Getting Started
¡Empezamos!
⏱ 30-45 minWhat you'll learn
- ✓ Pronounce the Spanish alphabet and key sounds
- ✓ Use numbers 1-100 confidently
- ✓ Greet people formally and informally
- ✓ Understand basic classroom instructions
- ✓ Introduce yourself with name, age, and origin
Grammar Focus
Essential grammar for this topic with exam tips and links to full explanations.
Spanish Alphabet & Pronunciation
Spanish has 27 letters. Most sound similar to English, but some are different. The good news: Spanish is phonetic - words are pronounced as they are spelled!
Examples:
a, e, i, o, u
Vowels always sound the same (ah, eh, ee, oh, oo)
ñ (eñe)
Like "ny" in canyon: España (Spain), niño (boy)
j
Like "h" in hot: jugar (to play), rojo (red)
ll
Like "y" in yes: llamar (to call), calle (street)
rr
Rolled/trilled: perro (dog), carro (car)
⚠️Exam tip: Good pronunciation helps in speaking exams! Practice the tricky sounds: j, ll, ñ, rr, z, and the vowels.
Learn more about Spanish Alphabet →Stress & Accent Marks
Spanish words have rules about which syllable to stress. Accent marks (á, é, í, ó, ú) tell you when the stress breaks the normal rule.
hablo, como, españa
Words ending in vowel/n/s: stress second-to-last
hablar, español
Words ending in consonant (not n/s): stress last syllable
teléfono, música
Accent mark overrides the rules
Tip: Accent marks also distinguish meanings: el (the) vs él (he), si (if) vs sí (yes), tu (your) vs tú (you)
Learn more about Syllable Structure →Gender: El vs La
Every Spanish noun is either masculine (el) or feminine (la). Most words ending in -o are masculine, most ending in -a are feminine.
Examples:
el libro, el chico, el día
the book, the boy, the day (masculine)
la mesa, la chica, la mano
the table, the girl, the hand (feminine)
el/la estudiante
the student (can be either)
⚠️Exam tip: Watch out for exceptions! "El día" (day) is masculine even though it ends in -a. "La mano" (hand) is feminine even though it ends in -o.
Learn more about Gender Of Nouns →Subject Pronouns
Know your subject pronouns - you'll need them for verb conjugation.
Examples:
yo, tú, él/ella/usted
I, you (informal), he/she/you (formal)
nosotros/as, vosotros/as
we, you all (Spain)
ellos/ellas/ustedes
they (m/f), you all (formal/Latin America)
⚠️Exam tip: In Spanish, you often drop the subject pronoun because the verb ending tells you who's doing the action: "Hablo español" = "I speak Spanish"
Learn more about Subject Pronouns →