Spanish grammar · Beginner
The Spanish Alphabet: 27 Letters and How to Say Them
The Spanish alphabet has 27 letters, the 26 of the English alphabet plus ñ. Ch, ll, and rr are digraphs (two-letter combinations with single sounds), but since 2010 they're no longer counted as separate letters. K and w appear mostly in loanwords.
El abecedario español
The Spanish alphabet
What it is
The Spanish alphabet (abecedario) has 27 letters: the 26 of the English alphabet plus ñ. Since 2010, the digraphs ch, ll, and rr are no longer counted as separate letters but still represent distinct sounds. K and w appear almost only in loanwords (kilo, whisky). The letters b and v sound identical in Spanish (both like a soft b).
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, Ñ, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z.
How to spot it
27 letters total. The unique ones to learn: ñ (its own letter), and the silent h (always silent in Spanish, hola is OH-la).
- Hola, H silent — Hello
- Niño, Ñ palatal sound — Boy / child
- Vivir / Beber, V and B same sound — To live / to drink
Letter names use the article la (la a, la be). For clarity, b is sometimes called be larga and v is uve or be corta.
Spanish Alphabet Quick Reference
Spanish alphabet, letter names
| Letter | Spanish Name | Sound Example |
|---|---|---|
| A | a | casa (KA-sa) |
| B | be (be larga) | boca (BO-ka) |
| C | ce | casa (KA-sa) / cero (THE-ro / SE-ro) |
| D | de | día (DEE-a) |
| E | e | elefante |
| F | efe | fácil |
| G | ge | gato (GA-to) / gente (HEN-te) |
| H | hache | hola (silent h) |
| I | i | iglesia |
| J | jota | jamón (HA-mon) |
| K | ka | kilo |
| L | ele | luna |
| M | eme | madre |
| N | ene | noche |
| Ñ | eñe | niño |
| O | o | oso |
| P | pe | padre |
| Q | cu | queso (KE-so) |
| R | ere / erre | rato / perro |
| S | ese | sol |
| T | te | tres |
| U | u | uno |
| V | uve (be corta) | vino (BEE-no) |
| W | uve doble | whisky |
| X | equis | examen / México |
| Y | ye (i griega) | yo / hay |
| Z | zeta | zapato (THA-pa-to / SA-pa-to) |
Common Spanish Alphabet Examples in Spanish
Key Spanish alphabet features:
Ñ, Spanish-Only Letter
- niño
- boy / child
- año
- year
- España
- Spain
Ñ is its own letter (not a variant of n). Pronounced as a palatal nasal, like the ny in canyon.
Silent H
- hola
- hello (OH-la)
- hospital
- hospital (os-pee-TAL)
- hablar
- to speak (a-BLAR)
The h is ALWAYS silent in Spanish. Never pronounced. Exception: in the ch digraph, where it combines to make the ch sound.
B and V, Same Sound
- vino / bino
- wine (same sound: BEE-no)
- votar / botar
- to vote / to throw, sound identical
- vaca / baca
- cow / roof rack, same sound
B and v are pronounced IDENTICALLY in Spanish. Both make a soft b sound. The English distinction (vine vs. bine) doesn't exist in Spanish.
G and J, Soft Sounds
- gato (GA-to) / gente (HEN-te)
- Hard g before a/o/u, soft (h) before e/i
- jamón (ha-MON)
- J always makes the soft h sound
- guitarra (gee-TA-rra)
- Gu + e/i = hard g (silent u)
G changes sound by following vowel. To keep hard g before e/i, use gu (guerra, guitarra). J always sounds the same (like a strong English h).
Spanish Alphabet, Key Pronunciation Rules
Each Vowel Has One Sound
A, e, i, o, u always sound the same in Spanish, unlike English where each vowel has multiple sounds.
a (ah), e (eh), i (ee), o (oh), u (oo)
Consistent across all positions.
This makes Spanish pronunciation more predictable than English. Once you know the five vowel sounds, you can read any Spanish word aloud.
H Is Always Silent
The letter h is never pronounced in Spanish. It's a historical artifact.
hola (OH-la), hospital (os-pee-TAL), ahora (a-O-ra)
No h sound, ever.
The only exception is in the digraph ch, where h combines with c to make the ch sound. Standalone h: silent.
B and V Sound Identical
Spanish doesn't distinguish between b and v in pronunciation. Both are pronounced as a soft b.
vaca and baca sound the same. Vino and bino sound the same.
Spelling distinguishes them, sound doesn't.
This is why Spanish speakers often confuse b and v in writing. Learn each word's spelling individually.
RR vs. R, Rolled vs. Tapped
Single r is a quick tap; double rr (or r at the start of a word) is a rolled / trilled sound.
pero (but, tapped) vs. perro (dog, rolled). Roma (rolled because at start).
Pronunciation difference can change meaning.
Pero (but) vs. perro (dog) is a famous minimal pair. The rolled rr is one of the trickiest Spanish sounds for English speakers.
Common Mistakes with Spanish Alphabet
Incorrect: [H-o-l-a] — Pronouncing the H in hola
Correct: [ola] — H is silent, just say OH-la
The h in Spanish is ALWAYS silent. Hola, hospital, ahora, hablar, no h sound.
Incorrect: [V different from B] — Trying to make a distinct v sound
Correct: [V = B sound] — Spanish v sounds exactly like Spanish b
Native Spanish speakers don't distinguish b and v in speech. Both make a soft b sound. Don't try to import the English v / b distinction.
Incorrect: Treating CH, LL, RR as letters —
Correct: They're digraphs (two letters), not separate letters —
Until 2010, ch and ll were counted as separate letters in dictionaries. The Real Academia removed them, now they're digraphs (two-letter combos), not standalone alphabet letters. Ñ remains a separate letter.
Letter Names and Pronunciation
Spelling Out Loud
When spelling a word aloud, use the letter names. Vowels are just their sound (a, e, i, o, u). Consonants have names (be, ce, de, etc.).
- Casa: ce, a, ese, a
- C-A-S-A
- Madrid: eme, a, de, ere, i, de
- M-A-D-R-I-D
- Niño: ene, i, eñe, o
- N-I-Ñ-O
Useful for spelling names and addresses over the phone or to clarify pronunciation.
Be Larga vs. Uve (Distinguishing B and V)
Since b and v sound identical, Spanish speakers often clarify which letter they mean. B = be larga (long b) or be alta. V = uve, or be corta / be baja.
- Vino con uve, no con be.
- Vino with v, not b.
- Mi nombre es Víctor, con uve.
- My name is Víctor, with v.
Common in Latin American Spanish. In Spain, uve is the standard name for v.
Spanish Alphabet FAQs
- How many letters are in the Spanish alphabet?
- 27 letters: the 26 of the English alphabet plus ñ. Ch, ll, and rr are digraphs (two-letter combos) but no longer counted as separate letters since 2010.
- Is ñ a separate letter from n?
- Yes. Ñ (eñe) is its own letter in Spanish, with its own sound (a palatal nasal, like the ny in canyon). It comes after n in alphabetical order.
- Why are b and v pronounced the same in Spanish?
- Spanish doesn't distinguish between b and v in speech, both are pronounced as a soft b. Spelling distinguishes them, but sound doesn't. This is why native speakers often confuse b and v in writing.
- Is the h silent in Spanish?
- Yes. The letter h is ALWAYS silent in Spanish. Hola = OH-la, hospital = os-pee-TAL. The only exception is in the digraph ch, where it combines with c to make the ch sound.
- How can I master Spanish pronunciation?
- Spanish has just five vowel sounds, once you know them, pronunciation is predictable. Learn the silent h, the b / v identity, and the rolled rr. Native input through Parrot videos calibrates your ear to natural pacing.