Learning Spanish pronunciation is fairly easy as long as you follow the rules.
First rule
If the word ends in a vowel, an 'n' or an 's', and the spoken accent falls on the next to last (penultimate) syllable, then the word does NOT have a written accent. This applies to the vast majority of Spanish words. Examples
toro / patata / joven / hablo - hablas
Second rule
Words that end in other letters have the stress on the last syllable. Examples:
All Infinitives: hablar, comer, vivir, esperar, comprar, pedir, etc.
azul, intensidad, mayor, universidad, hotel, robot, pared, amor
Third rule
Everything that doesn't fit into the two previous rules gets a written accent where the spoken accent falls. Examples:
Canadá, dígamelo, química, nación, estación, órdenes
fácil, álbum, difícil, síntesis, fútbol, lápiz, inútil, azúcar
Before you type the alt numbers, press on your Num Lock key. Here is a list of Spanish characters with their alt numbers.
á | 160 | | ¿ | 168 |
é | 130 | | ¡ | 173 |
í | 161 | | ñ | 164 |
ó | 162 | | Ñ | 165 |
ú | 163 | | É | 144 |
|
| |
|
|