TooterThe Spanish alphabet
The Spanish alphabet has 27 letters: the 26 letters of English plus ñ (eñe). Their names start a, be, ce, de, e, efe, ge, hache. Ch and ll are not letters anymore (since 2010 they count as letter pairs), and spelling is so regular that most words sound just as they are written.
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All 27 letters of the Spanish alphabet
Sounds follow Latin American Spanish, with Spain's differences noted. Where two names are common, both are listed: the Real Academia Española (RAE) recommends uve, uve doble and ye, but ve, doble ve and i griega are still widely used.
| Letter | Name | Say the name | Sound | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A a | a | ah | ah, as in father | agua (water) |
| B b | be | beh | b; between vowels the lips barely touch | bueno (good), cabeza (head) |
| C c | ce | seh (theh in Spain) | k before a, o, u; s before e or i (th in most of Spain) | casa (house), cena (dinner) |
| D d | de | deh | d with the tongue on the teeth; between vowels, like the th in "this" | dos (two), nada (nothing) |
| E e | e | eh | eh, as in bet | mesa (table) |
| F f | efe | EH-feh | f | foto (photo) |
| G g | ge | heh | g as in go; a raspy h before e or i | gato (cat), gente (people) |
| H h | hache | AH-cheh | silent | hola (hello), hora (hour) |
| I i | i | ee | ee, as in see | libro (book) |
| J j | jota | HOH-tah | a raspy h, stronger than English h | jugo (juice) |
| K k | ka | kah | k (only in borrowed words) | kilo (kilo) |
| L l | ele | EH-leh | a clear l, as in leaf (never the dark l of ball) | luna (moon) |
| M m | eme | EH-meh | m | madre (mother) |
| N n | ene | EH-neh | n | noche (night) |
| Ñ ñ | eñe | EH-nyeh | ny, as in canyon | año (year) |
| O o | o | oh | oh, short and pure | ocho (eight) |
| P p | pe | peh | p, without a puff of air | pan (bread) |
| Q q | cu | koo | k (always written qu, with a silent u) | queso (cheese) |
| R r | erre | EH-rreh | a quick tap; rolled at the start of a word and after l, n or s | pero (but), rojo (red) |
| S s | ese | EH-seh | s | sol (sun) |
| T t | te | teh | t with the tongue on the teeth, no puff of air | taza (cup) |
| U u | u | oo | oo, as in food; silent in que, qui, gue, gui | uno (one) |
| V v | uve or ve | OO-beh, beh | the same as b | vino (wine) |
| W w | uve doble, doble ve or doble u | OO-beh DOH-bleh | w (borrowed words) | wifi (Wi-Fi) |
| X x | equis | EH-kees | ks between vowels; often s at the start of a word; like j in México and Oaxaca | taxi (taxi), México |
| Y y | ye or i griega | yeh | y as in yes (sh or zh in Argentina and Uruguay); ee when it stands alone or ends a word | yo (I), y (and), hoy (today) |
| Z z | zeta | SEH-tah (THEH-tah in Spain) | s (th in most of Spain) | zapato (shoe) |
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Ch, ll, rr and the other letter pairs
Spanish has five digraphs: two letters that spell one sound. They are not letters of the alphabet, but each one always sounds the same. Accent marks don't make new letters either.
| Spelling | Sounds like | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ch | ch, as in church | chocolate (chocolate) |
| ll | y as in yes for most speakers (sh or zh in Argentina and Uruguay) | llamar (to call), pollo (chicken) |
| rr | a strong rolled r, only between vowels | perro (dog) |
| qu | k (the u is silent), only before e or i | queso (cheese), aquí (here) |
| gu | hard g as in go (the u is silent), only before e or i | guerra (war), guitarra (guitar) |
| güe, güi | gw (the two dots mean you say the u) | pingüino (penguin) |
| á é í ó ú | the same vowel, stressed | café (coffee), música (music) |
Spanish alphabet pronunciation tips
Keep the five vowels short and pure
A, e, i, o, u always sound the same: ah, eh, ee, oh, oo. Don't glide them like English "no" (noh-oo). Getting the vowels right does more for your accent than anything else.
B and V sound the same
Spanish speakers don't tell them apart by sound, so to spell a word they say be larga or be grande and ve corta or ve chica in Latin America, and be and uve in Spain.
Practice the tap and the trill
Say "butter" fast in American English: the tt in the middle is close to the Spanish tap r in pero (but). For rr, rest the tip of your tongue behind your top teeth and push air until it flutters, as in perro (dog).
Three letters change with the next vowel
C and g go soft before e or i (cena, gente), and the u in qu and gu stays silent there (queso, guitarra). Once you see that pattern, you can read almost any Spanish word aloud. A Tooter tutor can then listen and correct the sounds you still miss.
Spelling things out loud
Useful when you give your name at a hotel, a doctor's office or on the phone.
Literally "How is it written?" The most common way to ask.
Polite form, for strangers and staff.
Casual. Polite form: ¿Cómo se escribe su nombre?
A common question, since they sound the same.
You'll also hear con tilde en la a.
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@learningwith.michelleQuestions learners ask
How many letters are in the Spanish alphabet?
27: the same 26 letters as English plus ñ. K and w appear mostly in borrowed words like kilo and wifi, but they are still part of the alphabet.
Is ñ a separate letter in Spanish?
Yes. Ñ (eñe) is its own letter, it comes right after n, and dictionaries list ñ words after all the n words. It sounds like the ny in canyon, as in año (year) and mañana (tomorrow).
Are ch and ll letters in Spanish?
Not anymore. Older books list 29 or 30 letters because they counted ch and ll (and sometimes rr), but in 2010 the Real Academia Española confirmed they are digraphs: pairs of letters that spell one sound. Dictionaries have filed them under c and l since 1994.
How do you pronounce r and rr in Spanish?
A single r between vowels is one quick tap of the tongue, close to the tt in American "butter." Rr, and an r at the start of a word or after l, n or s, is a trill of several fast taps. That's why pero (but) and perro (dog) are different words.
Do b and v sound different in Spanish?
No. In standard Spanish they make exactly the same sound, so tuvo (had) and tubo (tube) sound exactly alike. That's why people ask ¿con be o con ve? when spelling a word.
Is the h silent in Spanish?
Yes. On its own, h is always silent: hola sounds like OH-lah and hablar like ah-BLAR. The pair ch is different and sounds like the ch in church.
How do you say the alphabet in Spanish?
a, be, ce, de, e, efe, ge, hache, i, jota, ka, ele, eme, ene, eñe, o, pe, cu, erre, ese, te, u, uve, uve doble, equis, ye, zeta. Many Latin Americans say ve, doble ve and i griega instead of uve, uve doble and ye.
How do you pronounce j in Spanish?
Like a strong English h made at the back of the throat, a little raspy in Spain and softer in much of Latin America: jota, jugo, Juan. G before e or i makes the same sound, as in gente (people).
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Updated October 29, 2026. Tooter tutors are AI characters, not human teachers.