How to pronounce “Mercedes”
Hear how “Mercedes (female first name)” sounds in Spanish, then read the breakdown below.
Mercedesmehr-SEH-dehs (Latin America) · mehr-THEH-dehs (Spain)
Accent
Breakdown
| Meaning | female first name |
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| Syllables | mer · ce · des (3) |
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| Stress | Words ending in a vowel, n or s stress the second-to-last syllable: CE. |
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| IPA (Latin America) | /meɾ.ˈse.des/ |
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| IPA (Spain) | /meɾ.ˈθe.des/ |
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Tips for English speakers
Common mistake: Say mehr-SEH-dehs, not "mer-SAY-deez" like the car brand.
- The single r is a quick tap, like the "tt" in American English "butter". Don't use an English r.
- c before e or i sounds like s in Latin America and like the "th" in "think" in most of Spain.
- A d between vowels is soft, close to the "th" in "this".
- 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
Mercedes es enfermera.Mercedes is a nurse.
Mercedes y su hija van al mercado.Mercedes and her daughter go to the market.
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