Pronunciation Lesson 21
U is (are?) a weak vowel
Which are the weak vowels?
Hopefully you remember that U and I are the weak vowels, but that this means nothing when this letter appears by itself. It is when U appears next to another vowel that we need to pay attention.
What happens when a U is with a strong vowel?
Just like an I, a U will blend into the strong vowel beside it. The two of them make a single syllable, with more emphasis on the strong vowel.
Listen and repeat:
- Cuenta
- Recuerda
- Cuantos
- Cuadro
- Cuota
- Aumentar
- Aula
- Europa
U is silent with a Q
The normal rules for a U do not apply when it comes after a Q. Remember that a QU always makes a K sound. That means that Quiero sounds like “kyero” and not “kwiyero.”
Listen and repeat:
- Quinto
- Requiere
- Quién
- Que
- Equidad
- Enrique
- Equipo
GUE and GUI
Another lesson we need to remember is that a U is silent if it comes in the combination GUE or GUI. In this case, it is only there to keep the G from being softened by the E or I.
Listen and repeat:
- Guerra
- Sigue
- Guitarra
- Guisante
- Guía
Making the “gway” or “gwee” sound
If a GUE always says “gay,” then how do you make the “gway” sound? With this happy looking letter: ü! With an umlaut (that’s the two side-by-side dots) over the U, it will make a W sound in the vowel combination. This applies both to “güe” (gway) and “güi” (gwee).
Listen and repeat:
- Vergüenza
- Antigüedad
- Güero
- Pingüino
- Lingüista