleras, aun tengo agujetas del gimnasio. – I don’t want to go up the stairs, I’m still sore from the gy1
And remember: the letter J in Spanish isn’t pronounced like an English J, it’s the same sound that we talked about in general (the English H sound /h/ ).
4. Papá vs Papa
These two are some hard Spanish words to master because the only difference is the stressed syllable, so learners often get confused.
Papá, with emphasis on the second syllable noted by the accent mark, means “dad”, so that isn’t too difficult.
Papa, with the stress on the first syllable can mean different things. When it is capitalized, Papa means “pope”, but if it isn’t capitalized, it can mean “potato” in Latin America or “potato chips” in Spain.
You can see that at a first glance, these Spanish words aren’t very difficult to pronounce, but sometimes it gets confusing remembering the difference when you’re trying to speak fluently, so practice makes perfect.
5. Mayor vs Mejor
This is another one of the typical mistakes English natives make when learning Spanish. It’s common to mix the two up and some learners might think they’re the same word.
Mayor can mean “older” or “bigger”.
- Mi hermano mayor es médico. – My older brother is a doctor.
- El Burj Khalifa es mayor que la torre Eiffel. – The Burj Khalifa is bigger than the Eiffel Tower.
Mejor, on the other hand, only means “better”.
- Cada vez hablo mejor el español. – My Spanish keeps getting better (not literal)
- ¿Cómo te encuentras? Mejor, gracias. – How are you feeling? Better, thanks.
Hard Spanish words to conjugate
1. Caber
Most likely the most difficult word in the language to conjugate. This verb is irregular in almost every tense.
In el presente indicativo: Yo quepo, pero tú cabes.
In el pretérito: Yo cupe y él cupo
In el futuro: Yo cabré
On the bright side, the pronunciation isn’t too difficult!
2. Traer
Just like caber, most learners will find themselves checking out the Spanish dictionary pretty often when they need to conjugate this verb.
Luckily, if you remember the yo form of the present simple (traigo) and all the forms in the preterite (traj-), the rest of the conjugations follow a pattern.
3. Saber
The word Saber has the same problem that traer has. The yo form of the present simple, the present subjunctive, and everything in the preterite is difficult, so the earlier you memorize this word, the better!
- Yo sé que tú sabías que yo supe que él no quería que yo supiera conjugar el verbo saber, aunque no creo que él lo sepa. – I know that you knew that I found out that he didn’t want me to know how to conjugate the verb to know, but I don’t think that he knows that.
4. Hacer
Desafortunadamente, a lot of the most common words also tend to be the most difficult words to conjugate. In fact, Hacer en pretérito imperfecto is the only tense that is regular for this verb, so it’s definitely one of the hardest Spanish words to memorize.
If you’re not a big fan of memorizing charts, a good idea is to challenge yourself to use one tense a day when you’re practicing, this way you can master it in context.
5. Haber
This might be the hardest word to conjugate, both for natives and for English speakers.
For English speakers, the difficult part is that many of the Haber conjugations (when using it as part of a compound verb) are irregular.
- ¿Qué has hecho? – What have you done?
- No creía que ya lo hubieras hecho. – I didn’t believe that you had already done it
Then, for people with Spanish as their native language, the problem comes from the fact that the impersonal use doesn’t change with singular/plural nouns, even though every other verb does.
For example, many native speakers say “habían muchos coches” instead of the technically correct “había muchos coches”.
And to top it off, many native speakers will use “haiga” instead of “haya” as the subjunctive form. That’s a topic for another day, but the reality is that you’ll definitely come across this usage, so it’s helpful to keep in mind.
Use what you learned!
Just like in every language, Spanish is full of words that are difficult to learn. Whether it’s hard to pronounce or just confusing to remember how to use it, the only way you’ll master it is by practicing.
If you’re ready to put your skills to the test, go ahead and sign up for a free private class or a 7-day free trial of our group classes!
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Content
- 1- Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
- 2- Sternocleidomastoid
- 3- Electroencephalographer
- 4- Otolaryngologist
- 5- Parallelepiped
- 6- Trickery
- 7- Lepidopterophobia
- 8- Ovoviviparous
- 9- Deoxyribonucleic
- 10- Adhesive plaster
- 11- Antihistamine
- 12- idiosyncrasy
- 13- Arteriosclerosis
- 14- Unthread
- 15- Circumscription
- 16- Celebrate
- 17- Photosynthetic
- 18- Kaleidoscope
- 19- Procrastination
- 20- Logicomechanophobia
- 21- Bat it
- 22— Hinge
- 23- Endometrium
- 24- Nefelibata
- 25- Pituitary
- 26- Polymethylmethacrylate
- 27- Ventriloquist
- 28- Torticollis
- 29- Paraphrastic
- 30- Homopedonecrozophilic
- 31- Lithsexuality
- 32- Polyphonematic
- 33- Supercalifragilisticoespialidoso
- 34- Hypopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia
- References
The more complex words to write in Spanish they generally belong to the field of medicine. They are characterized by having more than 10 characters and tend to have a rather complicated pronunciation.
This list also includes words that have complicated spelling due to homophone letter play, which eventually leads to spelling confusion.
1- Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
This unpronounceable 45-letter word is the term used to name lung disease caused by silica poisoning.
2- Sternocleidomastoid
It is a muscle located at the base of the neck. It starts from the sternum and passes through the clavicle until it reaches the base of the ear. It intervenes in the rotational movements of the head.
3- Electroencephalographer
He is the specialist in charge of performing the electroencephalograms. This special study consists of an impression of the brain waves, by means of the use of an EEG.
4- Otolaryngologist
He is the specialist in otorhinolaryngology. This specialty is dedicated to the study of the anatomy and diseases that take place in the nose, ear and throat.
5- Parallelepiped
It is a three-dimensional geometric figure that consists of the union of six parallelograms, with faces opposite and parallel to each other.
For example, a shoe box is a parallelepiped.
6- Trickery
Scam, fraud or ruse by which a person is deceived in some type of commercial exchange, such as buying, selling, exchanging merchandise, among others.
7- Lepidopterophobia
It is understood as the phobia of Lepidoptera, a category in which moths and butterflies are found.
8- Ovoviviparous
It is a type of oviparous animal that guards its eggs in the genital tract for a time, until embryonic development is advanced.
9- Deoxyribonucleic
It refers to deoxyribonucleic acid, known by its acronym as DNA. It is the main component of the genetic material of all living beings.
10- Adhesive plaster
It is an adhesive tape, made of cloth or paper, which is used as a medical element to hold bandages.
11- Antihistamine
A drug or substance used to limit the body’s production of histamine.
12- idiosyncrasy
It is the profile or the most distinctive features of a person or a population.
13- Arteriosclerosis
It is a vascular alteration that consists of the thickening, hardening and loss of elasticity of the arterial walls due to the accumulation of a plaque composed mainly of fat.
14- Unthread
Action of extracting the thread or thread from a needle.
15- Circumscription
This word has two meanings: the first consists of the action and effect of circumscribing; that is, limit or restrict something.
Also known as a constituency is a military, electoral, administrative or ecclesiastical division in a given sector.
16- Celebrate
It refers to getting excited or agitated, as a reaction to a particular action.
17- Photosynthetic
Of or pertaining to photosynthesis.
18- Kaleidoscope
It is a dark tube that contains several inclined mirrors inside. Inside the kaleidoscope the images are multiplied by the effect of the reflection of the mirrors.
19- Procrastination
Verb that refers to the action and effect of procrastinating; that is, defer or postpone things.
20- Logicomechanophobia
Computer phobia.
21- Bat it
Original way of naming the mammal bat. Both are valid, both equally difficult for some people to pronounce.
22— Hinge
Animal born from the relationship between a horse and a donkey.
23- Endometrium
Mucosa inside the uterus.
24- Nefelibata
Dreamy person, who evades reality.
25- Pituitary
Gland of the brain that secretes pituita.
26- Polymethylmethacrylate
Known as methacrylate, it is a type of plastic made for the manufacture of different utensils.
27- Ventriloquist
Person with the ability to change the natural voice without being perceived in the movement of their lips or body expressions.
28- Torticollis
Painful and involuntary contraction of the cervical muscles that affects the shoulders and neck.
29- Paraphrastic
Relating to paraphrase.
30- Homopedonecrozophilic
Individual with sexual inclinations towards minor or deceased animals.
31- Lithsexuality
People with attraction to other people without the need to be reciprocated.
32- Polyphonematic
Phonic sequence, of two or more phonemes
33- Supercalifragilisticoespialidoso
It does not appear in the RAE, but is one of the most iconic words in cinema (Mary Poppins) and that more laughter has awakened in people.
34- Hypopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia
It is the phobia of long words.
References
- Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy (2017). Recovered from: dle.rae.es
- What are the longest words in Spanish (and what are false or made up) (2010). Recovered from: solosequenosenada.com
- The 13 most difficult words to pronounce in Spanish (2016). Recovered from: vital.rpp.pe
- Morales, T. (2017). 33 words in Spanish that are difficult to pronounce even for Spaniards. El País newspaper, Spain. Recovered from: elpais.com
- Put yourself to the test: These are the 14 most difficult words to pronounce in Spanish (2017). Recovered from: laiguana.tv
- Villagrán, O. (2016). Sternocleidomastoid and the other 14 most difficult words to pronounce in Spanish. Recovered from: culturacolectiva.com
Spanish is a rich, beautiful and inspiring language, but there are many difficult words in Spanish. Many of the great writers of history were Spanish. Spanish has a very rich vocabulary. And even Spanish people have difficulty vocalizing certain words naturally. Leaving aside the technical words of each guild (such as the medical ones, which are almost unpronounceable) there are numerous words that are quite complicated to pronounce.
Many times the difficulty is in the combinations. The more consecutive consonants there are, the more difficult it is for us to pronounce the word.
Do you want to know which are the most difficult words in Spanish?
Difficult words in Spanish: complicated pronunciation
There is a very widespread mistake, and that many Spanish speakers make: «viniste». He is the second person in the singular of the past of the verb to come. However, it usually causes problems and many add an «s» at the end. So they say «vinistes» instead of «viniste». This happens for the second person of the present «vienes». Many people make a morphological analogy between the two words. On this occasion, the mind plays a trick on us.
Words that are authentic tongue twisters. In Spanish, there are several words which, due to their length or the number of consonants they contain, are usually quite complicated to pronounce. These are some examples: transgresor, monstruo, transportista, ventrílocuo, institucionalización, antihistamínico, idiosincrasia…
Then there are some words that can be said badly due to repetitions of our social environment. For example, «esparatrapo» instead of «esparadrapo».
There are words that we pronounce badly because of acquired habits. It is very normal that the first time we hear that word, we made an auditory discrimination. That is to say, that the mind doesn’t process the exact word but makes an approximation because the phonemes are very similar. Then, one is replaced by the other and it ends up internalizing as if the word were correct. This happens with words like «palangana». There are people who, instead, say «palancana». It also happens with the word «aguja». There are people who say «abuja».
Dissimilated forms are when a culture presents a solution to solve a problem of two consonant groups that is difficult to pronounce. It is important to know that they are not accepted. It is very normal with the word «frustrate». In Spain, many people say «fustrar».
You can start by separating them into syllables and then putting them all together.
There are some hard Spanish words that could prove to be difficult for a beginner Spanish speaker!
In the Spanish language, besides knowing the Spanish alphabet or basic Spanish words, it is also important to be aware of words that are hard to pronounce or understand. Adding these hard Spanish words to your vocabulary will not only spice up your everyday conversations but make you a better speaker in general!
In this article, we will be teaching you the meaning and how to pronounce 100 of the hardest Spanish words to learn, along with some fun Spanish tongue twisters!
10 Hardest Words in Spanish
We will first be discussing 10 of the hardest words in the Spanish language.
These are very hard-to-pronounce words and look like they belong in some Harry Potter spell book! If you get the hang of these, you will really sound like a pro in conversational Spanish.
1. Otorrinolaringólogo
Auto-reno-lah-ring-go-logo
It means otolaryngologist and is a medical specialty, which is someone who studies diseases related to the mouth and throat.
2. Espantapájaros
Is-pun-tah-pah-ja-ross
Meaning scarecrow, a clothed humanoid-shaped decoy or mannequin used to scare off birds from crops in large fields. A scary mannequin for an equally scary-looking word!
3. Electrodoméstico
Electro-dough-mess-tea-co
A hard Spanish word that means “Electrical appliance”, which is an object that uses electricity to do a certain function, such as a toaster or a night light.
4. Ferrocarril
Feh-row-cah-r-ee-l
So many r’s! The word means “railway” which is a steel track that trains move on. Both of the double r’s are rolled with your tongue.
5. Desarolladores
Deh-sah-roll-adore-is
A word that means “developers”. The word contains hard r’s and a “D” that is pronounced similar to the “th” in “They” in English.
6. Caleidoscopio
Caw-lay-dough-scope-yo
A word that looks similar to its English counterpart, which is “Kaleidoscope” and bears the same meaning.
7. Impermeabilizante
Im (as in imperfect)-purr-mia-billy-san-tay
A hard Spanish word that just means “to waterproof” or “waterproofing”. The important thing to keep in mind when reading these words is to read them slowly and practice pronouncing each syllable!
8. Halagüeño
Ah-lah-when-yo
It means when something is flattering, like when you receive a lot of compliments from someone!
9. Anaranjada
Ah-nah-rah-ha-da
A hard Spanish word that simply means “Orange”. It should be noted that the “Ja” in Anaranjada is pronounced like “Ha” but the H is coupled with a growing sound, like when you push your tongue to the roof of your mouth and exhale.
10. Tejemaneje
Teh-heh-mah-neh-heh
A hard Spanish word that means “gossip”. The “eje” is pronounced as “Heh” coupled with the growling similar to the H in Anaranjada.
Common Pronunciation Problems
Vowel Sounds
Vowels (A, E, I, O, and U) are pronounced differently in English in Spanish. Unlike the English language, in Spanish, all five vowels are pronounced with one respective sound. A common mistake that English speakers make when trying to pronounce Spanish vowels is mispronouncing “e”, which is pronounced as “eh” or the same way as the “e” in “Fred”. For example, instead of pronouncing the name José as “Ho-seh”, English speakers pronounce it as “Hoe-zay”.
Double RR Sounds
In Spanish, there are two ways to pronounce the letter “r”, there is a single “r” and a double “rr”. Whenever a Spanish word contains the double “rr”, then the “r” needs to be pronounced harder. If you don’t pronounce the “r” correctly, then the meaning of the word can change entirely. For example, the word perro with double “rr” means “dog”, but the word pero with one “r” means “but”.
Double LL Sounds
Similar to “r” and double “rr” in Spanish, we have the same for a single “L” and a double “LL”. A single “L” is pronounced as “ele” and the double “LL” is, weirdly enough, pronounced as “Ya”. For example, if the English word “Llama” followed this Spanish rule, then it would be pronounced as “Yama”. The same goes for the English word “Llave”, which would be pronounced as “Yah-ve”.
Distinction Between “B” and “V”
The letters “b” and “v” are pronounced in a similar way in the Spanish language. If these letters are the first letter in a word, or after letters such as “m” or “n”, then “b” and “v” are pronounced the same way. For example, the words the word vamos is pronounced as bah-moss similar to the word bueno.
However, if “b” and “v” are in the middle of a word, then the pronunciation changes. For example, Levanta is pronounced as le-vhan-ta and Bolivia as bo-liv-ia, and sabemos is pronounced as sa-veh-moss.
90 of the Hardest Spanish Words to Learn
We will now be discussing other 90 difficult Spanish Spanish words. After learning some of these difficult Spanish words, up the ante by learning the adjectives in Spanish!
The “J” Sound
The “J” sound in Spanish sounds more like “H” with a slight exhaled growl noise, and the “R” is rolled when pronounced (Like when pirates say “Yarrrr”). All words including these letters follow this pattern unless stated otherwise.
Jaula
It means “Cage” and is pronounced as how-la.
Jardín
“Yard”, is pronounced as hah-r-dee-n.
Joyería
“Jewelry” and is pronounced as hoi-eh-reea.
Jarrón
“Vase”, pronounced as hah-rohn.
Pájaro
“Bird”, pronounced as pah-ha-row. Birds come in all types of colors, describe them more by learning how to say colors in Spanish!
Sonrojar
“Blush”, pronounced as sohn-roh-har.
Equipaje
“Luggage”, a rather difficult Spanish word to pronounce. In a nutshell it is pronounced as eh-key-pah-he.
Injusticia
“Injustice”, pronounced as in-who-stee-hya.
Jirafa
“Giraffe”, pronounced as he-rah-fah (F as in fight).
Lujoso
“Luxurious”, pronounced as loo-ho-so,
Jengibre
“Ginger”, pronounced as huh-he-breh.
Paisaje
“Scenery”, pronounced as pie-sa-heh.
Dibujo
“Drawing”, pronounced as dee-boh-ho.
Ojos
“Eyes” pronounced as oh-hos.
Jugoso
“Juicy”, pronounced as who-go-so.
The “G” Sound
Acogedor
“Cozy”, pronounced as ah-co-ge (as in get)-door
Agujero
“Hole”, pronounced as ah-goo-heh-roh.
Garaje
“Garage”, pronounced as gah-rah-heh.
Ginecólogo
“Gynecologist”. The “Gi”/”Gu” and “Ge” in these difficult Spanish words is pronounced as “Gee” and “Geh” respectively, both with a gurgling sound if at the front of a word. As such it is pronounced as geen-eh-co-low-go.
Girasol
“Sunflower”, pronounced as gee-rah-soul.
Genio
“Genius”, pronounced as geh-neo.
Guiso
“Stew”, pronounced as gee-sow.
Aguila
“Eagle”, pronounced as ah-gee(no gurgling sound)-lah.
Vergüenza
“Shame”, pronounced as vurr-gwen-zah. You know what is shameful? Not knowing the difference between ser vs estar! Luckily it’s pretty easy to get the hang of!
Geografía
“Geography”, pronounced as geh-oh-gra-fee-yah
Garabato
“Scribble”, pronounced as gah(no gurgle)-rah-bah-toe.
Paragua
“Umbrella”, pronounced as pah-rah-gwah.
Guitarra
“Guitar”, pronounced as gee(no gurgle)-tah-rah.
Portugués
”Portuguese”, pronounced as poor-toe-guess
Pinguino
“Penguin”, pronounced as ping-gwee-no.
The “RR” Sound
Arrugas
“Wrinkles”, pronounced as ah-rue-gahs.
Verruga
“Wart”, pronounced as veh-rue-gah.
Barranco
“Ravine”, pronounced as bah-wrung-co.
Burro
“Donkey”, pronounced as boo-row.
Terremoto
“Earthquake”, pronounced as teh-reh-mow-toe.
Tierra
“Earth”, pronounced as teh-ah-rah.
Borrador
“Eraser”, pronounced as bo(as in bowl)-rah-door.
Pelirrojo
“Redhead”, pronounced as peh-lee-ho-roh.
Susurro
“Whisper”, pronounced as sue-sue-roh.
Carrera
“Race”, pronounced as cah-reh-rah.
Barril
“Barrel”, pronounced as bah-reel.
Cerradura
“Lock”, pronounced as serah-do-rah.
Torre
“Tower”, pronounced as toh-reh.
Correcto
“Correct”, pronounced as co-rect-oh.
Arreglar
“Arrange”, ah-reh-glahr.
The “B/V” Sound
Vaquero
“Cowboy”, pronounced as bah-geh-row.
Violín
“Violin”, pronounced as bee-low-een.
Volante
“Steering wheel”, pronounced as bow-lawn-teh.
Biberón
“Feeding bottle”, pronounced as bee-beh-rohn.
Hierba
“Herb”, pronounced as ear-bah.
Tabla
“Table”, pronounced as tah-blah.
Blusa
“Blouse”, pronounced as blue-saw.
Tiburón
“Shark”, pronounced as tee-boo-rohn.
Abuelo
“Grandfather”, pronounced as ah-bweh-low.
Lluvia
“Rain”, pronounced as chew-bee-ah.
Lleva
“Carry”, pronounced as Jeh-wha.
Revelar
“To reveal”, pronounced as treh-veh-lar(as in lard).
Sabia
“Wise”, pronounced as saw-bee-ah.
Oveja
“Sheep”, oh-veh-ha.
Varón
“Male”, pronounced as veh-rohn.
The “TR” Sound
The “T” in Spanish is pronounced as “Tuh” instead of “Tea” in English.
Triángulo
“Triangle”, pronounced as tree-on-goo-low.
Postre
“Dessert”, pronounced as pohs-treh.
Trompo
“Spinning top”, pronounced as trohm-po.
Trigo
“Wheat”, pronounced as tree-go.
Nutria
“Otter”, nuw-tree-ah.
Trampolín
“Trampoline”, pronounced as trum-po-lean.
Cuatro
“Four”, pronounced as qua-tro(as in trove).
Trenzas
“Braids”, pronounced as tren(as in trend)-fas.
Monstruo
“Monster”, pronounced as mon-strow.
Tren
“Train”, pronounced as tr-eh-n.
Potro
“Foal”, pronounced as paw-trow(as in betrothed).
Avestruz
“Ostrich”, pronounced as ah-ves-truth.
Triste
“Sad”, pronounced a tr-ee-stay.
Truenos
“Thunders”, pronounced as true-eh-knows.
Trompeta
“Trumpet”, pronounced as trohm-peh-ta.
The “LL” Sound
Rodilla
“Knee”, pronounced as roh-dee-ya.
Pollo
“Chicken”, pronounced as poh-yoh.
Ballena
“Whale”, pronounced as ba-yeh-nah.
Llavero
“Key ring”, pronounced as cha-beh-roh.
Anillo
“Ring”, pronounced as ah-knee-yoh.
Estrella
“Star”, pronounced as es-treh-yah.
Galletas
“Cookies”, pronounced as gah-yeah-tah-s.
Servilleta
“Napkin”, pronounced as sir-we-yeah-tah.
Bellota
“Acorn”, pronounced as beh-yo-tah.
Llorar
“To cry”, pronounced as cho-rawr.
Tortilla
“Tortilla”, pronounced as tor-tea-ya and not like the English tor-tea-la.
Granadilla
“Passion Fruit”, pronounced as grah-nah-dee-ya.
Zorillo
“Skunk”, pronounced as soh-ree-yo.
Espinilla
“Shin”, pronounced as es-pee-knee-ya.
Camello
“Camel”, pronounced as cah-meh-yo.
Spanish Tongue Twisters
Tongue twisters are a really fun way to practice pronouncing these hard Spanish words, so it’s worth giving it a try! Below we have listed a few Spanish tongue twisters, see if you can get the hang of them!
¿Cómo quieres que te quiera si el que quiero no me quiere como quiero que me quiera?
The English translation would be “How do you want me to like you if the one I want to like me doesn’t like me as I want him to like me?”. It means that you are asking someone who likes you (or someone that wants you to like them) how you can like them if the person that you like, doesn’t like you back. Sheesh, sounds like the plot line of a telenovela. This phrase helps you understand how to pronounce the “qu” in Spanish.
¿Por qué a la cama se le llama cama y a la cómoda cómoda, si es más cómoda la cama que la cómoda?
It means “Why is the bed called a bed and the chest of drawers chest of drawers, if the bed is more comfortable than the chest of drawers?” Overall, it does not make a lot of sense in English, but It’s still something fun to try and say in Spanish!
Tres tristes tigres tragaban trigo en tres tristes trastos sentados tras un trigal.
A helpful tongue twister that helps you pronounce the “Tr” in Spanish. It means “Three sad tigers swallowed wheat in three sad utensils seated behind a wheatfield.” The jist of this phrase is about three sad tigers that swallowed wheat in a wheatfield. Most tongue twisters won’t really make sense when directly translated into English.
Pablito clavó un clavito en la calva de un clavito. Un clavito clavó Pablito en la calva de un calvito. ¿Qué clavito clavó Pablito?
A rather sinister tongue twister that helps you pronounce “cla”. It means “Pablito stuck a little nail into the bald head of a bald guy. A little nail stuck Pablito in the bald head of a bald guy. What little nail did Pablito nail?” So, the person Pablito stuck a nail onto the head of a bald man. I doubt this is legal, rather just stick to the phrase and not replicate the action. Ok? Ok.
Getting these words right will make you sound like a Spanish genius!
Once you have mastered pronouncing these hard Spanish words, learning the rest will be much easier and you will be one step further to becoming a bonafide Spanish speaker!
If you are still struggling, perhaps downloading or using a Spanish learning app will help you get up to speed. The best way to completely master a Spanish or language topic is by getting an online tutor, and at AmazingTalker, we have a variety of amazing tutors to help you reach your language fluency goals in no time! Choose from a variety of different courses, and customize it to fit your needs!
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Learning Spanish requires you to be well-versed with the vocabulary and grammatical rules and to develop various skills that can be learned through speaking, listening, writing, and reading.
If you are a new learner trying to learn Spanish, you will likely encounter some hardest words to pronounce in Spanish. You can take an online course or refer to digital resources to solve pronunciation problems.
Every area of learning Spanish entails many challenges. You must understand the words and correct the aspects of Spanish pronunciation that many English-speaking people have the most difficulty with.
Dealing With the Difficulty of Pronunciation in Spanish
1. Exaggerated tone
In Spanish, almost all the words are spoken with an open mouth and by exerting power. The syllables, vowels, and consonants are fully pronounced.
2. Don’t rely on English vowels
It is necessary to make the switch and pronounce each Spanish vowel correctly with an open mouth. The correct pronunciation of vowels in Spanish are:
- The “a” in Spanish is pronounced like the vowel in “cart.”
- The “e” is pronounced in a short version of “eh,” as in “red.”
- The “i” is pronounced like the “i” in “sick.”
- The “o” is pronounced like a shorter sound of o in “song,”.
- The “u” is pronounced like in “should”.
3. Listen and imitate
Imitating or mimicking the Spanish who are fluent in their language can help.
Below are some hard words in Spanish to pronounce. If you master these, the rest becomes quite easy:
1. Ferrocarril (railway road)
This word contains two “r”s, and thus it is one of the hard Spanish words to pronounce.
The “r” is rolled when it is doubled at the beginning of each word, but the standalone “r” is also pronounced differently than in English, making it the hardest word to say in Spanish.
When making the “r” sound in Spanish, touch the tip of your tongue slightly with the top of your mouth. The key to rolling the “r” is to vibrate the tongue at that position. Exhale through your mouth and vibrate your tongue up and down.
2. Verde, Tarde (green, afternoon)
The Spanish “rd” combination is quite difficult for the tongue. Focus on the first syllable and the difficult “r,” then soften the “d” and make half of the word “de.”
3. Desarrolladores (developer)
There are double hits of “rr” and “ll,” and there are many syllables to activate. The correct pronunciation of “ll” varies from country to country.
4. Aeropuerto (Airport)
The word has most vowels, making it one of the most difficult words to pronounce in Spanish.
5. Estadística (statistics)
Too many “t’s” and “d’s” in a Spanish word can cause problems. Notice the emphasized syllable in the center. Do not emphasize the difference between the “t” and “d” in this word. Pronounce the first syllable well so that you can tell that you are speaking Spanish instead of English.
6. Difícil, Fácil (difficult, easy)
The accent of these words is not where you expect. It is not “DIficil” and “faCIL” – the correct pronunciation is “diFIcil” and “FAcil”. Pay attention to the accent and emphasize the syllables.
7. Paragüas (umbrella)
This Spanish word contains diacritics, a soft r, and g. If you are well aware of how you should pronounce the sound of each syllable, you can pronounce it slowly and correctly.
8. Ronronear (purr)
This word contains two harsh r sounds, a soft r, and a vowel pair.
9. Agujero (hole)
This is one of the most mispronounced Spanish words because of the mixture of g and j sounds. In Spanish, j is said quite differently and thus remains one of the hardest sounds to pronounce.
10. Espantapájaros (scarecrow)
This word has repeated consonants and too many vowels with various stresses. In this case, it slowly progresses syllable by syllable, such as es – pan – ta – pá – ja – ros. You can say the whole word faster once you understand all the syllables correctly.
Conclusion
These are some of the 10 hard words to say in Spanish which need constant practice to improve your pronunciation.
You must slowly learn the pronunciation and practice with tongue twisters to master the art of pronouncing difficult Spanish words. It is certainly difficult but a rewarding journey. The better you pronounce, the more you will be able to understand the language.
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Although Spanish is listed as one of the easier languages for a native English speaker to learn by the U.S. Foreign Service Institute, there are still many difficulties to overcome when studying this Romance language. Anyone who wants to speak like a native Spaniard will have to work extra hard on their pronunciation of Spanish words. In this short article, we will go through some of the most difficult Spanish words for foreigners to pronounce and give a few tips to help anyone on their Spanish learning journey.
1. Perro
One of the trickiest things for English speakers to get right in Spanish is the rolling double-r sound. This is important to master, since not rolling the r’s on certain words can significantly change the meaning of what you are saying. The most common example is “perro,” which means “dog,” and “pero,” which means “but.”
2. Microondas
This word means “microwave” in English. The main difficulty English speakers have with this word is the double-o. The double-o here is not pronounced as in English like the “ooo” as in “moo.” Rather, it is pronounced “oh,” as in “go.” This is also true for the Spanish “zoo,” which looks the same as the English word for “zoo,” but is pronounced with the “oh” sound.
3. Desarrollar
This verb means “to develop” or “to carry out.” It is difficult both for the double-l and the double-r. The double-l should sound like the “y” in the word “yes.” Another important thing to understand about double-r and double-l is that Spanish people consider them a single letter and a single sound. So, when trying to break up your words for practice, just remember to treat these double letters as one sound.
4. Lluvia
This word means “rain.” A good approximation into English is “yoo-bveeah.” You can notice that the “v” sound in Spanish is best equated to the “b” sound in English. In this case, it might be best to think of the word “be” to help with the “v” sound.
5. Niño
Another unique Spanish letter is “ñ,” which is very similar to the “ni” sound in “onion.” This letter appears in many words, including this one meaning “boy.” To make this feminine, you can say “niña.”
6. Reina
This word, which means “queen,” is a bit tricky for the diphthong “ei.” It is best to think of this “ei” sound as equivalent to the “ey” in the English word “hey.” This is also true for the “ey” sound in Spanish words, for example “rey,” which means “king.”
7. Radio
Although this word looks exactly the same as the English one, you have to remember the Spanish diphthong for “io.” The best way to think of the “io” sound is as in “yo yo.” Also, the “a” sound here is like “ah” sound in English words like “father.”
8. Ciudad
This word for “city” is most tricky for its “iu” sound. This sound in Spanish is like the “ou” sound in “you.” The “c” sound at the start of the word is practically the same to the “c” in the English word “city.”
9. Aire
One of the most famous expressions is Spanish is probably “Ay, Dios mio!” All speakers have to do is take that “ay” sound and put it into the “ai” of “aire.” The “re” part of this word is like the English word “ray.” In case you didn’t know, this word means “air.”
10. Europa
Finally, this word for “Europe” in Spanish is a bit difficult because the sound for “eu” actually doesn’t exist in English. The fact that English natives have no equivalent in their language may make this one of the more difficult Spanish words to get perfect. The only equivalent linguists have found in English for the Spanish “eu” is the expression “eww.”
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