Spanish Has Single Sound for L
Beginning Spanish students are often told that the L of Spanish is pronounced pretty much like it is in English. But that isn't necessarily true. While the English word "low" and the Spanish lo are pronounced very much alike, "tall" and tal are not. Although you may not have noticed, English has two "L" sounds that are quite different — and, as explained in our new lesson on pronouncing the L, only one of them is used in Spanish.
Preparing for Thanksgiving (in Spanish, of Course!)
If you a Spanish teacher in the United States — or if you're an aficionado/a of the holiday — you may find useful these lessons and other resources related to Thanksgiving:
Do You Know Your Adjectives?
Our series of quizzes that we began this year has become a popular way to review and learn, and here's one to try if you haven't already: Spanish adjectives. Like the other quizzes, you can answer from four to 20 questions depending on how much time you have, and there's no grade at stake if you're wrong. Instead, you'll be directed toward the lesson that tells you want you need to learn. Happy quizzing!
What You Should Know About Spanish Verbs
If you're new to Spanish and want to know what you have to look forward to learning, or if you want a quick review of Spanish verbs, you might be interested in the latest installment in our 10 Facts series, "10 Facts About Spanish Verbs." Do you know how verbs are classified? Or how new verbs are created?
If you were making a list of verb facts, what would you include? Feel free to comment below.
Spanish's Upside-Down Question Marks Unusual Among Languages
If you're brand-new to learning Spanish, the two first things you may have noticed when reading it are the accented letters and upside-down question marks. While written accents are common in many languages, the inverted question marks (and exclamation points, too) are a Spanish original — and copied apparently only by some of the minority languages of Spain. Read more...
How Have You Improved Your Pronunciation?
At its most basic, Spanish pronunciation is fairly easy, as it has few sounds that are radically different than what we have in English. But mastering Spanish pronunciation is another matter — quite a few of the sounds are subtly different than the corresponding English ones, and some of them (such as the rr and j sounds) are foreign to what most English speakers grew up using. So how do you improve your pronunciation so you can make yourself understood with ease?
If you have an answer to that question, please share your advice on improving Spanish pronunciation. And if you're still struggling? Check back in a few days and see what advice others have given.
K and Q Sound Familiar
You won't have much trouble learning how to pronounce the k and q — they're quite similar to what you already know in English. If there's a snag at all, it's remembering that in Spanish, the u after a q is silent, as explained in our new lesson on the k and q.
Metric System Part of the Language
Go to just about anywhere that Spanish is spoken, and if you start talking using measurements such as pulgadas (inches) and pies (feet), you very likely won't be understood. Before you head out of the United States, take some time to learn the metric system. Not only is it easy to learn, but it also is understood in nearly every country in the world.
How Do You Learn Words?
None of us learns words in the same way — I find flashcards boring, but I easily pick up words as I read the latest news from Bogotá or some other Spanish-speaking city. But if I told you to do that to pick up more Spanish words, you might find it boring!
But what works for probably would work for someone somewhere, even if not for best friend. With that in mind, I invite you to share your advice on learning vocabulary, preferably after reading through our overview on learning vocabulary. Thanks!