How to pronounce “empezar”
Hear how “empezar (to begin, to start)” sounds in Spanish, then read the breakdown below.
empezarehm-peh-SAHR (Latin America) · ehm-peh-THAHR (Spain)
Accent
Breakdown
| Meaning | to begin, to start |
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| Syllables | em · pe · zar (3) |
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| Stress | Words ending in a consonant other than n or s stress the last syllable: ZAR. |
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| IPA (Latin America) | /em.pe.ˈsaɾ/ |
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| IPA (Spain) | /em.pe.ˈθaɾ/ |
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Tips for English speakers
- The single r is a quick tap, like the "tt" in American English "butter". Don't use an English r.
- z sounds like s in Latin America and like the "th" in "think" in most of Spain.
- Keep every vowel short and pure: a = "ah", e = "eh", i = "ee", o = "oh", u = "oo". No gliding.
Learn more: Spanish R and RR · Spain vs. Latin America · Stress and accent marks
Example sentences
La clase empieza a las diez.Class starts at ten.
Vamos a empezar.Let's get started.
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