Pronunciation Lesson 7
Gue and Gui
How do you pronounce them?
We need to remember first that G is a hard letter, unless it is followed by E or I. But in that case, how could you make a hard GI sound, like our English word gill? Or a hard GE sound, like the English gear?
Well, English spelling has all the clues you need for this one. Consider the following words:
- Guilt
- Guitar
- Guile
- Guess
- Guest
In all of these examples, the U is silent, making a hard GI or hard GE sound.
Spanish works exactly the same in this case. Whenever you see the combination of GUI or GUE, the U is silent and the G is hard. Think of the U as an invisible wall, preventing the E or I from softening the G!
Practice Words
Listen carefully to the recording, and say the words just like you hear them. Practice this at least twice.
- Guitarra
- Seguir
- Erguir
- Guerra
- Guepardo
- Sigue
- Merengue
Practice Sentences
You will hear each of the following sentences twice; listen carefully! After the second time, repeat what you heard. You will hear it once more, and say it once more.
El guepardo sigue el guión con la guitarra.
(The cheetah follows the screenplay with the guitar.)
El guía distingue el merengue en la guerra.
(The guide distinguishes the merengue (a type of music) in the war.)