If you want to say the word “he” in Spanish, you would say “él.” Although it looks the same as the Spanish word “el” (the), keep in mind that it is accented and has a distinct sound.
Getting a handle on Spanish pronouns might seem a little tricky since they are gendered and change between singular and plural forms. Fortunately, there are only a few key ones to remember, and they’re used consistently in the Spanish language. The Spanish system for pronouns may seem pretty familiar, too, if you already speak another Latin-based language—such as French or Italian. When languages come from the same antecedent language, they tend to share many words that are noticeably closely related to one another. Those words are known as cognates. That’s why you can easily find English words like “important” that both look and sound remarkably similar in French (important), Italian (importante), and Spanish (importante). In addition to these similarities in spelling and vocabulary, you’re sure to notice that Spanish has a consistent system of pronunciation, with only a few rare irregularities. The Spanish alphabet also differs from the English alphabet by only three extra letters: ch (chay), ll (elle), and ñ (eñe).
Rosetta Stone pioneered a method called Dynamic Immersion®, so you’ll learn the language and not just the words.
What makes it effective is that we prepare you to use your new language in the real world. So it’s not just about the features, but what you’re able to do because of them. You’ll be ready to handle situations with ease and confidence.
Learn Spanish Words and Phrases
Many people embark on learning Spanish because they find that they frequently encounter the language in their everyday life. After all, Spanish is spoken throughout the U.S., and is featured prominently in movies, music, TV, and restaurant fare. Other people choose to learn Spanish due to plans to vacation, volunteer or do business in any of the 20 countries worldwide for which Spanish is the official language. So regardless of whether your reason for learning Spanish is for travel, employment or everyday life, you’ll be off to a strong start by familiarizing yourself with very basic and common Spanish words and how to pronounce them. This will help you acquire the ability to understand how the language is used in everyday situations by the approximate 437 million Spanish speakers around the globe.
Sometimes, new learners get sidetracked by attempting to memorize long lists of words and phrases. Then, they are frustrated when they find themselves unable to understand or speak in everyday, real-world Spanish conversations. That’s why it’s key that you learn to understand and pronounce commonly used Spanish words and phrases. Doing so will allow you to develop the confidence to comfortably engage in conversation with locals.
It’s worth pointing out that Spanish does have some characteristics that can make proper pronunciation of some Spanish words a bit challenging for new learners. As one example, the letter r is pronounced differently and takes some practice for most new learners. This distinct sound is formed by tapping the tip of the tongue on the roof of the mouth, about a third of the way back in the mouth. Some Spanish language experts counsel new Spanish learners to practice making the “tt” sound, as it sounds in the English word butter.
Acquiring the skills to accurately pronounce Spanish requires immediate feedback on your pronunciation efforts. This instant feedback will help you make timely corrections. Rosetta Stone guides you on getting the pronunciation just right with TruAccent. Our patented speech engine instantly compares your voice to native and non-native speakers, so you get real-time feedback for the most accurate pronunciation. It’s also adjustable, which allows you to fine-tune your accent. TruAccent is among the most powerful tools for helping you learn and speak the Spanish language.
After beginning Spanish learners have acquired basic words, short phrases, and their proper pronunciation, they will find it to be a natural transition to move onto learning longer phrases that make up much of real-world Spanish conversation. Rosetta Stone’s 10-minute lessons are designed to help you learn in exactly this way, because they teach the basics first, then move onto longer phrases. Each lesson consistently emphasizes proper pronunciation, to help you acquire the skills to comfortably understand and confidently speak Spanish.
Try Our Award-Winning App
Surround yourself with Spanish whenever, wherever with the Rosetta Stone app .
Download a unit and knock it out on the train or a flight. Select a 5-10 minute lesson and sneak it in while you wait in line or for your ride to show up. And explore dynamic features, like Seek and Speak, where you can point at an object in the real world and get a translation .
The best part? You don’t have to choose between app or desktop. Both come with your subscription and sync, so you can switch between devices seamlessly.
