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Teaching Spanish pronunciation
Teaching Spanish pronunciation

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International Phonetic Alphabet

In this course we are going to use the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). The International Phonetic Alphabet is a system in which each symbol is associated with a particular sound. 

By using IPA, you can know how to pronounce a word in any language.

Table 3 IPA
  Bilabial Labiodental Dental Interdental
(Voicing) -         + -         + -       + -         +

Nasal

 

         m      

Plosive

 

p        b   t        d  

Fricative

 

         (β) f           (ð) (θ)

Affricate

 

                              

Tap/Flap

 

       

Trill

 

       

Lateral

 

       
Table 4 IPA
  Alveolar

Post

alveolar

Palatal Velar Glottal
(Voicing) -         + -         + -        + -     + -        +

Nasal

 

           n             ɲ           (ŋ)  

Plosive

 

      k     g  

Fricative

 

s        (z) (ʃ)   x   (ɣ) (h)

Affricate

 

    ʧ   (dʒ)    

Tap/Flap

 

 ɾ             

Trill

 

r        

Lateral

 

            l               (ʎ)    

The consonantal sounds of Spanish. The sounds in brackets only occur in some varieties of Spanish or in specific phonetic contexts. 

Activity 5

Timing: Allow approximately 20 minutes.

Find the voiced counterpart for each of the voiceless sounds in the left-hand column. This exercise involves the sounds of English.

Table 5 Voiced counterpart
Voiceless Voiced
t – too z – zip
θ – think  v - very  
s – sip ð – they 
k  – came  d – do 
f - ferry g – game 

Answer

Table 6 Voiced counterpart (answers)
Voiceless Voiced
t – too d – do 
θ – think  ð – they 
s – sip z – zip 
k  – came  g – game 
f - ferry v - very
Hulade, José Ignacio. The Sounds of Spanish, 2005, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.