Hi! How are you? This is Mirari from MosaLingua. When it comes to learning languages,
nothing is impossible. However, we can't deny that there are some words that get stuck in our
throats no matter how hard we try to pronounce them correctly. In this video, I will show you
10 words that people pronounce incorrectly in Spanish. Ready to train your muscles?
Before I begin, a reminder that we have many interesting videos about the Spanish language on our channel.
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to make much faster progress.
Before revealing my list of the 10 words that people pronounce incorrectly in Spanish, you should know
that it is based on European Spanish and not on the Spanish from Latin America,
where some of these sounds don't cause people any trouble.
In this video, I tried to select common words that most Spanish learners
hear often when they start learning the language. Ready to begin?
Naranja: "An orange juice, please!" If you visit Spain,
you will probably need to say this word when you order breakfast at a café.
Many foreigners usually pronounce the /j/ as a /k/ (/naranka/), and it's easy to see why.
The /j/ sound comes from the same place in your mouth as the /k/, but in this case,
you have to let air circulate throughout your mouth the whole time you pronounce it.
Ascensor: Do you live in a house with an "ascensor"?
The combination of the /s/ and /c/ make this word difficult. I'll let you in on a secret:
Many native Spanish speakers pronounce this word wrong. The trick is to pronounce the /c/ in a position
that is similar to that of the /t/ sound. Watch me: "ascensor" (elevator) or "piscina" (pool).
Decisión: Everyone understands this word because
it's similar in other languages. The difficult thing about it is like the previous word: the combination
of the /c/ and /s/ sounds. But in this case they are in different syllables. Many people say "desisión"
or “decición” and even “desición.” Remember that this word comes from the verb
“decidir” and I'm sure you'll find it a lot easier to pronounce!
Español: I'm sure you've said this word before!
I chose it because many foreigners have trouble pronouncing the "ñ,"
a sound that is particular to Spanish and some other languages like Italian
and French. Many Spanish learners usually replace it with "ni" and say
“espaniol” instead of “español.” One trick is to put your entire tongue
against the roof of your mouth and try to pronounce an "n."
Raro: This word is very common in Spanish
and we use it to say that something is weird in expressions like "¡Qué raro!" (how weird!)
The main thing that makes this word difficult is the two /r/ sounds: the double /r/ and the single /r/.
As you already learned in a previous video, it's important to relax your tongue for this consonant, to vibrate it
against the roof of your mouth and to place it in a similar position as for the /d/ or /t/ sounds.
Jorge: This word is a proper noun that has
equivalents in a lot of languages: George, Giorgio, Georges... As you can imagine, the
thing that makes this word difficult is the combination of the "j" and "g" sounds, which
are pronounced the same way. Many foreigners exhale when they say this sound and say something like "horhe"
and others aren't able to pronounce it at all. The Spanish /j/ is stronger than in
other languages and comes from the very bottom of your throat.
Hijo: This word is important as it speaks
about a very common member of the family. Not all foreigners have trouble
pronouncing this word. You just have to remember that the "h" is totally silent in Spanish and
you shouldn't pronounce it. We already talked about the /j/, so just remember not to mix it up
with the /k/ sound. “Hijo,” not “hiko.”
Luego: I must confess that this word is for experts. If you speak a little Spanish, I'm sure
that you've said goodbye to someone with "¡Hasta luego!" It seems like
an easy word. However, in Spanish, when the /g/ sound goes between vowels
it is more "relaxed" than when it is at the beginning of a word. It's as if the air
had escaped from your throat. We say "hasta luego" and not "hasta lueko," as many foreigners say.
Rollo: This Spanish slang word is widely used among native speakers.
It means many things, but it is mainly used when something is boring
or when we believe that someone is telling a lie. “¡Qué rollo!” (What a drag/bore!)
Or “Nos soltó el rollo de siempre” (He gave us the usual spiel).
There's the "ll" sound and also our beloved "r" sound. Remember that you shouldn't
pronounce an /i/ instead of a /ll/. We don't say "roio" but "rollo."
To do so, place the back of your tongue just in front of your throat and block the air.
Refrigerador: Yes, I left the most difficult word for last because it contains many of the sounds
we have talked about. Three /r/ sounds and our beloved "g," which when combined with "e" and
“i” is pronounced like a /j/. Try to say it 3 times in a row: "Refrigerador,
refrigerador, refrigerador." Even for me it's difficult...
Well, that's all for today. I hope you enjoyed the video and found it
useful for learning new sounds and words. Remember that you can use your MosaLingua app
to practice your pronunciation in Spanish whenever you want. Before you leave,
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See you soon!