The Spanish vowels are very easy to learn, because each vowel has one sound, which is kept all the time. Now, my friends, you are going to study a new language. You have to learn new sounds for the letters, so try to use these new sounds from the very beginning, in order to accustom yourself to the Spanish pronunciation. Do not name the vowels in English, but in Spanish.

We are going to start our lesson with some exercises in pronunciation.

The first vowel, a, is pronounced as in the English exclamation ah!

Everybody, open the mouth and pronounce: a, a, a, a.

Now, I am going to write on the blackboard, and ask you to pronounce: ba, sa, ma, pa, ta, ca; ala, casa, rama, tata, nana, rata, lana.

Repeat the first vowel: a, a, a, a.

The second vowel, e, is pronounced like the ai in pair: e, e, e, e.

Please repeat, everybody: e, e, e, e, a, e, a, e, a, a, a, e, e, e.

I am going to write on the blackboard for you to repeat: se, le, el, en, pe, te, de, nene, este, ser, ver, vete, mesa, regla, ese, besa, etc.

Now, please pronounce again the exercise which I gave you with the first vowel: ba, sa, ma. Now the one with the second vowel: se, le, el, etc. All right.

The third vowel is pronounced like the English i in the word "machine". Repeat: i, i, i, i, mi, si, li, ni, ri, ti, bi, pi, rima, pila, tina, bien, nina, risa.

Repeat the exercise with the first vowel; with the second; with the third. Repeat three times each vowel: a, e, i; e, a, i; i, e, a

The fourth vowel is pronounced like o in the English word "no".

Repeat: o, o, o, o, bo, mo, go, so, po, to, go, bobo, oso, como, poco, gomoso, tonto, soso oro, moro, lobo, foco.

Repeat each vowel three times: a, e, i, o.

The fifth vowel, u, is pronounced like oo in the English word "moon".

Repeat: u, u, u, u.

Notice that all Spanish vowels have only one sound, not two, as in English.

Repeat: cu, su, tu, nu, bu, pu, lu, ru, mu, musa, cuna, gusto, busto, luto sus, puso, supuso.

Repeat three times each vowel and syllable: a, e, i, o, u; ma, etc.; sa, etc. ba, etc.; la, etc.; ra, etc.; na, etc.

The Spanish vowels are divided into two groups, strong and weak. a, e, o, are strong vowels; and i, u, are the weak ones.

[Remember the sentence: "You (u) and I (i) are weak."]

The Spanish accent is on vowels only, and never on consonants. The accent makes the sound longer, and the sound of an accented vowel has more stress than the sound of an unaccented vowel.

For the following exercises, it is indispensable to follow the pronunciation of the teacher: "La voz viva del maetro es indispensable para la correcta pronunciación:"

Please pronounce the vowel i before and after the other vowels, placing the accent on the strong vowel: ia, ie, io, iu; ai, ei, oi, ui.

Now the vowel u: ua, ue, ui, uo; au, euy, iu.

Keep the accent on the strong vowel.

Please read three times each syllable: mie, sien, gai, gua, roi, bue, guo, pue, pien, vuel, siem, gau, reu, viu, sia, bui.

The consonants r and l, when they come after the following consonants, b, c, f, g, p, form one syllable, and must be pronounced together in one syllable; r joins also to d, t:

bla, ble, bli, blo, blu, bra, bre, bri, bro, bru;
cla, cle, cli, clo, clu, cra, cre, cri, cro, cru;
fla, fle, fli, flo, flu, fra, fre, fri, fro, fru;
gla, gle, gli, glo, glu, gra, gre, gri, gro, gru;
pla, ple, pli, plo, plu, pra, pre, pri, pro, pru;
dra, dre, dri, dro, dru;
tra, tre, tri, tro, tru.

You will find the combination of tl in many proper nouns--names of mountains, towns, flowers, birds--in the Spanish-American countries, and this combination has been recognized by the grammarians.

1. How do you pronounce the vowels in Spanish?
2. Pronounce the following vowels: i, o, a, u, e.
3. Which are the strong vowels?
4. Which the weak?
5. Pronounce the following vowels together: ia, ua, ie, ue, io, uo
6. Pronounce three times these syllables: ba, bra, bla; be, bre, ble; bi, bri, bli; bo, bro, blo; bu, bru, blu.
7. Pronounce each vowel with the following consonants: m, t, r, n, p, l, d, f. Example: sa, se, si, so, su.
8. Pronounce three times each the syllables: cla, cle, cli, clo, clu; cra, cre, cri, cro, cru.
9. Pronounce three times each the syllables: gla, gle, gli, glo, glu; gra, gre, gri gro, gru.
10. Pronounce three times each the syllables: pla, ple, pli, plo, plu; pru, pre, pri, pro, pru.
11. Pronounce three times each the syllables; fla, fle, fli, flo, flu; fra, fre, -fri, fro, fru.
12. Pronounce three times each the syllables: tra, tre, tri, tro, tru; tran, tren, tren, trin, tron, trun.
13. Pronounce three times each the syllables: (1) grie, gran, grue; (2) pier, pron, pue; (3) clue, cria, cue, cuan; (4) frien, fren, flie.
14. Pronounce three times each the following words: (1) grie-ta, grieta, gran-de, grande, grue-so, grueso; (2) pier-do, pierdo, pron-to, pronto, pue-do, puedo; (3) clue-ca, clueca, cria-do, criado, cue-va, cueva, cuan-do, cuando; (4) frien-do friendo, fren-te, frente, con-flic-to, conflicto.
15. Pronounce three times the following words: con, de, los, el, mi, tu, su, en, por, si, no, la, te, le, se, les, mis, es, son, dan.