How to pronounce “vergüenza”
Hear how “vergüenza (shame / embarrassment)” sounds in Spanish, then read the breakdown below.
vergüenzabehr-GWEHN-sah (Latin America) · behr-GWEHN-thah (Spain)
Accent
Breakdown
| Meaning | shame / embarrassment |
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| Syllables | ver · güen · za (3) |
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| Stress | Words ending in a vowel, n or s stress the second-to-last syllable: GÜEN. |
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| IPA (Latin America) | /beɾ.ˈɡwen.sa/ |
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| IPA (Spain) | /beɾ.ˈɡwen.θa/ |
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Tips for English speakers
Common mistake: The two dots on the ü mean the u is pronounced: behr-GWEN-sah.
- The single r is a quick tap, like the "tt" in American English "butter". Don't use an English r.
- v sounds the same as b. Spanish has no English-style v sound.
- 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
Me da vergüenza hablar en público.I'm embarrassed to speak in public.
¡Qué vergüenza!How embarrassing!
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