Top Pronunciation Challenges For Spanish-Speaking English Learners (And How To Fix Them)

Pronunciation can be one of the trickiest parts of learning English, especially for Spanish speakers. While Spanish is largely phonetic — words are pronounced the way they’re written — English is full of irregularities, silent letters, and unfamiliar sounds. 

TEFL teacher Ashling has spent nearly 30 years teaching English in Spain, so she knows a lot about how Spanish students struggle with English pronunciation. 

[She’s also shared with us how to save money while teaching in Spain.] 

Here she draws on her experience teaching English in Spain and shares the top pronunciation challenges Spanish-speaking learners face.

We’ll let her take it from here.

Ashling: Inspired by my best friend, I came to Madrid from Dublin in 1998, in search of adventure and a new way of life. She was teaching English and told me I’d love it. Well, she wasn’t wrong!

Read more: Ways To Work And Live In Spain As A Foreigner

I did a TEFL course in Dublin and started teaching private classes to teenagers, adults and Young Learners once I arrived in Madrid. That was nearly 30 years ago, and I’ve been teaching happily ever since!

Now I live in Peniscola, a small seaside town in Castellon, where I work both in-company and online. Here, I enjoy a wonderful life in a gorgeous Mediterranean climate.

That sounds like the kind of lifestyle we could get used to!

Ashling

But let’s get to the students. What are common pronunciation problems for Spanish learners of English? 

Biggest pronunciation challenges 

The biggest pronunciation challenges for Spanish speakers come from the Spanish language itself. That’s one of many reasons the sooner you learn the language, the better you’re able to teach Spanish speakers and live a full life in Spain. 

Read more: How to Learn the Local Language

Your empathy for language learners grows a thousandfold when you become a learner yourself.

That’s very true!

The first big factor to consider is that Spanish is a phonetic language —  meaning it’s pronounced exactly as it’s spelt, which can be mind-blowing for English speakers.

In theory, if you know the pronunciation of the 27 letters of the Spanish alphabet, you can pronounce anything and be understood. 

This also means that English pronunciation is a minefield for Spanish speakers. 

But despite these difficulties and the importance of good pronunciation, it’s a sadly neglected area. I place special emphasis on it and, for most of my students, it’s the first time they’ve had specific help with their pronunciation. 

Vowel distinctions 

Confusion between /ɪ/ and /iː/ 

This is a common issue for many learners, and Spanish speakers struggle with it too.

Example using “ship”  vs “sheep”

The /iː/ sound in “sheep” appears in Spanish too, but the short  /ɪ/ in “ship” just isn’t something Spanish speakers can easily copy.

I advise my students to stretch the length of the long vowel in “sheep” and keep the  /ɪ/ in “ship” short and sharp. So “sheep” sounds like “shiiip” and “ship” is just a quick, clipped sound.

More advanced students can get close to the “ship” sound. I spend a lot of time practising word pairs like “ship” and “sheep” with them.

Read more: 11 Common Mistakes With Word Pairs

Silent letters and spelling-pronunciation mismatch 

These are not difficult once you address them. You give the student a phonetic spelling; the memorisation is usually straightforward. 

Many Spanish speakers pronounce the –s in “island,” but a simple correction noting the correct sound usually solves the problem. 

Correction must always be done in a highly sensitive manner with no hint of ridicule or disapproval. 

The classroom must always be a safe space where students can make all their mistakes without fear of negative consequences. 

As a teacher, welcoming mistakes is the best way to help your students improve.

 

Read more: Encouraging Mistakes In The EFL Classroom

Final consonants 

Dropping final sounds like /d/ or /t/

This is a bigger issue. In Spanish, hard ending sounds like the /d/ in “Madrid” are pretty rare. Even when they do appear, about half of Spanish speakers tend to drop the final sound.

I hear lots of “New Yor…”, “My friend Mar…” or “My boarding car…” 

To correct this, I explain how important the hard ending is in English, relentlessly correct the errors, while insisting on each hard ending being given its moment. It’s hard work, but worth the effort to get my students to speak and be understood. 

An example of another common error is the distinction between “can” and “can’t” — crucial for effective communication.

TH sounds (/θ/ and /ð/)  

These sounds need plenty of clarification because they cause endless confusion. 

Words like “thorough,” “through” and “though” are very difficult to distinguish and need careful explanations and phonetic help to remember them. 

Words with these sounds are hard words to pronounce in English for Spanish speakers. If you can’t understand the difficulties these learners can have, say those three words out loud and hear how the –th letters change their sounds in the three words.

I make sure the student is aware of the placement of the tongue. They need to know whether there is: 

• vibration or not, and 

• aspiration (a breathy sound) or not. 

Breaking the words down into smaller parts and focusing on the physical pronunciation works very well. 

I slow down the word so the student can get the sounds in the right order. Once they’ve got it, we speed it up and practice it in drills, then in conversation.

Read more: How To Make Drilling Fun

H sound (/h/) 

Dropping H or adding it unnecessarily

The main difficulty is pronouncing an /h/ with a Spanish “jota” sound — the guttural sound of the –j that doesn’t exist in English, but is like a mix between /h/ and /k/. 

Intonation and word stress 

Flat intonation or misplaced stress

This area causes great difficulty for Spanish speakers. The only solution is careful correction of blatant errors by clearly showing where the word and sentence emphasis should fall. 

A recent example shows why this is crucial to correct. 

Example of misplaced stress

A student kept stressing the first syllable of “associates” instead of the second. That small mistake led to a complete breakdown in communication and even sounded borderline rude. Something to avoid in professional settings.

Consonant clusters 

Here, there are some difficulties like the past tense of “walked” or “talked.” 

I show Spanish speakers how similar these clusters are to the Spanish expression “que te.” This helps somewhat. 

Again, the solution is articulation: placement of tongue, aspiration and vibration. I use the phonetic cue WOK-QUET, then the repetition of word pairs “walked” and “talked.”

Ashling has developed her own system for teaching pronunciation.

It’s essential to have a method to teach pronunciation. My simple system has served me well, making my students more confident and accurate in their language skills.

Read more: How To Teach Pronunciation Online Like A Pro

Let’s check it out:

Ashling’s system for teaching pronunciation 

My students record new vocabulary, noting meaning, use and pronunciation. 

Example using the English word “no.” 

In Spanish, we have the same word, but you simply pronounce the letters –n–o. But in English, it sounds like “nou”. 

So, alongside the English spelling, I get students to record a phonetic version of the word (i.e., how it sounds) to recall the pronunciation.

Sure, there is a phonetic system in English, but most learners don’t know how to use it. I find that using the Spanish pronunciation of English phonetics (where learners apply familiar Spanish sounds to English words) works very well.

Example using the English word “law.” 

This is a commonly mispronounced word. Spanish speakers pronounce it as “low.” If I ask a Spanish speaker to pronounce the letters l–o–o–o, it comes out perfectly as the English word “law” (l–a–w). The student records this and it helps correct the LAW/LOW and SAW/SEW confusion.

Don’t panic: On your TEFL course you’ll learn about the International Phonetic Alphabet and its uses in the classroom.

Read more: What Is The IPA? An Introduction To The International Phonetic Alphabet

Besides developing our own way to help your learners with pronunciation, what tips can Ashling give us?

Tips for pronunciation challenges for Spanish speakers 

Psychological tricks

When a student of mine introduces themselves and I hear “I‘m from Espain,” my heart heaves. But I have a simple trick that eliminates this mistake. 

I teach them to say “Aim froms Pain” in their heads. It works like magic and adds polish to what should be a perfect introduction. By mentally separating the /s/ from the /p/,  they nail the pronunciation every time.

Three-step method

My tips and strategies to help Spanish speakers overcome English pronunciation challenges are based on these three steps:

• Identification: Often, students are blissfully unaware of their errors. For example, there is confusion between the English letters –y and –j. A student told me he was looking for a “yob” as a “yournalist.” My first step was to get him to notice his mistake and help him tell the difference between the two.
• Articulation: Next, he learns the articulation of the letter –y is made with a flat tongue and –j is the same position, but touching the palate.

• Repetition: Finally, I give the student word pairs like “job-yob” and they do several daily repetitions until the mistake disappears.

Visual aids

I use a visual aid to address the common mix-up between the /v/ and /b/ sounds—like saying “berry” instead of “very” — since these sounds are identical in Spanish.

I draw a kiss for the /b/ sound (“beso” is Spanish for “kiss”) to remind learners to place their lips together for the /b/ sound. 

For the /v/  sound, I use a vibrating bell, created by placing the teeth on the lower lip and creating a buzzing vibration. 

Students are self-conscious and find the pronunciation work awkward at first. But they soon start to have fun practising sounds and making motorbike noises and kissing sounds!

Read more: 5 Things You Should Know About Spanish English Language Learners

Daily repetition 

Spending a few minutes every morning practising in front of a mirror can really pay off. Daily practice can bring progress every student dreams of: overall improvement in both language delivery and communication effectiveness.

💡 A general tip for students of all levels is that pronunciation is all about  
    practice. It’s a physical skill, not just something you think about. 

Listen to first-language English speakers 

This is the best way to improve intonation. If that’s not possible, the next best thing is to watch English movies and TV shows with English subtitles. 

I recommend that students watch and pause often to repeat scenes, especially ones that are hard to understand. It’s surprising, but a second or third viewing works wonders.

Read more: Three Ways To Teach English With Movies

Recommended Resources 

These are all great ideas from Ashling. But for those of us who are still figuring out how to teach pronunciation, what resources would she recommend?

Ship or Sheep?

This is a classic book for English pronunciation. I use it with my students frequently. The explanations, illustrations and exercises are excellent, and the book delivers a whole course of pronunciation invaluable to all EFL learners.

Netflix

Watching movies, shows, and especially documentaries, is an excellent way to refresh vocabulary and improve intonation. With Netflix, it’s easy to add English or even Spanish subtitles to make the experience more user-friendly.

Google Translate

This simple app includes a function that allows you to hear a word and therefore copy the pronunciation.

Read more: 6 Pronunciation Terms You Should Know

Final Thoughts 

Pronunciation deserves far more attention, but is often overlooked, and placed third or even fourth, after vocabulary, grammar and exam technique. 

Often, teachers are frustrated by pronunciation errors that they can’t understand. So the very first challenge is to put yourself in the learners’ shoes and empathise. 

I knew a teacher who was always laughing at his students’ errors. Once, one of his students said, “Wan momen plis.” Instead of explaining, he just said, “What did you say about police?” 

This is unhelpful and damaging to the student’s confidence, making them afraid of making further mistakes. 

My best advice for teachers working with Spanish-speaking learners on pronunciation is to study Spanish. It will help you understand their challenges and give you a heightened sense of empathy for their learning process. 

Learning a second language helped me better understand my students and their challenges. It also made me a better teacher, and this has been reflected in my students’ success over the years.

Secondly, I would study the pronunciation guide “Ship or Sheep?” for practical help with particular difficulties. 

¡Muchas gracias, Ashling!