Spanish for Beginners
Your first steps in Spanish
Why Spanish is easier than you think
Spanish is a Romance language spoken by more than 500 million people worldwide. Like English, it has clear rules and patterns. The biggest advantage? Spanish pronunciation is very consistent — each letter almost always makes the same sound!
The language has 27 letters (including ñ) and stress follows clear rules: words ending in a vowel, -n, or -s are stressed on the second-to-last syllable; others on the last. Accent marks show exceptions.
Spanish verbs follow three main patterns (-ar, -er, -ir), and if you know one pattern, you can recognise hundreds of verbs. Perfect for reading simple texts!
Key tips:
- • The letter ñ is unique to Spanish (like niño = child)
- • H is always silent in Spanish (hola = ola)
- • Double rr is a strong rolling sound (perro vs pero)
- • Question marks and exclamation marks go on both sides (¿? ¡!)
The Spanish Alphabet & Sounds
The basics of pronunciation
Spanish has 27 letters. Pronunciation is much more consistent than in English — what you see is what you get!
Important sound combinations
Single vs Double — Important differences!
In Spanish, only rr, ll, cc, and nn occur as doubles. RR is especially important:
Accents — When and why
Greetings & Essential Phrases
The basis of every conversation
These words and phrases appear in every Spanish story. They are the building blocks of social interaction.
Greetings throughout the day
How are you? — Questions
How are you? — Answers
Saying goodbye
Polite forms — Essential!
Important responses
Ser & Estar — Two ways to say "to be"
The most important verbs in Spanish
Spanish has TWO verbs for "to be": SER for permanent characteristics and ESTAR for temporary states and locations.
