Is there a rule for this pronunciation?

Question

la residencia estudiantil (dormitory) It sounds like the "L" at the end of estudiantil is silent. Is there a rule about that or is this just the way you say this word?

Answer 1

Final consonants, for most Spanish speakers, tend to be very soft and "underpronounced" compared to comparable words in English. This is one of the reasons English speakers initally have a hard time understanding spoken Spanish. We "expect" to hear those sharp consonant sounds at the end of words, and when we don't hear them, we can't differentiate words.

In your example, "estudiantil" may sound like "ehs-stoo-ee-ahn-teeh", but that final "L"really is pronounced. It is just very soft. Look at the word "ciudad". Most English speakers expect to hear "see-oo-dahd", but usually encounter something like "see-oo-thah". The final d is very soft and may seem to be silent.

This varies somewhat by region, but I think it is pretty generally true.

God answer, noetol. - annierats, Jun 8, 2012

Thanks, Annie! :)) - Noetol, Jun 8, 2012

Thanks. I'll try to remember not to expect to hear all the letters. - RachelC, Jun 8, 2012