Spanish pronunciation: How to say the letter E – Episode 70

Spanish pronunciation: How to say the letter E

Podcast episode 70 – SEE ALL EPISODES

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

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Today, I bring you another lesson from my Spanish course.

See also: Maria’s step-by-step Spanish courses.

In this lesson, you’re going to master saying the letter E in Spanish.

So, how does the letter E sound like in Spanish?

This is what the E sounds like when said by a native speaker: e.

The Spanish E has a pure, unchangeable sound.

It sounds the same whether it comes at the beginning of a word, in the middle, or at the end.

Practise saying these three words. Say them out loud after me: el.

electrónico

chocolate

Imitate the way I say them as much as you can.

Let’s say them once more.

To help you master this Spanish sound, here are two essential tips:

Pronunciation tip number 1:

“Avoid pronouncing the Spanish E like in the English word: remain.”

Remember that the Spanish E always sounds like this: e.

Let’s practise saying these three words. Say them out loud after me:

en – in

euro – euro

reservada – reserved

Remember that the Spanish E never sounds like in the English word: remain.

Let’s say those three words again.

Pronunciation tip number 2

The second pronunciation tip I’ve got for you is:

Never drop the E at the end of Spanish words.

It’s often tempting to drop the final E in Spanish words. Specially when their English translation looks similar.

Unfortunately, dropping the final E can make Spanish words impossible to understand.

Let’s practice saying three words that end in E, and look similar in English and Spanish. Notice how the E is never dropped:

pasaporte – passport

filete – fillet

chocolate – chocolate

Let’s say those three words once more.

You may be wondering: Why do you need to have a good Spanish accent?

When you have a good accent, it’s easier to communicate with native speakers.

They’ll understand you without trouble. And you, too, will find it easier to understand native speakers.

Because you know what sounds to expect.

Also, having a good accent will boost your confidence. And it’ll motivate you to continue learning the language.

Come back to this lesson every now and then. Listen to the examples, and practise saying them out loud.

In other lessons, I’ll give you more drills to practise saying the letter E.

To recap: to master this Spanish sound, remember the two tips I’ve given you today.

“Avoid pronouncing the Spanish E like in the English word: remain”.

And

“Never drop the E at the end of Spanish words”.

Remember that, in my Spanish course, you can watch the video with this lesson.

And in the interactive lesson you can click on the examples, and listen to them at your own pace.

Have a look at
Maria’s step-by-step Spanish courses

Find out more about my Spanish courses.