Spanish pronunciations

Question

How should words like cpu, ibm, dvd, etc., be pronounced in Spanish? Do we use the sounds of the English or of the Spanish letters? (I meant to use capital letters for the 3 words, but my question was not accepted since it was assumed that I was shouting.)

I was wondering that Rikko, I would likely need to use those abbreviations quite often. :P - galsally, May 7, 2010

I was taking it for granted that they would be pronounced as English words till now. - Rikko, May 7, 2010

Answer 1

Hello. For abbreviations like those, you say the letters in Spanish, so DVD would sound like "de ve de." More pronounceable ones are said like words, though. So, for example, the RAE (Real Academia Española) is called 'la RRA-eh', and the CIA is called 'la SEE-ah.' As Heidita points out, this varies by region. In Spain, the CIA would sound likee 'la THEE-ah' and DVD would be 'de uve de'.

Update: Heidita has pointed out that the letter V is pronounced 'uve' in Spain, not 've'. - MacFadden, May 8, 2010

Answer 2

so DVD would sound like "de ve de."

We say: de uve de

Abbreviated forms you can read, we use the reading form

psoe = pesoe

Nasa = nasa

CIA = thiah ()

So, is cpu ce-pu or ce-pe-u? Ibm is read as i-be-eme? - Rikko, May 7, 2010

ce-pe-uva, I would say. - MacFadden, May 7, 2010

I never knew that about 'uve' instead of 've' in Spain! I always heard 've' from Latin America. Good to know. - MacFadden, May 7, 2010