The English Alphabet
The English alphabet has 26 letters: 5 vowels (A, E, I, O, U) and 21 consonants.
Vowels and their sounds
| Lyrics | Short sound | Example | Long sound | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | /æ/ | cat, hat | /eɪ/ | cake, name |
| E | /ɛ/ | bed, red | /iː/ | tree, me |
| I | /ɪ/ | sit, big | /aɪ/ | bike, time |
| O | /ɒ/ | hot, dog | /oʊ/ | home, bone |
| U | /ʌ/ | cup, bus | /juː/ | use, cute |
Problematic consonants for Spanish speakers
- H → Pronounced (aspirated): house, hello, happy
- J → Sounds /dʒ/: job, juice, jump (NOT like the Spanish J)
- V → Lower lip + teeth: very, voice, video (NOT B)
- W → Rounded lips: water, window, work
- TH → Tongue between teeth: the, think, three
Minimal Pairs
Words that sound almost the same but have a different sound. Practice to avoid confusion:
| pair of sounds | Ejemplo 1 | Ejemplo 2 |
|---|---|---|
| /b/ vs /v/ | berry (baya) | very (muy) |
| /ʃ/ vs /tʃ/ | ship (barco) | chip (ficha) |
| /s/ vs /z/ | ice (hielo) | eyes (ojos) |
| /iː/ vs /ɪ/ | seat (asiento) | sit (sentarse) |
💡 Tip: Practice the alphabet by singing the ABC song. It's the fastest way to memorize it!