How to say the Spanish Z?
If you’ve ever heard someone in America say “zed”, you can tell instantly that they’re not from around here. They stick out like a sore thumb. We always advocate for trying to blend in as much as possible when you’re traveling, not only because it’s safer, but it’s going to help you get the most out of your trip. When folks treat you like a native instead of a tourist, things just go better.
So, how do you say Z in Spanish? Well, you may be surprised to hear that Z is NOT pronounced “Zed” in Spanish. Spanish has its own twist. The name of the letter is “zeta”. However, it is pronounced closer to the English syllable “th” as in the beginning of “thimble”. So, it comes across a bit more like “theta” to an English ear. In Latin American Spanish, it may actually sound a bit more like the “s” at the beginning of sun, so “seta”.
This can be a bit difficult to comprehend, so here is a good video to provide some context. If for some reason you need to sing the alphabet, or the letter Z comes up in another context, pronounce it like this:
This is how Spanish people pronounce the letter Z! Now that you’ve learned this, maybe you’re up for learning the whole alphabet song in Spanish.
If you want to hear some words with a Spanish Z pronunciation for additional practice, here are some videos:
Enjoy!
Related articles: Uno, Dos, Tres: How to Count in Spanish and The most difficult spanish words to pronounce.