Input needed. What is the most difficult Spanish word for native English speakers to learn to pronounce?
What is the hardest word to pronounce that you know of in Spanish? Please include names and proper names, as they can be a challenge. One of my learning strategies is to learn the most difficult words as I encounter them. Thanks to all who answer.
33 Answers
I found "alrededor" tricky in the early days.
I think that certain trilled r sounds or d sounds followed by an r sound such as in cocodrilo and ferrocarril or ferrocarrilero
One that was always hard for me to say was "anaranjada" (orange the color). Basically, all the rules of pronunciation are learned in the first year of Spanish. There aren't any words that really ignore the rules. My suggestion is to find text, and even if you don't understand what it says, read it out loud to yourself. Don't focus on comprehension, simply practice reading out loud and you will be amazed at how fast it becomes easy to pronounce.
I break up difficult words like "estado-uni-dense" or "cuidad-osa-mente" and write it down 20 times on a piece of paper, saying it aloud at the same time. I don't give up until I can say it correctly. 
For me it is words that have the 'ñ' followed by 'ue' or 'ía' (accent on 'i'), as in pequeñuelo and compañía. I know the rules for pronunciation, but getting my tongue to cooperate is a different story! 
indeed i found a couple of words harder to say: Hipopotomonstrosesquipedaliofobia (people who are afraid of complicated words) Parangaricutirimicuaro (a town's name) TRISCAIDECAFÍLICO (people who beilive #13 is a lucky number) supercalifragilisticoespialidoso (Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, from the movie song of Mary Poppins) hormitorrinconarringologia Esternocleidomastoideo Alfaglutamiltranspeptidasa Dehidroepiandostenodiona Rinofibrolaringoscopia
No sé por qué, pero aunque....was the most difficult word for me in the beginning. 
The name of the volcano near Mexico City - Popacatepetle
Heidita said:
How about words with a double r?? Can you pronounce Ferrocarril?
No problem. In fact everyone I know can do the rolled "r" sound. I tried an experiment in the pub one night. Everyone was drunk, inhibitions were low. But when I asked them to say "restaurante", "Roberto" etc.......they couldn't do it
"acondicionamiento" - I can barely write it, let alone say it 
arreglar or any of its variations...of course its the double r...After I repeat words over and over I can do it, but my mouth and brain doesn't remember them for very long. The really long words can be a challenge, but you have to take them in small pieces.
I think "impermeabilizante" is a challenge, and is better articulated after a martini.
( I also posted this as an answer to a different question) possibly in error.
me gusta el trabalengua que pusieron en el enlace...compadre coco
(Favor de corregir)
Vehementemente. Acaba de ir en para siempre.
Almost everything that contains trilled r. Especially ahorrar.
I like this page for tonguetwisters, I've been recording myself attempting some of them jeje,
Deuteronimo.
I can say it now, but only after a lot of practice :D
