059 chart sounds english and spanish

VOICELESS PLOSIVES Description: lenis velar voiced plosive Zf\ Description: lenis velar voiced approximant Z•\ Distribution: full goose – ago – fog Distribution: restricted not word-

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:

VOICELESS PLOSIVES

Description: fortis bilabial voiceless plosive

Zo\

Distribution: full

Pen – appeal – up

Distribution: restricted (not word final)

Pan – Copa

Fully aspirated in stressed syllable-initial

position when a vowel follows

pass Z!oç@9r\ – impose ZHl!oç?Ty\

There’s no aspiration in Spanish

Its full aspiration turns a following

please

Unaspirated after r.-

spin Z!ro= =?Ty\

Unaspirated in all contexts

`m\)

No audible-release in stop clusters and

probably before silence

Spelling and distribution: Straightforward rules <p, pp> ripe, upper

Tip: Make sure you aspirate it fully when needed Think about the devoicing effect it has on

Rating: Difficult

VOICELESS PLOSIVES

ZsŒ\

Distribution: full

Teen – Install – Goat

Distribution: restricted (not word final)

Tez – Gata

Fully aspirated in stressed syllable-initial

position when a vowel follows

tall Z!sçN9k\ – canteen Zjzm!sçh9m\

There’s no aspiration in Spanish

Its full aspiration turns a following

twin

Unaspirated after r.-

stood Z!rs= =dHj\

Unaspirated in all contexts

No audible-release in stop clusters and

probably before silence

at times great jeep

Glottal reinforcement

fat Z!ez>˛s\
There’s no glottal reinforcement or replacement in Spanish

Glottal replacement

Sit down

Spelling and distribution: Straightforward rules <t, tt> tart, matter Few exceptions (e.g

Anthony, Theresa, Thames, Tompson, etc.)

it fully when needed Think about the devoicing effect it has on

Rating: Very difficult

VOICELESS PLOSIVES

Description: fortis velar voiceless plosive

Zj\

Distribution: full

Kill – accuse – rock

Distribution: restricted (not word final)

Caso – pacto

Fully aspirated in stressed syllable-initial

position when a vowel follows

king Z!jçHM\ – record Zq?!jçN9c\

There’s no aspiration in Spanish

Its full aspiration turns a following

clown cute

Unaspirated after r.-

school Z!rj= =Hkc\

Unaspirated in all contexts

No audible-release in stop clusters and

probably before silence

Voiced Plosives:

The greatest difficulties in this group are:

English

VOICELESS PLOSIVES

Description: lenis bilabial voiced plosive

boot – abound – pub

Distribution: full (final only in loan words)

van – rabo – club

In rapid or casual speech it can be

weakened to a lenis bilabial fricative

Foreigners shouldn’t attempt this

about

It is mostly an approximant sound It becomes a plosive after a nasal sound and sometimes after silence

Ben ambos

un vino

avión albino Z`k!A”hmn\ – árbol Z!`3A”nk\

Fully voiced especially between voiced

sounds

about Z?!a`Ts\ – Cambridge Z!jdHla¢HcY\

Partially or fully devoiced before silence

or a voiceless sound

Gibson

obvious

No audible-release in stop clusters and

probably before silence

clubbed lab practice

No audible-release in stop clusters (if the speaker makes it plosive in self-conscious speech)

obtenga

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

Spanish, letters <v> and <b> are pronounced

Rating: Difficult

VOICELESS PLOSIVES

Description: lenis alveolar voiced plosive

gland – India – blood

Distribution: full (final only in few words in

self-conscious speech)

dan – radio – juventud

In rapid or casual speech it can be

weakened to a lenis dental fricative

Foreigners shouldn’t attempt this

muddy

It is mostly an approximant sound It becomes a plosive after a nasal or lateral sound Sometimes it is plosive after silence

den Andes Aldo

adhiero audaz

Approximant

ciudad

Fully voiced especially between voiced

sounds

adore Z?!cN9\ – London Z!kUmc?m\

Partially or fully devoiced before silence

or a voiceless sound

sandstone

bed time

advice

No audible-release in stop clusters and

probably before silence

bedclothes

No audible-release in stop clusters (if the speaker makes it plosive in self-conscious speech)

adquiere

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

that it is always pronounced at a different place of articulation (i.e dental) and is sometimes an approximant

Rating: Very difficult

VOICELESS PLOSIVES

Description: lenis velar voiced plosive

Zf\

Description: lenis velar voiced approximant

Z•\

Distribution: full

goose – ago – fog

Distribution: restricted (not word-final)

gas – ruego

In rapid or casual speech it can be

weakened to a lenis bilabial fricative

Foreigners shouldn’t attempt this

ago

It is mostly an approximant sound It becomes a plosive after a nasal sound and sometimes after silence

gol ángulo

agudo rasguño Zq`r!•tIn\

Fully voiced especially between voiced

No audible-release in stop clusters and

probably before silence

clogged log cabin

No audible-release in stop clusters (if the speaker makes it plosive in self-conscious speech)

Magdalena

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

Rating: Difficult

Affricates:

The greatest difficulties in this group are:

Some River Plate speakers tend to produce a weak

distinction between two and chew? If you can’t, you should aim at an extra long fricative

above affects the realization of English

just? If you can’t, you should aim at an extra long fricative element, i.e aim at ZcYYY\

articulate both instances of

Description: fortis palato-alveolar voiceless affricate

ZsR\

Distribution: full

chain – Inches – beach

Distribution: restricted (not word final)

Chile – macho

There’s no glottal reinforcement or replacement in Spanish

Glottal reinforcement

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.

Avoid ZsR\

Rating: Not difficult

AFFRICATES

Description: lenis palato-alveolar voiced affricate

ZcY\

Distribution: full

Jane – engine – manage

Distribution: restricted (not word final)

Yo – inyección

This is an allophone of R Some upper class people use if after silence or after a nasal

Spelling and distribution: Pretty straightforward rules <j, g, dge, ge, di, dj> judge, bridge,

George, soldier, adjunct.

Rating: Extremely difficult

Fricatives:

The greatest difficulties in this group are:

Spanish speakers who learn English tend to simplify final consonant clusters in un-English ways

indicates plural nouns, nouns in the genitive and the verb inflection for the third person singular

in the simple present tense Compare: mismo

FRICATIVES

Description: fortis labio-dental voiceless fricative

Ze\

Distribution: full

faint – refuse – sniff

Distribution: restricted (not word-final)

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

Rating: Easy Problematic in word final position, though

FRICATIVES

Description: lenis labio-dental voiced fricative

Zu\

Distribution: full

vice – convey - live

In the speech of people who labiodentalize because they have protruding

teeth E.g.: Mi bebé

by voiced sounds: Dafne

Spelling and distribution: Straightforward rules <v, vv, ve> vile, savvy, Clive

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.-

FRICATIVES

Non-existent in River Plate Spanish (lisp)

Description: fortis labio-dental voiceless fricative

This sound does not present any major allophones

Spelling and distribution: Straightforward rules <th> think, enthral, through

Tip: Make sure you do not confuse

presents difficulties, because River Plate Spanish speakers tend to confuse these

phonemes In clusters, go slowly: This theory

Rating: Difficult, especially in clusters

FRICATIVES

Description: lenis dental voiced fricative

ZC\

Description: lenis dental voiced approximant

ZC”\

Distribution: full

vice – convey - live

Distribution: full (final only in few words in

Approximant

ciudad

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

FRICATIVES

Description: fortis alveolar voiceless fricative

b It can be either

los llevo

los sobres los jarros fósforo

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

FRICATIVES

Description: fortis palatoalveolar voiceless fricative

ZR\

Distribution: full

she – mission – fish

Distribution: restricted (not final)

Traditionally, this sound used to be

speech of most middle and working class people, and some upper-class speakers too

Some upper-class people also use ZcY\ after silence or a nasal

Yo

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

FRICATIVES

Distribution: full

zoo – easy – because

Distribution: restricted (before voiced

.r

Desde Musgo Z!lty•n\

Los lados

Spelling and distribution: There are some rules, but the spellings <s, se, ss> can also

Rating: Very difficult Students sometimes find it hard to articulate and also they forget to

FRICATIVES

Description: lenis palato-alveolar voiced fricative

ZY\

Distribution: full

genre – usual – garage

Distribution: restricted (not final)

Spelling and distribution: This is a sound found mostly in foreign words <si, su, ge>

vision, usual, genre.

Rating: This does not seem to be very difficult, it is of infrequent occurrence

FRICATIVES

Description: voiceless glottal fricative

Spelling and distribution: Straightforward rules <h, wh> here, who

Tip: Make sure you do not use Spanish

Rating: Difficult for some speakers who tend to produce

Nasals:

The greatest difficulties in this group are:

NASALS

Description: voiced velar nasal

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

Zm\

Rating: Very difficult when followed by a vowel

NASALS

Description: voiced bilabial nasal

Zl\

Distribution: full

mist – amend - whim

Distribution: full (final in foreign words)

mal – amo - Miriam

Main allophones:

This sound can become labiodental

before

comfort Sam Vince

Main allophones:

word-final

Miriam

Spelling and distribution: Straightforward rules <m, mm, me, mb, mn> man, mummy,

come, bomb, hymn

from?

Rating: Easy, except for some speakers when it is in final position

NASALS

Description: voiced alveolar nasal

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

assimilated phonemically or allophonically E.g.: seen

Rating: Easy, except for some speakers when it is in final position

Lateral:

The greatest difficulties in here are:

LATERAL APPROXIMANT

Description: voiced alveolar lateral approximant

Spelling and distribution: Straightforward rules <l, ll, le> lice, hilly, vile

Tip: Try to blow a lot of air when you produce

velarized

Rating: Clear

Approximant /r/:

The greatest difficulties in here are:

approximant /r/

Description: voiced post-alveolar

approximant

Z¢\

Description: There are two phonemes in

Spanish: a) the voiced alveolar trill or roll

b) the voiced alveolar tap

Dry

Main allophones:

being the most frequent one An approximant

variant can be heard, especially in the speech

of the young, especially before consonants

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

voiced

Rating: Very difficult Some speakers have trouble even in Spanish and they substitute

without problems The sounds that are more problematic are the fricative variants,

Semivowels:

The greatest difficulties in here are:

SEMIVOWEL

Description: voiced palatal approximant

Zi\

Distribution: restricted (followed by

vowels, so it cannot be final)

This sound is fully voiced unless it is

preceded by a voiceless consonant,

A fully voiceless and fricative ZB\ results

There are no major allophonic variants in

River Plate Spanish

Spelling and distribution: Straightforward rules <y, u, eau> you, universe, beautiful

Tip: Try to blow a lot of air when you produce

Rating: The voiced variant

SEMIVOWEL

Description: voiced labio-velar approximant

Zv\

Distribution: restricted (followed by

vowels, so it cannot be final)

This sound is fully voiced unless it is

preceded by a voiceless consonant,

There are no major allophonic variants in

River Plate Spanish

Spelling and distribution: Straightforward rules <w, wh, u> web, when, quite

Tip: Try to blow a lot of air when you produce

Rating: The voiced variant

Spanish Z•\ English and Spanish Zf\