Read your first nine Spanish words

Nine words built from nothing but the sounds you have just met. Say each one aloud before you check it. All nine come back in the two stories at the end.

≈ 1 min of reading · Practise at your own pace

What’s in this chapter

The table you just read is all you need: these nine words use nothing else.
Each hint names the one letter likely to catch you.
Two of the nine carry a written accent. Read the marked beat loudest; the next section explains it.

Nine words for the two stories

Say the word aloud — one beat per vowel. Then reveal, say it again, move on.

hola
The first letter is not said.
Show answer +Hide answer −
holaOH-lah“hello”
casa
c in front of a is k. Two beats.
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casaKAH-sah“house”
noche
ch is church, and the final e is said.
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nocheNOH-cheh“night”
bosque
qu is k and the u is silent.
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bosqueBOHS-keh“forest”
zorro
z is s, and rr is rolled.
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zorroSOH-rroh“fox”
pájaro
j is the rasped h. The mark on the a says that beat is the loud one.
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pájaroPAH-hah-roh“bird”
lluvia
ll is y, v is b, and ia is one beat.
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lluviaYOO-byah“rain”
agua
gu in front of a is a hard g with the u sounding as w.
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aguaAH-gwah“water”
ratón
An r that starts a word is rolled, and the marked beat is the loud one.
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ratónrrah-TOHN“mouse”

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