How to pronounce “carretera”
Hear how “carretera (highway / road)” sounds in Spanish, then read the breakdown below.
carreterakah-rreh-TEH-rah
Accent
Breakdown
| Meaning | highway / road |
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| Syllables | ca · rre · te · ra (4) |
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| Stress | Words ending in a vowel, n or s stress the second-to-last syllable: TE. |
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| IPA | /ka.re.ˈte.ɾa/ |
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Tips for English speakers
Common mistake: The rr is rolled: kah-rreh-TEH-rah.
- The single r is a quick tap, like the "tt" in American English "butter". Don't use an English r.
- The rr is rolled: the tip of the tongue flutters against the roof of the mouth.
- Keep every vowel short and pure: a = "ah", e = "eh", i = "ee", o = "oh", u = "oo". No gliding.
Learn more: Spanish R and RR · Stress and accent marks · Spanish vowels
Example sentences
La carretera está cerrada.The road is closed.
Hay mucho tráfico en la carretera.There's a lot of traffic on the highway.
More words
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