Pronunciation Patterns for Spanish Speakers

If you learned to speak Spanish as your first language, it is likely that you have some of the following pronunciation patterns that contribute to your accent when speaking English.

You can use this chart to identify which pronunciation targets you can work on to improve your American Accent.  Some sounds link to practice materials or further information.

Also available as a free download in our store.

sound

t

k

b



d


g

v



th (as in “think”)



th (as in “those”)



s-blends (sp, st, sk etc.)


z



sh


ch


j



ng


r

y

consonant clusters



/ɪ/ “vowel ɪ” as in “it”

/e/ “vowel ay” as in “ate”


/ɛ/ “vowel eh” as in get

/æ/ “vowel a” as in “at”

/a/ “vowel ah” as in “hot”

/ʊ/ “vowel U” as in wood

/ʌ, ə/ “vowel schwa” as in but


/ɝ,ɚ/ “vowel er” as in “bird”

error pattern

can be left off the ends of words

can be left off the ends of words

can sound like “v” at the start of words, can sound like “p” or “v” at the ends of words

can sound like “t” at the ends of words, or be left off the ends of words

can sound like “k” at the ends of words

can sound like b at the start of words, 
can sound like f or be left off at the ends of words

can sound like s or t at the start of words
can sound like t or be left off the ends of words

can sound like d at the start of words
can sound like d or voiceless th at the ends of words

can have an extra "eh" sound before the s


can sound like s at start of words
can sound like s or be omitted at the ends of words

can sound like ch at the start or ends of words

can sound like sh at the start or ends of words

can sound like y or zh at the start of words, can sound like sh, ch or zh at the ends of words

sounds like n or has an extra g or k sound

can be rolled

can sounds like j at the start of words

can have sounds left off or have the same errors listed above


can sound like vowel ee


can sound like vowel eh



can sound like vowel ay


can sound like vowel ah


can sound like vowel o


can sound like vowel oo


can be pronounced like the written letter rather than the American “uh” sound


can be rolled, or sound like vowel schwa

Example

light sounds like lie

like sounds like lie

very sounds like berry
robe sounds like rope or rove


code sounds like coat,
or we’d sounds like we

pig sounds like pick

very sounds like berry
leave sounds like leaf or lee


thing sounds like sing or ting
with sounds like wit or wih


those sounds like dose
breathe sounds like breed or breeth

school sounds like esschool



zip sounds like sip
buzz sounds like bus or buh


ship sounds like chip
wish sounds like which

cheese sounds like she’s
which sounds like wish

job sounds like you or zhob
ridge sounds like rish, rich or rizh

thing sounds like thin or think




yes sounds like jess

lived sounds like live, 
want sounds like wan, 
words sounds like word 

it sounds like eat


wait sounds like wet



get sounds like gate


cat sounds like cot


not sounds like note


look sounds like Luke


banana sounds like “bah-nah-nah” rather than “buh-nah-nuh”

bird sounds like bud