in the word for water, agua, is the g sound pronounced when the word is said?

Question

Help, in the word "agua" is the g pronounced when said. I have heard it said both ways. Which is correct? JO

good question :) - sunshinzmommie, ABR 20, 2010

Answer 1

Whoa! This is an entirely new idea for me! What do you all mean you "don't pronounce it"?

The only "silent" letter in Spanish is the "h". Everything else you pronounce.

Now... Obviously the non-native speakers are in agreement about something here, so I started sounding different "g" word to myself. To test this mysterious thing further, I recorded myself pronouncing the words, and played the recording out loud.

So I think maybe I figured what the deal is: some of the words I seem to pronounce as if with a "w" sound. More "awah" than "aggua" - which I think maybe is what you expect when you talk about "pronouncing" the "g".

All the same, I do pronounce it. If I make a concious effort not to pronounce the "g", I can feel a slight difference deep inside my throat. There's a tension there that is present when I pronounce normally, and is gone when I deliberately don't pronounce the "g".

That's all I can figure about this puzzle. Any other insights perhaps?

Yes, that is how I pronounce it. I meant I don't pronounce it like a 'g'. Thanks. - Oblaidon, ABR 20, 2010

Exactly :) How great of you! - sunshinzmommie, ABR 20, 2010

Answer 2

This is an odd question for me. Marianne has taken it in stride, so it must make sense to non-native speaker.

My answer would be that the "g" is always pronounced in Spanish... I reckon how much you hear it has to do with the speaker's accent, but it is always pronounced nevertheless.

Here, here. - samdie, ABR 20, 2010

sometimes it is hard for us to "hear'' the g in Spanish.....it seems to make a different sound in agua and many times I have heard it pronounced without the actual g sound. I love learning these little things :) Thanks!! - sunshinzmommie, ABR 20, 2010

Answer 3

Take a listen to this pronunciation (there is a little speaker next to the word "agua").

You'll hear the "g" but it's very faint.

If you follow the link there are to speaker icons: one with a voice only that clearly pronounced G, then the other icon to watch a video of a guy in which you can barely hear the G. The guy also calls "el agua" a feminine noun. ?? - anoll, JUN 1, 2017

Answer 4

What do you all mean you "don't pronounce it"?

Funny as jalbert said this

If you´re learning sophisticated Spain Spanish then you would pronounce it,

and the truth is...we don't pronounce it

That is a really shocking realization to me, Heidita. I never, ever thought about that before! - Gekkosan, ABR 20, 2010

Thanks, I didn´t know that. :) - 007d3a4d, ABR 20, 2010

Wait... Do you mean that Spanish speakers from Spain don´t pronounce it? - 007d3a4d, ABR 21, 2010

Answer 5

It can depend on the dialect. If you´re learning sophisticated Spain Spanish then you would pronounce it, if ever so slightly. It is harder to hear it in the Mexican dialect. It all depends.

Answer 6

I don't pronounce it, and I never have been corrected by my Mexican/Californian brothers. And they do correct me a lot.