Should I be concerned with different pronunciations?

Question

I am new to learning Spanish (something that has been on my bucket list for a long time). I have some CDs that I can listen to in my car while I travel called Drive and Learn. However, I have noticed that several words are pronounced differently than on this training site. Example: Me llamo - on the CD it is pronounced may amo but here is it pronounced may jamo. Another example is la toalla - on the CD it is pronounced like to (o is long) why a (a is short) with the stress on the "why" and 3 syllables. On this website it is pronounced twhy a with the stress on the "twhy" and with only 2 syllables..

Thanks, Teresa

Answer 1

I like gringojrf's answer. I'm in southwest Florida and have a Mexican native to practice my Spanish with. What I learned so far is still not Spanish as she speaks it, but she is patient with me in her corrections and explanations. You learn what you can and then apply what you know. Sometimes mistakes are the best teachers.

Thanks. - gringojrf, Aug 4, 2013

Answer 2

Spanish is a language spoken across twenty or so countries. Of course there will be different pronunciations and even different meanings to some words. As you become familiar with the language you will begin to see patterns in the differences in pronunication. For example the "ll" sound can be pronounced like "j" or "y". If you know where you are going to use your Spanish then try to find sites with speakers from that area.

I live in Mexico and so I am not concerned with how they pronounce things or the different meanings used in Spain.

Answer 3

Just pick a method or preferred pronunciation and go with it. I was recently at a happy hour with a peruana, a ecuadorana (sp?),a mexicana, a costaricensa y a colombiana, and though all those gals spoke a bit differently it really didn´t matter in the end. Just look at them as regional accents, and go with what the majority of the people you´ll speak with, will consider normal. For instance, if a Coloumbian arriving in Georgia ought learn English differently that the same person living Massachusetts.

Buena suerte.

R.

How do you get invited to these parties with all these gals? - kirk1, Aug 5, 2013

Ahh, youth! - Jubilado, Aug 5, 2013

Ha, Well, if one goes to 3 or 4 practices a week (yesterday alone was 3 of 2-hours each, the last with Margaritas and Charades en Español) it´s bound to happen. Good times. - rogspax, Aug 5, 2013

Answer 4

I would just like to say that you should remember that there are far far fewer pronunciation problems in Spanish than there are in English.

English is a pronunciation nightmare in comparison.

Ay-men, Ah-men and Oh-mein to that! And that's not even English. - Jubilado, Aug 4, 2013

Chou mein even. :) - ian-hill, Aug 4, 2013

:) - chileno, Aug 5, 2013

Answer 5

No do not be concerned with the variations. Learn Spanish with what you are using then picking up on the variations can't be any worse than someone from Texas communicating in Boston where the "r" is hardly pronounced.

good! - chileno, Aug 5, 2013

Answer 6

Here's a little help for vowel pronunciation (keep in mind that English speakers tend to drawl the vowel sounds more than Spanish speakers):

Dipthongs: AI, AY (like English eye) AU, AO (like English ow) EI, EY (like English ay in say) OI, OY (like English oy in boy) EU (like Spanish e and u said quickly together)

Semivowels: IA, YA (like English yah) IE, YE (like English yeh) IO, YO (like English yo) IU (like English you) UA (like English wah) UE (like English weigh) UI, UY (like English wee)

Separate Syllables: AE (ah-eh) EA (eh-ah) EO (eh-oh) OA (oh-ah)

So toalla would be 3 syllables with the accent on a, but if said quickly it can sound like 2 syllables.

You will find a variation on "ll" and "y" with it sounding like "j" in English. This is why so many Spanish speakers say "jew" for "you" in English. Some dialects even pronounce it like the "si" in television.