In order to learn the Spanish alphabet, you only have to add three more letters to the English alphabet. So if you teach yourself how to say ch(che), ll (elle) and n (ene), you will know the entire Spanish alphabet, since you already know the English one. Give it a try: a,b,c,ch,d,e,f,g,h,I,j,k,l,ll,m,n,o,p,q,r,s,t,u,v,w,x,y,z.

Here is a bit of trivia about the Spanish language. There is no word in Spanish that contains the letters "w" or "k". So the only time you will see these letters in a Spanish word, that means that the word has been borrowed from another language. Some people add another letter, "rr", which simply indicates a very strong roll to the r sound, but others do not feel that this is a separate letter.

if you are going to look up a word in a Spanish dictionary, you will have to know a little something about how dictionaries have changed. Older dictionaries frequently list words starting with "ch" after the words starting with "c", regardless of the rest of the letters. Newer dictionaries will put everything in alphabetical order. In the case of "n" versus "ñ", the opposite happens. This development is fairly recent, so you only have to watch for changes if you use a dictionary published after 1994.

In addition, there are many letters used in Spanish words that are not actually part of the alphabet, but are an existing letter with an accent on it. Many of the vowels change their pronunciation with the addition of an accent. This does not make them a separate letter, as it may in other languages.

English speakers already know a lot of Spanish words because the Spanish culture is pervasive in so many parts of the world. if you think about some of the Spanish words you use, you will be able to pronounce Spanish more easily. A good example is the English word "baby" and the Spanish word meaning the same thing, "bebe", which are pronounced very similarly.

Practice sounding out the letters of the Spanish alphabet, and you will be on your way to pronouncing Spanish words. This is always a good idea if you are traveling to a Spanish speaking country. Even if you have not mastered the language, people in a foreign country are always impressed and flattered that you have made an effort to try to speak their native language. In most cases, you will not even need to try to speak Spanish, since many Spanish, especially in the hotel or entertainment industries speak English. But try to say a few things in Spanish anyway. The Spanish are a warm and welcoming people, and they will be even more so if you make this effort.

Clinton Maxwell
http://www.alicante-spain.com