How to pronounce your name in spanish

The vowels (los vocales) in Spanish are fairly easy as each vowel has primarily one sound. The correct pronunciation of these vowel sounds is an essential element to pronouncing Spanish words properly.

As you read the following, please also practice saying these vowel sounds aloud:

Spanish WORD (English WORD)

as a short e in pet when a syllable ends in a consonant

Try saying these Spanish words:

Notice the I sound and the A sound in this Spanish word:

Try saying these Spanish words (practice the A sound too):

gato (cat)
macho (male)
bota (boot)
vota (vote)

silent after q when in the group que (pronounced kay)

Try saying this Spanish word:

as a qu when in the group qui (pronounced quee)

Try saying this Spanish word:

One very nice thing about Spanish is that the vowels are all pretty clear cut.

AAlways sounds like a as in father.EGenerally sounds like e as in met, let, bet, wet, etc.IAlways sounds like ee as in seen.OClose to English o in sore, bore, more, but shorter.UAlways sounds like oo as in moon, but shorter.

Try pronouncing the vowel sounds in the following name and phrases:

Santa Barbara

Every single a in this name sounds the same.

Métete en ese.

Every single e in this phrase sounds the same.

Dividí y dividí.

Every single i in this phrase sounds the same.

Como poco coco.

Every single o in this phrase sounds the same.

Tu kudú, su kudú.Every single u in this phrase sounds the same.

To say “My name is” in Spanish, say “Me llamo,” pronounced “Meh yah-moh,” followed by your name to mean “I’m called.” Alternatively, simply say “Soy,” before your name to mean “I am.” In more formal situations, like talking to a stranger on the phone, introduce yourself with “Mi nombre es,” pronounced “Mee nohm-breh es,” followed by your name. To learn how to tell when you should use “Me llamo” instead of “Soy,” scroll down!

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This quick guide will tell you how to say your name in Spanish. So of course, you’ll naturally learn a little bit of Spanish pronunciation too, okay? So….

• Review the pronunciation rules in part 1.
• If you’re lazy, just scroll down to part 2 the list of common translated names.
• And learn bonus lines for introducing yourself in Spanish in part 3.

By the way,  you should also hear REAL Spanish. So, here’s a free Spanish audio lesson. Press play and learn how to introduce yourself.

• Lesson #1 – What’s Your Name in Spanish
• Free Lesson by SpanishPod101.com (click here for more free audio lessons).

Part 1: Pronunciation Rules

To say your name in Spanish, first let’s brush up on 5 Spanish pronunciation rules. Knowing these will help you say the name correctly.

Rule 1: The Spanish R is trilled

The “double R” is produced by trilling the tip of your tongue against the alveolar ridge. You can find this area on the roof of your mouth, behind your front teeth. The “single R” is similar to the “tt” in “better.” However, a single R at the beginning of a word sounds like a double R:

• Example: Roberto (RROH-BEHR-TOH)
• Example: Ricardo (RREEH-KAHR-DOH)

Rule 2: The U is not pronounced in the letter combination GUE and GUI

When you see these letter combinations you need to be careful not to pronounce the U:

• Example: Miguel (MEE-GEHL)

Rule 3: The letter combination “LL” is pronounced like the English “Y”

When you see a “double L” in a Spanish word, you need to pronounce it like the “Y” in “yes.”

• Example: Guillermo (GEE-YEHR-MOH)

Rule 4: Spanish vowels are pure

Unlike English, Spanish vowels are always pure. This means that you only make one sound when you produce them. English has 4 “diphthong-pronounced” vowels (a,i,o,u), which means that you make two sounds when you pronounce each. For example, when you pronounce “A,” you make 2 sounds: “eh-eeh.” This is never the case in Spanish. In addition, vowels are always pronounced the same way, no matter where they are positioned in a word:

• Example: David (DAH-VEED)
• Example: Diana (DEE-AH-NAH)

Rule 5: Spanish accent marks indicate that that syllable is stressed

You may find Spanish accents, or “tildes,” over vowels. This indicates that that syllable is stressed in the word.

• Example: Andrés (AHN-DREHS)
• Example: Éric (EH-REEK)

Rule 6: The letter H is silent

“H” is always silent in Spanish. It is only pronounced in words that are adopted from foreign languages.
Example: Hilaria (EEH-LAH-REE-AH)

Now that you know a few rules, let’s get to the actual names.

Part 2: Common English Names in Spanish

Here are some English names translated to Spanish.

Refer to this chart if you want to know your name equivalent in Spanish. Be sure to learn the right pronunciation. If your name is missing, leave a comment and we’ll add it.

Male Names

Female Names

Part 3: How Introduce Yourself in Spanish

Now that you know how to say  your name, let’s learn how to introduce yourself in Spanish.

Let’s do both formal and informal. First of all, you must know that there are two forms for “YOU” in Spanish: “TU” and “USTED.”

• You use “TU” when you are talking to a friend or someone from your same age group.
• You use “USTED” in formal situations, when you are talking to someone you don’t know or an older person.
• The verb is conjugated differently depending on whether you use “TU” or “USTED.”

1) “What’s your name?” in Spanish (informal)

• ¿Cómo te llamas? (informal)
• Literal translation: What do you call yourself?
• Meaning: What’s your name? (informal)
• Pronunciation: KOH-MOH TEH YAH-MAHS?

The pronoun TU is omitted in this question. However, the reflexive verb “llamarse” is conjugated accordingly.

Please note the “upside-down” question mark (¿). You must know that this is used at the beginning of every question in Spanish.

Again, here’s that helpful audio lesson. If you haven’t done so already, listen to it – press the play button. You will hear the native pronunciation and English explanations.

• Lesson #1 – What’s Your Name in Spanish
• Free Lesson by SpanishPod101.com (click here for more free audio lessons).

2) “What’s your name?” in Spanish (formal)

• ¿Cómo se llama? (formal)
  • Literal translation: What do you call yourself?
  • Meaning: What’s your name? (formal)
  • Pronunciation: KOH-MOH SEH YAH-MAH?

The pronoun USTED is omitted in this question. However, the reflexive verb “llamarse” is conjugated accordingly.

3) I call myself… in Spanish

The literal translation of the reflexive verb “llamarse” is “to call oneself.” Note how the verb is conjugated differently depending on whether you use TU (informal) or USTED (formal). Now let’s see how you conjugate it with “YO” (I), when you want to respond to that question.

What is your name in Spanish pronounce?

What is the formal way to say my name is in Spanish?