How to pronounce “especial”
Hear how “especial (special)” sounds in Spanish, then read the breakdown below.
especialehs-peh-SYAHL (Latin America) · ehs-peh-THYAHL (Spain)
Accent
Breakdown
| Meaning | special |
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| Syllables | es · pe · cial (3) |
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| Stress | Words ending in a consonant other than n or s stress the last syllable: CIAL. |
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| IPA (Latin America) | /es.pe.ˈsjal/ |
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| IPA (Spain) | /es.pe.ˈθjal/ |
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Tips for English speakers
Common mistake: There's an e before the s: es-peh-SYAHL, not "SPESH-ul".
- c before e or i 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: Spain vs. Latin America · Stress and accent marks · Spanish vowels
Example sentences
Hoy es un día especial.Today is a special day.
Eres muy especial para mí.You're very special to me.
More words
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