Spanish vs. English Sounds: Complete Comparison Guide for Spanish Speakers

Spanish and English share many similarities, but their sound systems differ significantly. Understanding these differences is the fastest way to improve your English pronunciation. This guide maps out exactly what Spanish speakers need to focus on.

Overview: How Different Are They?

Spanish has approximately 24 phonemes (distinct sounds). English has about 44. This means English has nearly twice as many sounds, including many that simply don't exist in Spanish.

Sounds That Don't Exist in Spanish

These are the sounds you need to learn from scratch:

1. The TH Sounds (/θ/ and /ð/)

English has two TH sounds that don't exist in most Spanish dialects:

• /θ/ (voiceless): think, bath, math
• /ð/ (voiced): this, that, breathe

How to make it: Place your tongue between your teeth and blow air (for /θ/) or vibrate your vocal cords (for /ð/).

Common mistake: Replacing with /t/, /d/, /s/, or /z/ ("tink" instead of "think")

2. The V Sound (/v/)

In Spanish, B and V are pronounced the same. In English, they're completely different:

• /b/: Both lips touch (ball, big)
• /v/: Upper teeth touch lower lip (very, love)

Common mistake: Saying "berry" instead of "very"

3. The Schwa (/ə/)

The most common sound in English doesn't exist in Spanish. It's a neutral, unstressed "uh" sound:

• about, ago, sofa
• problem, open
• famous, delicious

Common mistake: Pronouncing every vowel clearly instead of reducing unstressed syllables

4. Short vs. Long Vowels

Spanish has 5 vowel sounds. English distinguishes between short and long versions:

5. The /æ/ Sound (Short A)

This sound is between Spanish "a" and "e":

• cat, hat, man, back, apple

How to make it: Say "eh" but open your mouth wider

6. The /ʌ/ Sound (Short U)

A neutral sound like a short "ah" in the back of your mouth:

• cup, bus, love, money, come

7. The R Sound (/ɹ/)

The English R doesn't trill or tap like Spanish R. The tongue curves back without touching anything:

• red, very, car, word

How to make it: Curl your tongue slightly backward. Don't let it touch the roof of your mouth.

8. The /dʒ/ and /ʒ/ Sounds

Spanish J (/x/) is completely different from English J (/dʒ/):

• /dʒ/: job, judge, gym (like "dj")
• /ʒ/: measure, vision, beige

Sounds That Exist in Spanish But Work Differently

The H Sound

Spanish H is silent. English H is always pronounced (except in "hour", "honest", etc.):

• hello, hat, behind, happy

Common mistake: Saying "ello" instead of "hello"

Final Consonants

Spanish rarely ends words with consonant sounds like /p/, /t/, /k/, /b/, /d/, /g/. In English, these are crucial:

• stop, cat, book, job, bed, dog

Common mistake: Adding a vowel sound ("stopa") or dropping the consonant

Consonant Clusters

English allows complex consonant combinations that Spanish doesn't:

• Initial: street, splash, scratch (not "estreet")
• Final: texts, months, sixths

Stress and Rhythm Differences

Spanish is syllable-timed (each syllable takes roughly equal time). English is stress-timed (stressed syllables are longer):

• Spanish: cho-co-LA-te (4 clear syllables)
• English: CHOC-late (2 syllables, first stressed)

In English, unstressed syllables are reduced or even disappear. This creates the characteristic rhythm of English.

Summary: Priority Sounds for Spanish Speakers

1. TH sounds (/θ/ and /ð/) - practice daily
2. V vs. B - teeth on lip for V
3. Schwa (/ə/) - reduce unstressed vowels
4. Short I vs. Long E (/ɪ/ vs. /iː/)
5. Short A (/æ/) - open your mouth more
6. English R - no trilling or tapping
7. Final consonants - pronounce them clearly
8. H sound - always pronounced

Next Steps

Focus on these specific sound guides:

• B vs. V Sounds for Spanish Speakers
• The Schwa Sound Guide
• Final Voiced Consonants
• Practice pronunciation with interactive exercises