059 chart sounds english and spanish

1

Prof. Francisco Zabala 2012

Comparison between the English and Spanish Consonants
The following list will help you compare the sounds of English and Spanish. This is useful because we,
Spanish-speakers, tend to transfer our pronunciation habits into our spoken English. The phonemes are
listed according to the English system, which is the content of this course.

Voiceless Plosives:
The greatest difficulties in this group are:
1. The aspiration of syllable-initial, stressed .o+
s+
j.
when a vowel follows.
2. The devoicing and fricativation effect of stressed .o+
s+
j.
on a following .k+
q+
v+
i..
3. The absence of word-final .o+
s+
j. in Spanish.
4. The different place of articulation of .s.+
which is dental ZsŒ\
in Spanish but alveolar Zs\
in English.
Phoneme

.o.

VOICELESS PLOSIVES
English
Spanish
Phonemic status: Phonemic
Phonemic status: Phonemic
Description: fortis bilabial voiceless plosive
Zo\
Distribution: full
Distribution: restricted (not word final)
Pen – appeal – up.
Pan – Copa
Main allophones:
Main allophones:
Fully aspirated in stressed syllable-initial
There’s no aspiration in Spanish.
position when a vowel follows.
pass Z!oç@9r\ – impose ZHl!oç?Ty\
Its full aspiration turns a following
.k+
q+
v+
i. into a voiceless fricative
ZJ+
¢fi+
V+
B\
please Z!oJh9y\
– prayZ!o¢fidH\ – pukeZ!oBt9j\

Unaspirated after .r.Unaspirated in all contexts.
(English pan Z!oçzm\ Vs. Spanish pan Z!o=`m\)
spin Z!ro=Hm\
– disposeZcH!ro=?Ty\
No audible-release in stop clusters and
No audible-release in stop clusters.
apto Z!`o´sŒn\
– capta Z!j`o´sŒ`\
probably before silence.
apt Z!zo´s\
– jumped Z!cYUlo´s\
rap Z!¢zo´{{\
Glottal reinforcement.
There’s no glottal reinforcement or
Loop Z!kt9>˛o\
replacement in Spanish.
Glottal replacement.
Soap powder Z!r?T>
!o`Tc?\
Spelling and distribution: Straightforward rules. ripe, upper
Tip: Make sure you aspirate it fully when needed. Think about the devoicing effect it has on
.k+
q+
v+
i..
Rating: Difficult.


2

Prof. Francisco Zabala 2012

Phoneme

.s.

VOICELESS PLOSIVES
English
Spanish
Phonemic status: Phonemic
Phonemic status: Phonemic
Description: fortis alveolar voiceless plosive Description: fortis dental voiceless plosive
Zs\
ZsŒ\
Distribution: full
Distribution: restricted (not word final)
Teen – Install – Goat.
Tez – Gata
Main allophones:
Main allophones:
Fully aspirated in stressed syllable-initial
There’s no aspiration in Spanish.
position when a vowel follows.
tall Z!sçN9k\ – canteen Zjzm!sçh9m\
Its full aspiration turns a following
.q+
v+
i. into a voiceless fricative Z¢fi+
V+
B\

twin Z!sVHm\
– trod Z!s¢fiPc\ – tube Z!sBt9a\
Unaspirated after .r.Unaspirated in all contexts.
=
=
(English tan Z!sçzm\ Vs. Spanish tan Z!sŒ=`m\)
stood Z!rs Tc\
– mistakeZlH!rs dHj\
No audible-release in stop clusters and
probably before silence.
at times Z?s´
!s`Hly\
– plait Zokzs´{{\
great jeep Z!fqdHs´
!cYh9o\
Glottal reinforcement.
There’s no glottal reinforcement or
fat Z!ez>˛s\
replacement in Spanish.
Glottal replacement.
Sit down Z!rH>
!c`Tm\
Spelling and distribution: Straightforward rules. <t, tt> tart, matter. Few exceptions (e.g.
Anthony, Theresa, Thames, Tompson, etc.)
Tip: Remember that Spanish .s. has a different place of articulation. Make sure you aspirate
it fully when needed. Think about the devoicing effect it has on .k+
q+
v+
i..
Rating: Very difficult.

3

Prof. Francisco Zabala 2012

Phoneme

.j.

VOICELESS PLOSIVES
English
Spanish
Phonemic status: Phonemic
Phonemic status: Phonemic
Description: fortis velar voiceless plosive
Zj\
Distribution: full
Distribution: restricted (not word final)
Kill – accuse – rock.
Caso – pacto
Main allophones:
Main allophones:
Fully aspirated in stressed syllable-initial
There’s no aspiration in Spanish.
position when a vowel follows.
king Z!jçHM\ – record Zq?!jçN9c\
Its full aspiration turns a following
.k+
q+

v+
i. into a voiceless fricative
ZJ+
¢fi+
V+
B\
clown Z!jJ`Tm\
– Christ Z!j¢fi`Hrs\
cuteZ!jBt9s\
– quick Z!jVHj\
Unaspirated after .r.Unaspirated in all contexts.
(English can Z!jçzm\ Vs. Spanish can Z!j=`m\)
school Z!rj=t9k\
– unskilled Z$Um!rj=Hkc\
No audible-release in stop clusters and
No audible-release in stop clusters.
acto Z!`j´sŒn\
– cactus Z!j`j´sŒtr\
probably before silence.
act Z!zj´s\
– cooked Z!jTj´s\
flock Z!ekPj´{{\
Glottal reinforcement.
There’s no glottal reinforcement or
luck Z!kU>˛j\
replacement in Spanish.
Glottal replacement.
Rock concert Z!qP>
$jPmr?s\
Spelling and distribution: Straightforward rules. Mainly <c, k, ck, qu, ch> come, kick,

quest, architect.
Tip: Make sure you aspirate it fully when needed. Think about the devoicing effect it has on
.k+
q+
v+
i..
Rating: Difficult.


4

Prof. Francisco Zabala 2012

Voiced Plosives:
The greatest difficulties in this group are:
1. Spanish .a+
c+
f. are realized as approximant in most phonetic environments.
2. The infrequent occurrence of word-final .a+
c. in Spanish.
3. The different place of articulation of .c.+
which is dental ZcŒ\
in Spanish but alveolar Zc\
in
English.

Phoneme

.a.

VOICELESS PLOSIVES
English
Spanish
Phonemic status: Phonemic
Phonemic status: Phonemic
Description: lenis bilabial voiced plosive
Description: lenis bilabial voiced

approximant
Za\
ZA”\
Distribution: full
Distribution: full (final only in loan words)
boot – abound – pub.
van – rabo – club
Main allophones:
Main allophones:
In rapid or casual speech it can be
It is mostly an approximant sound. It
weakened to a lenis bilabial fricative.
becomes a plosive after a nasal sound and
Foreigners shouldn’t attempt this.
sometimes after silence.
about Z?!A`Ts\
– lobby Z!kPAh\
Plosive Za\:
Ben Z!adm\
– viento Z!aidmŒsŒn\
Fully voiced especially between voiced
sounds

ambos Z!`lanr\
– en Brasil Zdl
a3`!rhk\
about Z?!a`Ts\ – Cambridge Z!jdHla¢HcY\
un vino Ztl
!ahmn\
Partially or fully devoiced before silence
or a voiceless sound
Approximant ZA”\:
Gibson Z!fHafirmÿ\ – grab two Z!f¢zafi
!st9\

avión Z`!A”inm\
– ubico Zt!A”hjn\

pub Z!oUafi{{\
albino Z`k!A”hmn\ – árbol Z!`3A”nk\
Labiodental ZaŒ\ before .e+
u+
o+
a+
E.
obvious Z!PaŒuh?r\
– Rob Finch Z!¢PaŒ
eHmsR\
No audible-release in stop clusters and
No audible-release in stop clusters (if the
probably before silence.
speaker makes it plosive in self-conscious
clubbed Z!jkUa´c\

– cab Z!jza´{{\
speech)
obtenga Zna´!sŒdMf`
~ nA”!sŒdMf`\
lab practice Z!kza´
$o¢fizjsHr\
Spelling and distribution: Straightforward rules. <b, bb> Bobby.
Tip: Make sure you always realize it as a plosive sound. Focus on producing a complete
closure by pressing your lips. Remember to distinguish between English
.a. and .u.-
In
Spanish, letters <v> and <b> are pronounced ZA”
~
a\
Rating: Difficult.


5

Prof. Francisco Zabala 2012

Phoneme

.c.

VOICELESS PLOSIVES
English
Spanish
Phonemic status: Phonemic
Phonemic status: Phonemic

Description: lenis dental voiced
Description: lenis alveolar voiced plosive

approximant
Zc\
ZC”\
Distribution: full
Distribution: full (final only in few words in
self-conscious speech)
gland – India – blood.
dan – radio – juventud
Main allophones:
Main allophones:
In rapid or casual speech it can be
It is mostly an approximant sound. It
becomes a plosive after a nasal or lateral
weakened to a lenis dental fricative.
Foreigners shouldn’t attempt this.
sound. Sometimes it is plosive after silence.
muddy Z!lUy“h\
– Adam Z!zy“?l\
Plosive ZcŒ\:
den Z!cŒdm\
– duende Z!cŒvdmŒcŒd\
Fully voiced especially between voiced
sounds
Andes Z!`mŒcŒdr\
– un día ZtmŒ
!cŒh`\
adore Z?!cN9\ – London Z!kUmc?m\

Aldo Z!`kŒcŒn\
– del dato ZcdkŒ
!cŒ`sŒn\
Partially or fully devoiced before silence
or a voiceless sound
Approximant ZC”\:
sandstone Z!rzmcfirs?Tm\ – toad Z!s?Tcfi{{\
adhiero Z`!C”id3n\
– nudo Z!mtC”n\

bed time Z!adcfis`Hl\

audaz Z`v!C”`r\ – Abdul Z`A”!C”tk\
Labiodental ZaŒ\ before .e+
u+
o+
a+
E.
Approximant ZC”\
or zero:
advice Z?aŒ!u`Hr\
– godfather Z!fPaŒe@9C?\
ciudad Zrit!C”`'C”(\
– usted Ztg!sŒd'C”(\
No audible-release in stop clusters and
No audible-release in stop clusters (if the
probably before silence.
speaker makes it plosive in self-conscious
bedclothes Z!adc´jk?TCy\
– mad Z!lzc´{{\

speech)
adquiere Z`cΫ!jid3d
~ `C”!jid3d\
Spelling and distribution: Straightforward rules. <d, dd> Daddy.
Tip: Make sure you always realize it as a plosive sound. Focus on producing a complete
closure by pressing the tip of the tongue against the alveolar ridge. Remember to
distinguish between English
.C. and .c.-
In Spanish, letter <d> can be ZC”
~
cŒ\. This means
that it is always pronounced at a different place of articulation (i.e. dental) and is
sometimes an approximant.
Rating: Very difficult.


6

Prof. Francisco Zabala 2012

Phoneme

.f.

VOICELESS PLOSIVES
English
Spanish
Phonemic status: Phonemic
Phonemic status: Phonemic
Description: lenis velar voiced approximant

Description: lenis velar voiced plosive
Zf\
Z•\
Distribution: full
Distribution: restricted (not word-final)
goose – ago – fog
gas – ruego
Main allophones:
Main allophones:
In rapid or casual speech it can be
It is mostly an approximant sound. It
weakened to a lenis bilabial fricative.
becomes a plosive after a nasal sound and
Foreigners shouldn’t attempt this.
sometimes after silence.
ago Z?!F?T\
– logging Z!kPFHM\
Plosive Zf\:
gol Z!fnk\
– grasa Z!f3`r`\
Fully voiced especially between voiced
sounds
ángulo Z!`Mftkn\
– en Güinea ZdM
fh!md`\
ago Z?!f?T\ – English Z!HMfkHR\
Partially or fully devoiced before silence Approximant Z•\:
or a voiceless sound
agudo Z`!•tCn\
– algo Z`k!•n\

drugstore Z!c¢“Uf‡rsN9\ – big sum Z!aHf‡
!rUl\

rasguño Zq`r!•tIn\
Greg Z!f¢df‡{{\
No audible-release in stop clusters and
No audible-release in stop clusters (if the
probably before silence.
speaker makes it plosive in self-conscious
clogged Z!jkPf´c\
– drag Z!c¢“zf´{{\
speech)
Magdalena Zl`f´cŒ`!kdm`
~ l`•cŒ`!kdm`\
log cabin Z!kPf´
!jzaHm\
Spelling and distribution: Straightforward rules. <g, gg> go, beggar.
Tip: Make sure you always realize it as a plosive sound. Focus on producing a complete
closure by pressing the back of the tongue against the soft palate. Remember that <g> is
silent in the ending <-ng> .M. and <-gn> .m.. Compare: sing .rHM. sign .r`Hm.Rating: Difficult.


7

Prof. Francisco Zabala 2012

Affricates:
The greatest difficulties in this group are:
1. Although .sR.

exists in Spanish in words like chancho, this sound is shorter in the River Plate area.
Some River Plate speakers tend to produce a weak .R.
element, so their .sR.
phoneme becomes
ZsR\, which sounds like a fully affricated .s.
(=Zsr\) to an English ear. Tip: Can you show a
distinction between two and chew? If you can’t, you should aim at an extra long fricative
element, i.e. aim at ZsRRR\.
2. Most River Plate Spanish speakers do not have a .cY.
sound. The same problem mentioned
above affects the realization of English
.cY.
in their speech. Make sure your .cY.
does not sound
like ZcY\, which the English ear takes as Zcy\. Tip: Can you show a distinction between dust and
just? If you can’t, you should aim at an extra long fricative element, i.e. aim at ZcYYY\.
3. In Spanish, we simplify consonant-clusters, especially those at the end of words. Make sure you
articulate both instances of .sR.
and .cY.
in phrases such as these:
a. .sR.
+ .sR.: much cheaper .!lUsR
!sRh9o?. not *.!lU
!sRh9o?.b. .sR.
+ .cY.: Mitch Jones .!lHsR
!cY?Tmy. not *.!lH
!cY?Tmy
.c. .cY.
+ .cY.: village judge .!uHkHcY
!cYUcY. not *.!uHkH

!cYUcY
..
d. .cY.
+ .sR.: large jeep .!k@9cY
!cYh9o. not *.!k@9
!cYh9o
..
AFFRICATES
Phoneme

English
Spanish
Phonemic status: Phonemic
Phonemic status: Phonemic
Description: fortis palato-alveolar voiceless affricate
ZsR\
Distribution: full
Distribution: restricted (not word final)
chain – Inches – beach
Chile – macho
Main allophones:
Main allophones:
There’s no glottal reinforcement or
Glottal reinforcement.
replacement in Spanish.
teach Z!sh9>˛sR\
Glottal replacement.
teach Z!sh9>R\
Spelling and distribution: Pretty straightforward rules. <ch, tch, ti, tu, c> chain, watch,
question, actual, cello.

Tip: Remember to keep a long period of friction. Aim at ZsRRR\ to produce a proper .sR..
Avoid ZsR\
Rating: Not difficult.

.sR.


8

Phoneme

Prof. Francisco Zabala 2012

AFFRICATES
English
Spanish
Phonemic status: Phonemic
Phonemic status: Allophonic. Not frequent.
Description: lenis palato-alveolar voiced affricate
ZcY\
Distribution: full
Distribution: restricted (not word final)
Jane – engine – manage
Yo – inyección
Main allophones:
Main allophones:
This is an allophone of .R.. Some upper
Fully voiced when surrounded by voiced
sounds:
class people use if after silence or after a

Bridget Z!a¢HcYHs\ – manage it Z!lzmHcY
Hs\
nasal.
Yo Z{{
cYn\. Cónyuge Z!jnmcYtwd\.
Full or partial devoicing before voiceless
sounds or silence.
Sponge. ZroUmcY‡\
George Smith Z!cYN9cY‡
!rlHS\

.cY.

Spelling and distribution: Pretty straightforward rules. <j, g, dge, ge, di, dj> judge, bridge,
George, soldier, adjunct.
Tip: Remember to keep a long period of friction. Aim at ZcYYY\ to produce a proper .cY..
Avoid ZcY\-
Do not confuse .cY.
with .R..
Rating: Extremely difficult.

Fricatives:
The greatest difficulties in this group are:
1. Spanish does not exploit fricatives as much as English. English has 9 fricative phonemes
.e+
u+
S+
C+
r+
y+

R+
Y+
g. while Spanish has only .e+
r+
R+
w..
2. Unlike English, Spanish does not allow certain consonants to occur in syllable final position.
Spanish speakers who learn English tend to simplify final consonant clusters in un-English ways.
E.g.: laughs .k@9er., lives .kHuy., myths .lHSr., etc.
3. River Plate Spanish systematically aspirates .r. (i.e. .r.
becomes Zg\) when it is followed by a
consonant. This is a serious mistake in English, since final .r. is loaded with a lot of information: it
indicates plural nouns, nouns in the genitive and the verb inflection for the third person singular
in the simple present tense. Compare: mismo Z!lhgln\
vs mystery Z!lHrsqh\; mis perros
Z!lHg
!oDqnr\
vs Miss Perry Z!lHr
!odqh\.


9

Prof. Francisco Zabala 2012

Phoneme

.e.

FRICATIVES

English
Spanish
Phonemic status: Phonemic
Phonemic status: Phonemic
Description: fortis labio-dental voiceless fricative
Ze\
Distribution: full
Distribution: restricted (not word-final)
faint – refuse – sniff
fe – afuera
Main allophones:
This sound does not present any major allophones.
Spelling and distribution: Straightforward rules. <f, ff, ph, gh, fe> foam, fluff, graphic,
laugh, life.
Tip: In Spanish this sound is not found in final position. This means that sometimes,
learners of English drop it when it is not possible: E.g. life problems .!k`He
oqPak?ly.
(not *
.!k`H
oqPak?ly.). Also, it seems to be articulated in a stronger manner in English.
Rating: Easy. Problematic in word final position, though.

FRICATIVES
Phoneme

.u.

English
Spanish
Phonemic status: Phonemic

Phonemic status: Allophonic
Description: lenis labio-dental voiced fricative
Zu\
Distribution: exceptional cases where .e. is
Distribution: full
vice – convey - live
voiced
Dafne
Main allophones:
Main allophones:
Fully voiced when surrounded by voiced
This sound is not a phoneme in Spanish. It
sounds:
can be heard under two circumstances,
Evening Z!h9umHM\ – love them Z!kUu
Clÿ\
though:
In the speech of people who
labiodentalize
because they have protruding
Full or partial devoicing before voiceless
teeth. E.g.: Mi bebé ZEh
ud!ud\
sounds or silence.

Five. Ze`Hufi{{\

Some speakers voice /f/ when surrounded
Live concert Z!k`Hufi
!jPmr?s\

by voiced sounds: Dafne Z!cŒ`umd\
Spelling and distribution: Straightforward rules. <v, vv, ve> vile, savvy, Clive.
Tip: Produce a .e. sound and add voice to it. Always remember to bite your lower lip, but
not too strongly. A feeble contact will produce greater friction.
Rating: Very difficult. Students find it hard to articulate and also they forget to distinguish
.a. from .u.-


10

Prof. Francisco Zabala 2012

FRICATIVES
Phoneme

.S.

English
Phonemic status: Phonemic

Spanish
Phonemic status: Phonemic in Castillian.
Non-existent in River Plate Spanish (lisp).
Description: fortis labio-dental voiceless fricative
ZS\
Distribution: full
Distribution: full
three – enthusiasm – bath
zorra – canción - voraz
Main allophones:

This sound does not present any major allophones.
Spelling and distribution: Straightforward rules. <th> think, enthral, through.
Tip: Make sure you do not confuse .S.
with .r.. The word something .!rUlSHM.
typically
presents difficulties, because River Plate Spanish speakers tend to confuse these
phonemes. In clusters, go slowly: This theory .CHr
!SH?qh., Maths .!lzSr..
Rating: Difficult, especially in clusters.

FRICATIVES
Phoneme

.C.

English
Phonemic status: Phonemic
Description: lenis dental voiced fricative
ZC\
Distribution: full
vice – convey - live
Main allophones:
Fully voiced when surrounded by voiced
sounds:
either Z!`HC?\ – love them Z!kUu
Clÿ\
Full or partial devoicing before voiceless
sounds or silence.
Breathe. Za¢h9Cfi{{\
With care Z!vHCfi

!jd?\

Spanish
Phonemic status: Allophone of .c.
Description: lenis dental voiced approximant
ZC”\
Distribution: full (final only in few words in
self-conscious speech)
dan – radio – juventud
Main allophones:
This sound is not a phoneme in Spanish. It is
the most frequent realization of .c.
in all
contexts except in the clusters ZmŒcŒ\
and [kŒcŒ\,
or after silence.
adhiero Z`!C”id3n\
– nudo Z!mtC”n\

audaz Z`v!C”`r\ – Abdul Z`A”!C”tk\

Approximant ZC”\
or zero:
ciudad Zrit!C”`'C”(\
– usted Ztg!sŒd'C”(\
Spelling and distribution: Straightforward rules. <th, the> they, blithe.
Tip: Remember that when you see <th> in the spelling, you should stick your tongue out
and produce lots of friction.
Rating: Very difficult. Students find it hard to articulate it with friction, because it is an
approximant in Spanish. Also they forget to distinguish .C. from .c.-

11

Phoneme

.r.

Prof. Francisco Zabala 2012

FRICATIVES
English
Spanish
Phonemic status: Phonemic
Phonemic status: Phonemic
Description: fortis alveolar voiceless fricative
Zr\
Distribution: full
Distribution: full
son – oyster – price
sal – canción - voraz
Main allophones:
Main allophones:
This sound does not present any major
This sound is the one that shows the greatest
allophones.
variability in River Plate Spanish.
It is Zr\ before vowels, semivowels and
silence
SusanaZrt!r`m`\ – siempre Z!ridlo3d\

sueño Z!rvdIn\ – dos ZcŒnr\

It is aspirated, i.e. it becomes Zg\ before
consonants.
a. It can be either Zg\ or Zé\ before .a+
c+
f.
esboza Zdg!A”nr`+
dé!A”nr`
\
desde Z!cŒdgC”d+
!cŒdéC”d\
esgrima Zdg!•3hl`+
dé!•3hl`\
b. It can be either Zg\ or ZR\ before .R.
los llevo Zkng
!RdA”n+
knR
!RdA”n\
c. It can be either Zg\ or assimilated before
.r+
w+
e.
los sobres Zkng
!rnA”3dr+
knr
!rnA”3dr\
los jarros Zkng
!w`qnr+
knw

!w`qnr\
fósforo Z!engen3n+
!engen3n\
d. It can be either It can be either Zg\ or Zw\
before .j.
asco Z!`gjn+
!`wjn\
e. The sequence .hr. can be either Zhg\ or
ZhB\ before a consonant
misterio Zlhg!sŒd3in+
lhB!sŒd3in\
Spelling and distribution: There are some rules, but the spellings <s, ss, se> can also be
.y.. <s, ss, c, sc, se> some, miss, ceiling, science, tense.
Tip: Make sure you neither drop nor aspirate pre-consonantal .r. in English.
Rating: Very difficult. Students tend to confuse .r. with .y., aspirate it or drop it.


12

Prof. Francisco Zabala 2012

FRICATIVES
Phoneme

.y.

Phoneme

.R.

English
Spanish
Phonemic status: Phonemic
Phonemic status: Allophonic (not in Riv. Pl.)
Description: lenis alveolar voiced fricative Zy\
Distribution: full
Distribution: restricted (before voiced
consonants)
zoo – easy – because
desde – los guantes
Main allophones:
Main allophones:
Fully voiced when surrounded by voiced
This sound is not a phoneme in Spanish. It
sounds:
can be heard in many varieties of Spanish
crazy Z!j¢fidHyh\ – as though Z?y
!C?T\
before voiced consonants. In the River Plate
area, we do not use Zy\ because we aspirate
Full or partial devoicing before voiceless .r..
sounds or silence.
Desde Z!cŒdyC”d\
Please. Zokh9yfi{{\
Musgo Z!lty•n\
These shows Z!Ch9yfi
!R?Tyfi{{\
Los lados Zkny
!k`C”nr\
Spelling and distribution: There are some rules, but the spellings <s, se, ss> can also

represent .r.. <z, zz, ze, s, se, ss> zinc, buzz, craze, easy, ease, scissors.
Tip: Do not aspirate .y..
Rating: Very difficult. Students sometimes find it hard to articulate and also they forget to
distinguish .y. from .r.FRICATIVES
English
Spanish
Phonemic status: Phonemic
Phonemic status: Phonemic
Description: fortis palatoalveolar voiceless fricative
ZR\
Distribution: full
Distribution: restricted (not final)
she – mission – fish
yendo – calle
Main allophones:
Main allophones:
This sound does not present any major
Traditionally, this sound used to be
voiced, i.e. ZY\. However, ZR\ is found in the
allophones.
speech of most middle and working class
people, and some upper-class speakers too.
The elderly of all classes tend to keep ZY\.
Some upper-class people also use ZcY\
after silence or a nasal.
Yo Z{{cYn\
– en llamas Zdm
!cY`l`r\
Spelling and distribution: Straightforward rules. <sh, ch, sch, sc, ti, ci, s> shame, chef,
schedule, nation, excruciate, sure.

Tip: Make sure you neither drop it in clusters.
Rating: Relatively easy.


13

Phoneme

.Y.

Prof. Francisco Zabala 2012

FRICATIVES
English
Spanish
Phonemic status: Phonemic
Phonemic status: Allophonic
Description: lenis palato-alveolar voiced fricative
ZY\
Distribution: full
Distribution: restricted (not final)
genre – usual – garage
Yendo – calle
Main allophones:
Main allophones:
Fully voiced when surrounded by voiced
This sound is found in the speech of the
sounds:
elderly or in the upper-classes.
usual Z!it9Yt?k\

Yendo Z!Ydmcn\
– calle Z!j`Yd\
Full or partial devoicing before voiceless
sounds or silence.
garage. Z!fz¢@9Y‡{{\
beige paint Z!adHY‡
!odHms\
Spelling and distribution: This is a sound found mostly in foreign words. <si, su, ge>
vision, usual, genre.
Tip: Make sure you can contrast .Y. with .R..
Rating: This does not seem to be very difficult, it is of infrequent occurrence.
FRICATIVES

Phoneme

.g.

English
Phonemic status: Phonemic

Spanish
Phonemic status: Phonemic
.w.-
'Allophonic Zg\ can stand for preconsonantal .r., see above).
Description: voiceless glottal fricative
Description: fortis velar voiceless fricative
Zg\
Zw\
Distribution: restricted (not final)
Distribution: full

ham - behind
Juan – ajo - reloj
Main allophones:
Main allophones:
Zg\ is voiceless provided it is not
Zw\ is found especially in the vicinity of
back vowels, i.e. .n+
t.
and .`..
intervocalic
here ZgH?\ – at homeZ?s
!g?Tl\
jarro Z!w`qn\
– ojo Z!nwn\
– lujo Z!ktwn\
Voiced Zé\ occurs in intervocalic position
ZB\ can be found in the vicinity of front
ahead Z?!édc\
vowels, i.e. .d+
h.-
fije Z!ehBd\
– elegir Zdkd!Bh3\
Spelling and distribution: Straightforward rules. <h, wh> here, who.
Tip: Make sure you do not use Spanish .w.
instead of English .g..
Rating: Difficult for some speakers who tend to produce .w.
or .W..


14

Prof. Francisco Zabala 2012

Nasals:
The greatest difficulties in this group are:
1. The occurrence of pre-vocalic .M..
2. The production of final .m+
l., which is neutralized in Spanish: e.g. Miriam, Mirian.
NASALS
Phoneme

.M.

English
Phonemic status: Phonemic
Description: voiced velar nasal

Spanish
Phonemic status: Allophonic

ZM\
Distribution: restricted (not initial)
Distribution: restricted (medial, before
.j+
f.)
anger - sing
hongo - banco
Main allophones:
Main allophones:
This sound is an allophone of .m.. It occurs

This sound does not present major
allophones.
in the clusters ZMj+
Mf\
tanque Z!sŒ`Mjd\
- tanga Z!sŒ`Mf`\

This allophone can occur when /n/ is in
final position.
bien Z!aidm+
!aidM+
!aidl\
Spelling and distribution: Straightforward rules. <ng> or <n> when followed by <k, g>
ring, longer, monkey
Tip: Make sure you do not change the point of articulation of prevocalic .M.
to an alveolar
Zm\.
Rating: Very difficult when followed by a vowel.
NASALS

Phoneme

English
Phonemic status: Phonemic
Description: voiced bilabial nasal

Spanish
Phonemic status: Phonemic
Zl\
Distribution: full (final in foreign words)

mal – amo - Miriam
Main allophones:
This sound may become .m.
when it is
word-final
Miriam Z!lh3i`l+
!lh3i`m\

Distribution: full
mist – amend - whim
Main allophones:
This sound can become labiodental
before .e+
u.
comfort Z!jUEe?s\
Sam Vince Z!rzE
!uHmr\
Spelling and distribution: Straightforward rules. <m, mm, me, mb, mn> man, mummy,
come, bomb, hymn.
Tip: Make sure you do not change the point of articulation of final .l.. E.g. Where are you
from? Z!vd?¢
?
it
!e¢Pl\ not *Z!vd?¢
?
it
!e¢Pm\
Rating: Easy, except for some speakers when it is in final position

.l.

15

Prof. Francisco Zabala 2012

NASALS
Phoneme

English
Phonemic status: Phonemic
Description: voiced alveolar nasal
Distribution: full
net – annoy - seen
Main allophones:
This sound can become labiodental
ZE\
before .e+
u.
inflame ZHE!ekdHl\
inventory Z!HEu?ms¢fih\

.m.

Spanish
Phonemic status: Phonemic
Zm\
Distribution: full
no – andes - san
Main allophones:

This sound can become labiodental ZE\
before .e.
infame ZHE!e`ld\

This sound becomes dental ZmŒ\ before
dental ZsŒ+
cŒŒ\
ando Z!`mŒcŒn\ - canto Z!j`mŒsŒn\

This sound becomes bilabial .l. before
.o+
a+
l.
amplio Z!`lokin\ - en Brasil Zdl
!a3`rhk\

This sound becomes velar ZM\ before
.j+
f.
hongo Z!nMfn\ - manco Z!l`Mjn\

Spelling and distribution: Straightforward rules. <n, nn, ne, gn> no, beginning, wine, reign
Tip: Make sure you do not change the point of articulation of final .m.
unless it can be
assimilated phonemically or allophonically. E.g.: seen Zrh9m\ not *Zrh9l+
rh9M\.
Rating: Easy, except for some speakers when it is in final position


16

Prof. Francisco Zabala 2012

Lateral:
The greatest difficulties in here are:
1. The occurrence of dark or velarized Z4\ in English.
2. The devoicing effect of stressed .o+
s+
j.
on .k., which also makes it fricative ZJ\.

Phoneme

.k.

LATERAL APPROXIMANT
English
Spanish
Phonemic status: Phonemic
Phonemic status: Phonemic
Description: voiced alveolar lateral approximant
Zk\
Distribution: full
Distribution: full
loot – gloomy - stool
lazo – ala - sal
Main allophones:
Main allophones:
.k.
is always clear Zk\.

This sound is clear when followed by a
vowel or .i.
Loco Z!knjn\
– alma Z!`kl`\
– sol Zrnk\
Late ZkdHs\
– William Z!vHki?l\
.k.
can be dentalized ZkŒ\ before ZsŒ+
cŒ\.
A velarized Z4\ is used before consonants,
alto Z!`kŒsŒn\
– falda Z!e`kŒcŒ`\

silence and .v..
held Zgd4c\
– always Z!N94vdHy\
– full ZeT4\
A fully voiceless and fricative ZJ\ is used
after stressed .o+
s+
j.. This is the result of
the aspiration of these voiceless plosives.
Clear ZjJH?\
– apply Z?oJ`H\
A partially devoiced Zkfi\
is used after
unstressed .o+
s+
j. the sequences

.ro+
rs+
rj. and after .e+
r..
Deeply Z!ch9okfih\
– Aptly Z!zoskfih\
Buckle Z!aUjkfi\
Mostly Z!l?Trskfih\
– Exclaim ZHj!rjkfidHl\
Splash ZrokfizR\
Fly Zekfi`H\
– Sly Zrkfi`H\
Spelling and distribution: Straightforward rules. <l, ll, le> lice, hilly, vile.
Tip: Try to blow a lot of air when you produce ZJ\-
If you find it difficult to produce a
velarized Z4\ you can vocalize it and produce Zn+
T\. Compare: table Z!sdHan\, peopleZ!oh9on\
Rating: Clear .k. is easy. Dark .k. is harder for some people. ZJ\
is difficult.


17

Prof. Francisco Zabala 2012

Approximant /r/:
The greatest difficulties in here are:
1. The fact that RP English is non-rhotic, so /r/ is not pronounced before silence or consonants.
2. The devoicing effect of stressed .o+
s+

j.
on .q., which also makes it fricative Z¢fi\.

Phoneme

approximant /r/
English
Spanish
Phonemic status: Phonemic
Phonemic status: Phonemic
Description: There are two phonemes in
Description: voiced post-alveolar
approximant
Spanish: a) the voiced alveolar trill or roll
Z¢\
.q.
in rey .qdh., perro.!odqn..
b) the voiced alveolar tap .3.
or in trazo
.!s3`rn., pero .!od3n..
Distribution:
Distribution: restricted (not final)
a. .q. is restricted (not final)
room – marry
red – carro
b. .3. is restricted (not initial)
aro – amor
Main allophones:
Unless followed by .o+
s+

j+
c., this is a
voiced post-alveolar approximant Z¢\
green Zf¢h9m\
– road Z¢?Tc\

.q.

A fully voiceless and fricative Z¢“‡\ is used
after stressed .o+
s+
j.. This is the result of
the aspiration of these voiceless plosives.
Cream Zj¢“‡h9l\
– price Zo¢‡“`Hr\
Attract Z?!s¢‡“zjs\
A voiced fricative Z¢“\
is used after .c.
Dry Z!c`H\
– Children Z!sRHkc¢“mÿ\

Main allophones:
.3.
may have different qualities, the tap
being the most frequent one. An
approximant Z¢”\
softer than the English
variant can be heard, especially in the speech
of the young, especially before consonants.
Irma Z!h3l`+

!h¢”l`\

ir bien Zh3
!A”idm+
h¢”
!A”idm
\
There seems to be a neutralization in final
position. Some speakers use Zq\
while others
use Z3\or Z¢”\.

amar Z`!l`3+
`!l`¢”+
`!l`q\

vivir Zah!A”h3{{
ah!A”h¢”{{
ah!A”hq\


Spelling and distribution: Straightforward rules. <r, rr, wr, rh> red, marry, wrist, rhetoric.
Tip: Make sure you do not touch your palate, which is what we do in Spanish (once for
.3.
and many times for .q.). Also, you should be able to produce both fricatives variants, the
voiced Zc¢“\
and voiceless Zo¢‡“+
s¢‡“+
j¢‡“\.
Rating: Very difficult. Some speakers have trouble even in Spanish and they substitute

.q.
for ZQ\ and .3.
for ZC”\ among other possibilities. Some people tend to use the Spanish
trill or tap in English. Most learners, however, are able to use the approximant variant Z¢\
without problems. The sounds that are more problematic are the fricative variants,
especially in the combination Zc¢“\-


18

Prof. Francisco Zabala 2012

Semivowels:
The greatest difficulties in here are:
1. Not be tempted to pronounce ZR\ instead of Zi\ in words such as yes, mayor, York.
2. The devoicing effect of stressed .o+
s+
j.
on .i+
v., which also makes them fricative ZB+
V\.
3. The distribution of these sounds when they are not evident in the spelling. E.g.: hue, quite.
SEMIVOWEL
Phoneme

English
Phonemic status: Phonemic
Description: voiced palatal approximant
Distribution: restricted (followed by
vowels, so it cannot be final)

you – avenue
Main allophones:
This sound is fully voiced unless it is
preceded by a voiceless consonant,
especially .g+
o+
s+
j.
yellow Z!idk?T\
– William Z!vHki?l\

.i.

Spanish
Phonemic status: Phonemic
Zi\
Distribution: restricted (followed by vowels,
so it cannot be final)
hierve – cielo
Main allophones:
There are no major allophonic variants in
River Plate Spanish.


A fully voiceless and fricative ZB\ is used
after stressed .o+
s+
j.. This is the result of
the aspiration of these voiceless plosives.
cute ZjBt9s\

– tube ZsBt9a\
computer Zj?l!oBt9s?\
A fully voiceless and fricative ZB\ results
after the merging of the sequence .gi.Hugh ZBt9\ – human Z!Bt9l?m\
A partially devoiced Zi‡\
is used after
unstressed .o+
s+
j. the sequences
.ro+
rs+
rj. and after .e+
r..
copular Z!jPoi‡?k?\
– attitude Z!zsHsi‡t9c\
accurate Z!zji‡?¢?s\
stew Z!rsi‡t9\
– excuse ZHj!rji‡t9r\
dispute ZcH!roi‡t9s\
few Zei‡t9\
– consume Zj?m!ri‡t9l\
Spelling and distribution: Straightforward rules. <y, u, eau> you, universe, beautiful.
Tip: Try to blow a lot of air when you produce ZB\-
This sound is present in Spanish as an
allophone of .r. in words such as misterio ZlhB!sŒd3in\.
Rating: The voiced variant Zi\ is easy. However, ZB\
is difficult.


19

Phoneme

Prof. Francisco Zabala 2012

SEMIVOWEL
English
Spanish
Phonemic status: Phonemic
Phonemic status: Phonemic
Description: voiced labio-velar approximant
Zv\
Distribution: restricted (followed by
Distribution: restricted (followed by vowels,
vowels, so it cannot be final)
so it cannot be final)
when – always
huebo – risueño
Main allophones:
Main allophones:
This sound is fully voiced unless it is
There are no major allophonic variants in
preceded by a voiceless consonant,
River Plate Spanish.

especially .o+
s+
j.
Walter Z!vPks?\
– rewind Z$¢h9!v`Hmc\

A fully voiceless and fricative ZV\ is used
after stressed .o+
s+
j.. This is the result of
the aspiration of these voiceless plosives.
quick ZjVHj\
– Dupuytren ZcT!oVh9s¢“mÿ\
twist ZsVHrs\

.v.

A partially devoiced Zvfi\
is used after
unstressed .o+
s+
j. the sequences
.ro+
rs+
rj. and after .r..
upward Z!Uovfi?c\
– Gatwick Z!fzsvfiHj\
awkward Z!N9jvfi?c\
Westwood Z!vdrsvfiTc\
– squat Z!rjvfiPs\

Swiss ZrvfiHr\
Spelling and distribution: Straightforward rules. <w, wh, u> web, when, quite.
Tip: Try to blow a lot of air when you produce ZV\-
Rating: The voiced variant Zv\ is easy. However, ZV\
is difficult.

20

Prof. Francisco Zabala 2012

COMPARISON: GRAPHICS
These charts have been adapted from “Phonetics: the sounds of spoken language”, a cite created by the
University of Iowa. Retrieved 27 february 2012. />
Spanish ZsŒ\ and ZcŒ\

English Zs\
and Zc\

Spanish ZC”\

English ZC\

Spanish ZA”\

English and Spanish Za\


21

Prof. Francisco Zabala 2012

Spanish Z•\

English and Spanish Zf\

Spanish Zw\

English and Spanish Zg\

Spanish Zq+
3\

English Z¢\