{"id":45451,"date":"2020-11-11T16:13:29","date_gmt":"2020-11-11T15:13:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/?p=45451"},"modified":"2020-11-11T17:41:04","modified_gmt":"2020-11-11T16:41:04","slug":"6-pronunciation-mistakes-spanish-speakers-make-in-english-and-how-to-fix-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/6-pronunciation-mistakes-spanish-speakers-make-in-english-and-how-to-fix-them\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Pronunciation Mistakes Spanish Speakers Make in English (And How To Fix Them)"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the biggest challenges for Spanish speakers when learning English is pronunciation. Often it\u2019s a struggle to produce certain vowel sounds. Sometimes it\u2019s a case of dropping<\/strong><\/em><\/span> consonants at the end of words. And for some people it\u2019s mispronunciation of the letter \u2018h\u2019 – a lot like Eliza Doolittle from My Fair Lady<\/em> (more about this later).<\/p>\n

Whatever the problem, there\u2019s an easy explanation for it.<\/p>\n

In Spanish there\u2019s a tendency to pronounce things the way that they\u2019re written. There are also some big differences between English and Spanish phonetics<\/a>. Improving your pronunciation is not about sounding native, it\u2019s about making yourself understood. And let\u2019s face it, sometimes the mistakes are so ingrained<\/strong><\/em><\/span> they sound okay to you.<\/p>\n

To help you overcome these problems, we\u2019ve made a list of six of the most common pronunciation mistakes Spanish speakers make in English. We\u2019ve also given you some fun tips on how to fix them.<\/p>\n

So relax your tongue. Loosen those lips. And let\u2019s get practising your pronunciation!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

1. Dropping consonant sounds at the end of words<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

When speaking English, Spanish speakers may drop consonants at the end of words. This is not a fatal mistake, but it is one that often falls through the net<\/strong><\/em><\/span>.<\/p>\n

For example, instead of saying \u2018text\u2019, Spanish speakers may say \u2018tex\u2019<\/em> or \u2018brefas\u2019<\/em> rather than \u2018breakfast\u2019. Instead of \u2018mind\u2019 you might say \u2018mine\u2019.<\/p>\n

This is because consonant clusters<\/strong><\/em><\/span> never appear at the ends of words in Spanish. As a result, you may drop the last consonant sound in English without even noticing.<\/p>\n

Often this creates problems with \u2018ed\u2019 verb endings – meaning words like \u2018worked\u2019 or \u2018loved\u2019 may be pronounced \u2018work\u2019 or \u2018love\u2019.<\/p>\n

Top Tip:<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

One way you can overcome this is by linking words in a sentence – just like a native would.<\/p>\n

That way you\u2019re not trying to hit every single sound.<\/p>\n

Try saying a complete sentence and moving the consonant sound over to the next word:<\/p>\n