Fundamentos

Pronunciation of C and Z

¡Hola estudiantes! Today we are going to talk about how to pronounce two tricky letters in Spanish: “C” and “Z”. These two letters can cause confusion for English speakers because they have different sounds depending on the context.

When “C” or “Z” is followed by an “e” or an “i”, it has a soft “s” sound, like the “s” in “sit”. For example, the word “casa” (house) is pronounced “ca-sa”. The word “cerveza” (beer) is pronounced “cer-ve-za”. And the word “zapato” (shoe) is pronounced “za-pa-to”.

On the other hand, when “C” or “Z” is followed by an “a”, an “o”, or a “u”, it has a hard “k” sound, like the “k” in “kite”. For example, the word “cama” (bed) is pronounced “ka-ma”. The word “caja” (box) is pronounced “ka-ha”. And the word “zumo” (juice) is pronounced “su-mo”.

If you’re still having trouble with the pronunciation, here’s a helpful tip: try saying the word “cats”. The “c” in “cats” has a hard “k” sound, while the “s” has a soft “s” sound. This is similar to how “C” and “Z” work in Spanish.

So, to sum up: “C” and “Z” have a soft “s” sound when followed by an “e” or an “i”, and a hard “k” sound when followed by an “a”, an “o”, or a “u”. With a little practice, you’ll be able to master the pronunciation of these tricky letters in no time. ¡Buena suerte! (Good luck!)