Learn how to say the ABCs in Spanish
The Spanish word for alphabet is the cognate ‘alfabeto’, although you will also hear it referred to as “abecedario”. Abecedario is a made up word that combines the first 3 letters of the alphabet, A (“ah”), B (“bay”), and C (“say”). It is roughly equivalent to saying “the ABCs” in English.
Many of the Spanish letters, or letras, are the same as in English. However, they are pronounced very differently.
Learning the alphabet in Spanish is a crucial skill for any new language learner. It is easy to make the assumption that since Spanish uses most of the same letters as English, that their alphabet and the pronunciation of the letters is the same as well. However, this is not the case. Letters are the building blocks of language, and learning the subtle differences in pronunciation for letters in English and Spanish is a stepping stone for learning how words themselves are pronounced. It’s an important foundation for language mastery.
The Spanish Alphabet
There are officially 27 letters in the Spanish alphabet. Some of the letters on this list, like “CH”, are no longer considered “real” letters by the RAE (Real Academia Española). But, we have included them for reference.
The Spanish alphabet
| Spanish letter | English equivalent | How the letter is said | Phonemes |
|---|---|---|---|
| a | a | ah | /a/ |
| b | b | bay | /b/ |
| c | c | say | /k/ or /θ/ |
| ch | none | chay | |
| d | d | day | /d/ |
| e | e | ay | /e/ |
| f | f | ehf-ay | /f/ |
| g | g | hay | /ɡ/ |
| h | h | ah-chay | |
| i | i | ee | /i/ |
| j | j | hoh-ta | /x/ |
| k | k | kah | /k/ |
| l | l | ell-ay | /l/ |
| ll | none | ey-yay | |
| m | m | em-ay | /m/ |
| n | n | en-nay | /n/ or /m/ |
| ñ | none | en-yay | /ɲ/ |
| o | o | oh | /o/ |
| p | p | pay | /p/ |
| q | q | koo | /k/ |
| r | r | er-ray | /ɾ/ or /r/ |
| rr | none | er-rray | |
| s | s | ehs-say | /s/ |
| t | t | tay | /t/ |
| u | u | oo | /u/ |
| v | v | oo-vay | /b/ |
| w | w | do-blay vay | /w/ or /b/ |
| x | x | eh-keys | /ks/ |
| y | y | ee griega | /ʝ/ or /i/ |
| z | z | zay-ta | /θ/ |
More resources:
Names of animals in Spanish
Names of countries in Spanish
Uno, Dos, Tres: How to count in Spanish
