Spanish flashcards
for vocabulary learning

You can adjust the flashcard settings to suit your vocabulary practice:

• Choosing the number of flashcards per exercise

  You can choose how many flashcards you want to practice during a typing session. The default number is ten. If you are a beginner, you may find it easier to start with fewer flashcards.

• Choosing a variant of the English language

  You can choose which variant of English the flashcards will use: British or American English. Since there are differences between the two, you can select the variant you prefer.

• Handling characters your keyboard does not support

  If your keyboard layout does not support certain special characters or diacritics of the language you practice with flashcards, the system can ignore some of these characters. Special characters will be accepted as their closest Latin alphabet equivalents when possible. For example, if the word to type is único and you type unico because your layout doesn't support accents, it won't be considered an error.

The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) provides a standardized set of symbols to represent the sounds of spoken language. Below are the IPA symbols for Spanish pronunciation, along with examples and descriptions, including how these sounds are pronounced in English words.

Spanish Vowels

• /a/ - as in casa, pronounced /ˈkasa/ (like "a" in father /ˈfɑːðər/)
• /e/ - as in mesa, pronounced /ˈmesa/ (like "e" in bed /bɛd/)
• /i/ - as in vida, pronounced /ˈβida/ (like "ee" in see /siː/)
• /o/ - as in loco, pronounced /ˈloko/ (like "o" in go /ɡoʊ/)
• /u/ - as in luna, pronounced /ˈluna/ (like "oo" in boot /buːt/)

Spanish Diphthongs

• /ai̯/ - as in aire, pronounced /ˈai̯ɾe/ (like "igh" in high /haɪ/)
• /ei̯/ - as in rey, pronounced /ˈrei̯/ (like "ay" in say /seɪ/)
• /oi̯/ - as in hoy, pronounced /oi̯/ (like "oy" in boy /bɔɪ/)
• /au̯/ - as in causa, pronounced /ˈkau̯sa/ (like "ow" in cow /kaʊ/)
• /eu̯/ - as in europa, pronounced /eu̯ˈɾopa/ (like "ew" in few /fjuː/)

Spanish Consonants

• /p/ - as in pato, pronounced /ˈpato/ (like "p" in pat /pæt/)
• /b/ - as in boca, pronounced /ˈboka/ (like "b" in bat /bæt/)
• /t/ - as in taza, pronounced /ˈtasa/ (like "t" in tip /tɪp/)
• /d/ - as in dado, pronounced /ˈdado/ (like "d" in dip /dɪp/)
• /k/ - as in casa, pronounced /ˈkasa/ (like "c" in cat /kæt/)
• /ɡ/ - as in gato, pronounced /ˈɡato/ (like "g" in get /ɡɛt/)
• /f/ - as in foca, pronounced /ˈfoka/ (like "f" in fat /fæt/)
• /θ/ - as in cielo, pronounced /ˈθjelo/ (like "th" in thin /θɪn/ - Castilian Spanish)
• /s/ - as in sopa, pronounced /ˈsopa/ (like "s" in sip /sɪp/)
• /x/ - as in caja, pronounced /ˈkaxa/ (like "ch" in loch /lɒx/ - Scottish English)
• /ʝ/ - as in calle, pronounced /ˈkaʝe/ (similar to "y" in yes /jɛs/)
• /ɟ͡ʝ/ - as in llama, pronounced /ˈɟ͡ʝama/ (sometimes pronounced as /ˈʝama/, like "j" in judge /dʒʌdʒ/)
• /t͡ʃ/ - as in chico, pronounced /ˈt͡ʃiko/ (like "ch" in chin /tʃɪn/)
• /m/ - as in mano, pronounced /ˈmano/ (like "m" in man /mæn/)
• /n/ - as in nido, pronounced /ˈnido/ (like "n" in no /noʊ/)
• /ɲ/ - as in niño, pronounced /ˈniɲo/ (like "ny" in canyon /ˈkænjən/)
• /l/ - as in luna, pronounced /ˈluna/ (like "l" in light /laɪt/)
• /ʎ/ - as in llama, pronounced /ˈʎama/ (sometimes pronounced as /ˈʝama/, like "ll" in million /ˈmɪljən/)
• /r/ - as in ratón, pronounced /raˈton/ (trilled, similar to "r" in perro /ˈpɛroʊ/)
• /ɾ/ - as in pero, pronounced /ˈpeɾo/ (flapped, like the "tt" in butter /ˈbʌtər/ in American English)
• /β/ - as in vaca, pronounced /ˈβaka/ (like "v" in lava /ˈlɑːvə/)
• /ð/ - as in cada, pronounced /ˈkaða/ (like "th" in this /ðɪs/)
• /ɣ/ - as in amigo, pronounced /aˈmiɣo/ (like "g" in dog /dɒɡ/ but softer)

Unique Features of Spanish Pronunciation

Spanish pronunciation has several unique characteristics that set it apart from other languages. Some of these distinctive features include:

• Vowel Sounds: Spanish has five vowel phonemes: /a, e, i, o, u/. Vowel length does not distinguish word meanings, and unstressed vowels generally keep their quality. The exact pronunciation still varies with the surrounding sounds and regional accent.
• Consonant Pronunciation: Spanish distinguishes a single tongue tap /ɾ/, as in "pero" (but), from the trill /r/, as in "perro" (dog). The difference can change a word's meaning. A word-initial r is also trilled, while a single r between vowels is tapped.
• Stress Patterns: Spanish words typically follow predictable stress patterns. Words ending in a vowel, "n," or "s," are usually stressed on the second-to-last syllable, while other words are stressed on the last syllable.
• Use of the Letter "Ñ": The letter ñ represents the palatal nasal /ɲ/, as in "niño". This sound also occurs in other languages, for example in Italian "gnocco". It is not simply a sequence of /n/ and /j/.
• Consonant Clusters: Spanish allows initial consonant groups such as pr in "primavera" and tr in "tren". Words borrowed with an initial s followed by a consonant often acquire an e before it, as in "estrés", from English "stress".
• Soft and Hard "C" and "G": C represents /k/ before a, o and u. Before e and i, it represents /s/ or /θ/, depending on the variety of Spanish. G before a, o and u is the hard g of "gato"; before e and i, it is the back-of-the-mouth fricative /x/, pronounced more like English h in some regions.

Understanding these features can significantly enhance one's ability to pronounce Spanish words correctly and appreciate the nuances of the language.