41 Absolute Beginners Quick Tips for Pronunciation LightSpeed Spanish

[@gagglesas]

I love that Cynthia speaks in like a northern english accent. Usuaully people try and say it in 'posh southern' accent

[@sniffrat3646]

They should teach that more often. It's so much easier to understand

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

I don't know if I have a northern accent, but, if I do, It makes me proud, since that's where I stayed for 12 years and people were beautiful. They treated me so well... It's my second home, really :)

[@maliabecker5846]

Way back in college I took a semester of German with a professor who loved to harp on the importance of a good accent and she told us about an experiment she did that confirmed this for her. She took two students-- one with very good grammar and conversational abilities but a lousy accent and another student with poor skills in general but an excellent accent. She asked three German exchange students to interview the two girls separately and they unanimously chose the one with the good accent as the better speaker. :) So glad to see a video of the two of you together again and I'll show this video to my new Spanish students every year!

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

Thank you, malia. So, it seems to be a pattern. Accent first!!!!

[@lengthmuldoon]

Best video you've ever done imo massively entertaining and very educational. If the BBC ever get their act together and do more language courses they need to be knocking at your door. Bravo

[@peterkenworthy9219]

I hope the BBC leave these people alone !! They both know exactly how to interact with people. Love them both xx

[@lengthmuldoon]

@@peterkenworthy9219 I take your point the BBC has gone downhill but any mainstream broadcaster would do well to take these 2 on.

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

¡Muchas gracias! Cx

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

@@peterkenworthy9219 jajajaja Pedro

[@peterkenworthy9219]

@@LightSpeedSpanishChannel Jajaja Cynthia

[@spanishwithrobyn]

Love your videos! And your personalities! Me encanta sus videos!!!!!!! Y me encanta sus personalidades!!!!!!!!!!!

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

¡¡Muchas gracias!! :)

[@andreidariusx]

starting learning spanish now lessgoo

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

Go for it! :)

[@drmesh86]

I only came across your channel recently and I love it! My wife is from Ecuador and I've been learning Spanish for about 3y now. I'm British-born and of Indian origin, so speak an Indian language too. My wife says my Spanish pronunciation is great, and I put it down to knowing an Indian language, where pronunciations can be similar to Spanish (e.g. we have the word "tú", with the soft sounding "t", and interestingly the word means the same thing in the Indian language as well!), and also my love of and wanting to speak Spanish :)

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

¡Genial! Pues, bienvenido a nuestro canal, drmesh :) Saludos a tu mujer :) Cx

[@drmesh86]

Hola! Muchas gracias! Cada día veo los videos en su canal! 😄 Voy a ver otro video ahora mientras preparo el almuerzo! Jaja 😄👍🏼 Que tengan un buen día! 😊

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

¡Igualmente! Cx

[@ScottLive1]

You two are so entertaining and informative so much chemistry

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

¡Gracias, Scott! :)

[@franceskemp8397]

Yet again a very informative session from Cynthia and Gordon thank you. You explain things so well that it is easy to improve your Spanish. Thanks again

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

Thank you, Frances:)

[@franceshall7127]

thank you so much

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

You're welcome! :)

[@amynelsongreen3243]

So glad you are making videos! Been listening to your older podcasts for a few years and only recently found you on KZbin. I learned Spanish in college and I find your technique really helps me re-learn/refresh in a way that resonates with that past experience. I really enjoy each of you individually and together you are so entertaining! Best part in today’s video - “jota” - and you two bursting out laughing. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge, experiences and skill in teaching with those of us who are perpetual learners of Spanish!

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

Oh, muchas gracias, Amy :) Cx

[@suzannetrisic1789]

I'm not a beginner but in still found this video very interesting and informative! Thank you

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

¡Gracias! :)

[@sarahhill5041]

I have been learning Spanish and living in Spain for three years and recently a friend recommended your past tense audiobook and now I have found your KZbin videos and I have to say I have learned SO much from you!! So many useful tips and explanations that make so much sense and really help to learn and improve...things that I have struggled with for ages now make sense!! Your a great teacher and great craic too!!! Thank you !!! 😊

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

Thank you so much for the message, Sarah. I'm glad we could help!

[@jenb7415]

Yay - you’re back!!!! You’ve brightened up a really cold and wet Welsh day 🤗🥳🤩

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

I'm glad to hear that! Cx ;)

[@maryskelcher8979]

Great vid, really useful!

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

Glad it was helpful, Mary! Cx

[@matthewdallasgordonllc9874]

Hola Gordon! Hola Cynthia! So glad to see you guys back with the videos! I have watched most of your beginner, intermediate, and advanced intermediate videos so many times, and I’ve learned so much from them, and from both of you! I hope you are both faring well during the pandemic! I can’t wait to return to Spain and hopefully see both of you in another immersion class when the air clears! Os extraño! 🙂

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

Hey, Matt!! I was just asking Gordo the other day about you! How are you?? Unfortunatelly, we couldn't run any courses this year and we're hoping that it'll be better by March. You are welcome to come back and have some fun here in Madrid :P

[@jooje4]

I'm happy that you're back ❤️ You guys have helped me in my first years of learning Spanish with your great explanations. Very thankful for your hard work

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

Gracias a ti:)

[@jamiawilliams9331]

love you guys!

[@ninalitol]

¡Qué bien! Me encantará seguiros de nuevo. Por cierto, gracias, el libro del subjuntivo ¡está genial!

[@SWALEDALESWALEDALE]

Bienvenido Ambos. Loved the video. Another one similar please to help us English who have not yet mastered the Spanish accent.Two classes I have given up. Some in the groups have lived here for years and still pronounce Z as zed, ci as see or even sci! We live in Vera, Berra the locals call it, but friends here for 15 years call it Vera as in a girl's name. I asked each teacher if this way of pronouncing was correct. 'No of course not' was the reply but the errors are being compounded and NEVER corrected, to the point where I was questioning myself. So today Cynthia I did not say Ohhh Laaa but h ola. You are a super role model. Thank you. Michael

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

Haha very good! Never give up! Time passes anyway, might as well be working on it :) Cx Vera sounds like a lovely place :)

[@zeyadsabti5484]

Muchas gracias por ustedes. Saludos desde Irak.

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

¡Saludos, Zeyad! Cx

[@davidbrown8733]

Well done guys, another great video. As a Scot I have no problem with my R’s. But, watching your video reminded me that I have been lazy with my R’s. I shall work on them again. Thanks both.

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

You can do it!! :)

[@ralfielicious]

Fantastic - so useful - more please!

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

There will be one each week from now on!

[@noemie5935-n7z]

So glad you guys are back !! Together it’s so fun to watch you. Tengo un buen nivel de español (creo) pero he aprendido muchísimo de este episodio. A veces temo decir algo no porque no se como decirlo pero por la pronunciación :)

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

Que no tengas miedo, Noemie...yo lo hago mal todos los días y sigo a pesar de esto jajaja.

[@RickFidelisReed]

What a Very fun and informative video. 👍🏻

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

¡Muchas gracias! Cx

[@twinkletoes800]

Guys you look sooo well, adore both new hairstyles...video amazing too!!🤣

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

¡Muchas gracias! Cx

[@futurez12]

The best thing I did when I started 10 years back was to learn the sounds of the alphabet, especially with Spanish being a completely phonetic language. Listening a LOT helps too, but once you know the sounds it's much easier. I _love_ watching you both in videos together! I've missed it soooo much. I hope this series is a long one! Saludos desde Plymouth. 🙂♥️

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

Good way of doing it :) Saludos desde Guadalajara en España :) Cx

[@aerotive]

Gracias por el episodio. Para tu información, la versión podcast da este error: the server is refusing to respond to the request.

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

Hola: ¿Puedes mirarlo otra vez, porfa? He revisado todo y parece que funciona.

[@aerotive]

@@LightSpeedSpanishChannel Para mi beginners y early intermediate no funcionan. Advanced y advanced intermediate son normal.

[@eddiesycamore5129]

Perfecto, me gusto mucho.

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

¡Me alegro! Cx :)

[@johnnicholson4862]

I realise on watching this that I tend to pronounce Aaaa at the end of an AR verb, thanks, I must watch that. Adding to you comment on elongating vowels in English, when we say we will speak sloooowly, we just mean we will elongate the vowels even more :)

[@JamesSagerSC]

2:40 what about liechtenstein? LOL. kidding. Thank you so much for these videos!

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

I could think of at least 3 ways of pronouncing that word... And they are all right in different universes haha Cx

[@jimlabissonniere7400]

welcome back! You were missed :)

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

Thank you!! :)

[@abcxyz4653]

Cynthia’s accent is really good! Then again I’m American so I don’t know the intricacies of the English accents. But it sounds good to me.

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

If it sounds good to you, that's good for me! Cx :)

[@anthonylight2364]

Mi pronunciacíon me cuesta mucho, especialmente el pretérito y subjuntivo. Estudié y estudie! muchisimas gracias Gordon y Cynthia.

[@brianwallington9744]

So true,but when there are no opportunities in your area to practice and get feedback it is hard ..

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

Luckily, almost everything is possible now with The Internet :) Cx

[@ewomack]

I was in Barcelona some years ago and, while speaking Spanish, someone asked me if I was from France. Being from America, I considered that a compliment, but I was never quite sure. Americans don't have a great reputation for learning languages, so I figured being thought of as French rather than American must have meant I was doing okay. Maybe? No? Yes?

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

That is definitely a complement! Well done!

[@PhilipFarris]

A man from NY moved to CA for work. He visited friends for a couple of months before his new job in San Jose. When it was time to go work he started asking around how to find San Hose because that's what he had been hearing. He finally asked a police officer for help finding San Hose. The officer pointed to San Jose on the map and then asked the New Yorker how long he had been in CA. The New Yorker replied, I came out here in Hune or Huly...

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

jajaja. Muy bueno.

[@forthrightgambitia1032]

13:15 Creo lo difícil a veces cuando tienes pareja que habla Español es que su pareja adapta sus oídos a su forma de pronunciar y por lo tanto resulta que uno no hace el esfuerzo debido. Y también es interesante que la pronunciation no es tan importante a los angloparlantes cuando extranjeros hablan Ingles, supongo la diferencia es que los angloparlantes son muchos mas acostumbrados a hablantes no nativos. Otra observación es que creo que hay gente que tiene un don para copiar acentos, y otros no. La prueba, en mi juicio, es cuando alguien puede imitar un dialecto o acento en su idioma nativo - yo por ejemplo nunca puede imitar el acento Geordie de Gordon, aún menos Gales, Irelandés o Escocés. Y entonces todavía mi cuesta mucho pronunciar Español aunque he mejorado mucho en gramática y pronunciación - y en contraste con un amigo de la universidad que puede mimetizar un interlocutor en pocos segundos.

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

Estoy totalmente de acuerdo contigo. Gracias por el comentario tan interesante.

[@maryskelcher8979]

Completely agree, if I get the pronunciación wrong I get qué???

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

jajaja like Manuel from Barcelona :)

[@StephanieG1]

As a Scot I can tell you that Scottish people strongly trill the letter 'R'.

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

Es verdad :)

[@PianoGirl091]

This was always my biggest problem. I had a very high level of Spanish in college, but my pronunciation was so lousy I'd might as well have had zero knowledge. I was complimented constantly on my writing, but when I spoke, I sounded terrible. Cringey, even. It was so frustrating. I especially couldn't get the strong R right. For the life of me, I cannot roll my Rs, even to this day. This is primarily why I stopped learning. I just never felt I was going to get it right. Watching your videos makes me want to jump back in and continue studying and learning the language, but I'm just so afraid of embarrassment. 😅

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

With practice (and I know this sounds like the typical thing to say) you will be able to do it :) Cx

[@pascalennis9123]

Gordon, sometimes you put an R where there is none,i like drawing,

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

That's very true, Pascal. I hadn't realised that! My mum puts a G where it shouldn't be too: Sangwich! jaja

[@Ken-sx6sl]

Great video. Just a little criticism of the criticism of the typical Brit speaking Spanish…I don’t think it’s right to say ‘at least Americans try to sound the ‘r’. Americans typically already have an ‘r’ sound in their own accents. On a word like car, Brits only use the ‘r’ letter to change the sound of the ‘a’ in the word; Americans do the same but also add a sound for the ‘r’. That probably means that Americans don’t have to try to put an ‘r’ sound when speaking Spanish as they would naturally add one when speaking English.

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

Oh, Americans do have to add the r, because the Spanish r and the American English r are different. They have to learn the new sound. But it is easier for them to remember to pronounce the r, when British people often miss it, elongating the previous vowel. Cx

[@Ken-sx6sl]

@@LightSpeedSpanishChannel Yeah, of course the sounds of the American and Spanish 'r's are different but, although the tongue movement required is radically different, Americans do always mark the 'r' with a tongue movement. Brits don't, so there is a degree of extra difficulty for the Brit. If an American encounters a new word that includes an 'r' he will always articulate it. Therefore he will naturally do it when encountering a new Spanish word.

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

Correcto ;)

[@peterkenworthy9219]

Who are these people? My goodness if only they had more lessons ... I think the lady is Spanish xx

[@jueellis5316]

I am Welsh, we love to roll our Rs 😁

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

jajaja Rrrrrrrr :D

[@bloodytyrant7355]

As to me, Cynthia's English sounds like she is French rather than Spanish

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

Well, that's a first! Cynthia x

[@annemariepn7922]

Joder!! Cynthia, has conseguido que la J sea sexy. 😂😂

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

Ana, sobre todo al decir 'Jjjjjjoder' ajajaja

[@carolineburgess1557]

Ha ha isn’t caviar french? 😂

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

Very likely!

[@espartaco2028]

What irks me terribly is, mispronunciation is a form of arrogance, unless it is a DELE A1 level speaker. It's like being invited over to someone's house once and then, having that invitee act like they can show up whenever they want. It's taking advantage and, I have super strong feelings about it. My feelings are so strong that, I will avoid Americans and Brits while I'm in Spain because I simply can't stand hearing it. It's ignorant, low-class, arrogant and absolutely avoidable. You'll hear it most from the ones who spout shit like, "Well, EVERYONE speaks English". Accents are a matter of mentality and they speak about the speaker more than words.

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

Natives truly appreciate much more those who make the effort to speak in their second language (even if maybe they aren't that good at it at that moment) and that do their best to copy the accent and live the culture, rather than those who travel to or live in another country 'just for the sun', let's say. However, there's room for everyone :) Cx

[@carolineburgess1557]

I can read and write easier in Spanish, listening is fairly good but speaking?!!! 😩😂

[@LightSpeedSpanishChannel]

It's normal :)