The clear pronunciation of each vowel is the most important component that creates your Spanish accent and makes your words recognizable to native speakers. Practice and master these Spanish vowel sounds, as you learn and read new words and they will soon become a part of your language. Vowels in Spanish make different sounds than their English counterparts.
It’s important to note that Spanish vowels take exactly half the time to pronounce as compared to English vowels. All vowels should be pronounced at the same speed and never drawn out like we tend to do in English (Heeeeeeeyyy, how’s it goooin?). This is the reason why some Spanish speakers seem to speak at AK-47 velocities: the rapid and clean pronunciation of their vowels. Keep your vowels clean and concise as we look at these rules.
A: sounds like English “Ah” Ex. (Paw) (Draw)
E: sounds like English “Eh” Ex. (Meh) (Text) (Excellent)
I: sounds like English “Ee” Ex. (Tree) (She)
O: sounds like English “Hard O or Oh” Ex. (Door) (More)
U: sounds like English “Oo” Ex. (Pool) (Drool)
Practicing your pronunciation is ESSENTIAL! Here are a few of the
best ways you can practice your Spanish vowel sound pronunciation:
Start reading a book written in Spanish while taking as much time as you need to accurately pronounce each vowel.
Watch/listen to a movie in Spanish with subtitles on. Try to emulate the speaker’s pronunciation of vowels. Listen to music in Spanish while focusing on vowel sounds.
1a. Exercise Practice reciting these words at a slow pace while emphasizing vowel sounds:
Feliz Puerta Comida (feh-leez) (poo-ehr-tah) (coh-mee-dah)
Now try these longer words on your own:
Perceptiva Electricidad Inconstitucional
2a. Exercise Read the sentences provided below while focusing on the clear and correct pronunciation of each vowel. Their English sound equivalents are provided below.
Tengo que ir al baño. (Tehn-goh keh eer ahl bahn-yoh)
Dice mi mamá que tengo problemas de vejiga. (Dee-seh mee mah-mah keh tehn-goh proh-bleh-mahs deh lah veh-hee-gah)
Hace una semana fui al doctor para que me revisara. (Ah-seh oo-nah seh-mah-nah foo-ee ahl doc-tor pah-rah keh meh reh-vee-sah-rah)
Resulta que estoy bien; mi mamá estaba preocupada por nada. (Ray-sool-tah keh ehs-toy bee-ehn; mee mah-mah ehs-tah-bah preh-oh-coo-pah-dah por nah-dah)
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