Pronunciation of "aun".

Question

Im trying to get my head around "aun" and "aún", and Ive seen in earlier Q&As; that they mean different things. However, why are they sounded out the same? A is a strong vowel, so "aun" should have stress on the A. But when listening to the voice in the dictionary here it doesnt, instead the U gets the stress. Why?

Comparing with "aunque", the A gets the stress, which is according to the rules.

Are there more exceptions like this to the pronunciation rules?

http://www.spanishdict.com/translate/aun

http://www.spanishdict.com/translate/aunque

Welcome to the Q&A forum! - --Mariana--, Nov 6, 2012

Answer 1

Click on these links

aun

aunque

aún

Thanks ian-hill, but this doesnt get me any wiser about the pronunciation rules. They both sound the same, but in theory they shouldn't. - BjornM, Nov 6, 2012

Well "aun" must have the emphasis on the "a" otherwise it would sound like "aÚn which is a different word. - ian-hill, Nov 6, 2012

You can hear it if you listen carefully. - ian-hill, Nov 6, 2012

I agree that that is how it should be, however in your link I clearly hear that "aun" has stress on U, so Im still confused. - BjornM, Nov 7, 2012

Answer 2

Both "aun" and "aunque" get the stress on the "u."

Ah-OOn

Ah-OOn-ke

Thanks Mariana, I must have heard wrong for Aunque. - BjornM, Nov 6, 2012

Answer 3

If we follow the spelling rules, those words have different pronunciations, the cluster au forms a diphtong, that is, a close and open vowel together, with the phonetic accent always on the open vowel (A, E, O), but diphtongs are "broken" when the accented vowel is the closed one (I, U), so:

Aun (even): Aun

Aún (still): aUN

In aunque the diphtong is intact so it is pronounced Aunque

Thanks Diagonx. - BjornM, Nov 6, 2012

I understand that in theory "Aun" is pronounced with stress on A, but in reality here in Colombia they put the stress on U. So in reality I have to memorize certain words that dont follow the rules? - BjornM, Nov 6, 2012

Yes, for practical purposes you better not follow the rule, but knowing it doesn't hurt, does it? - diagonx, Nov 6, 2012

Thanks amigo. Do you know of other words like this that don't follow the rules? I better memorize them. - BjornM, Nov 6, 2012

Answer 4

I would suggest listening to difference.