Travel Tidbits - I'm A Language Expert - Here’s How To Correctly Pronounce The Spanish Destinations You've Been Saying Wrong

Say It Right: How To Pronounce The Names Of These Spanish Cities Like A Pro

If you’re planning a Spanish getaway this summer, learning a few words of the local language can really help you get around. But even if you rely on the locals’ understanding of English to get by, you’ll still need to say Spanish place names correctly to avoid looking like a clown. 

James Smith from Learn Spanish With James shows you how to pronounce the destinations travelers commonly get wrong.

España

James explains, ‘Before we start, you should know that Catalan is a separate language from Spanish. It was founded in Latin and influenced by Arabic, Spanish, and French. The Catalan-speaking territories are often called Paisos Catalans in the modern day.’

‘Espanya’ is Catalan for ‘Spain’. While English speakers may say ‘es’ as in ‘fez’, it’s actually pronounced ‘aspania’ in Catalan. 

Malaga: Always Pronounce ‘A’ As ‘Ah’

English speakers commonly say ‘Málaga’ a bit like ‘Gallagher’. However, you need to stress the first ‘a’ as there’s an accent on it. Say the ‘ma’ like you’d say ‘ma and pa’. 

The Spanish city Ceuta often gets mispronounced as ‘Soota.’ However, you need to say it as, ‘Thayotar’. 

Ibiza and Cadiz: Pronounce ‘Z’ As ‘Th’

The beautiful Spanish island of Ibiza is located off the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. 

Many people mistakenly call it ‘Eye-bee-za’. However, the correct pronunciation is ‘Ee-bee-tha’. In Catalan, you say it as ‘eivissa’ (əjˈvisə).

For Cadiz, stress the ‘ah’ and pronounce ‘z’ as ‘th’ (a bit like ‘Cardiff’). James says, "Interestingly, Andalusia should be pronounced ‘Andaluthia’ (or ‘Andalucia’ in some parts of Spain and South America). Madrid has no ‘z’ either, but is pronounced ‘Marith’.’ 

Cordoba: Roll Your R’s 

In English, the letter ‘r’ is short and sweet. Once it’s briefly pronounced, that’s it. In Spanish however, the letter is fluid. Many English speakers pronounce ‘Cordoba’ with the ‘cor’ sounding like apple ‘core’. In Spanish, however, you should emphasize the ‘cor’ and roll your ‘r’.  

James says, ‘In Spanish, ‘v’ sounds like ‘b’ and ‘ll’ sounds like ‘y’ - so ‘Valle’ sounds like, ‘Buyay.’ Also, you never pronounce the ‘h’, so ‘hola’ is pronounced ‘ola’. If you rectify these errors you’ll enjoy Spanish more and be better understood by others.’

About Learn Spanish With James

Learn Spanish With James is a go-to online hub for mastering Spanish led by James Smith, a fluent Spanish speaker with over 10 years of teaching experience. With a rich background of living in Spain, Argentina, and Costa Rica, James brings a wealth of cultural experiences and linguistic immersion to his teaching approach. The platform offers diverse courses for all levels, from conversations to personalized tutoring, and access to free materials, podcasts, and e-books. With immersive activities and authentic content, it's perfect for anyone aiming for Spanish fluency. 

Post courtesy of https://learnspanishwithjames.com, who provided this information.