11 Hardest English Sounds for Spanish Speakers
Spanish speakers often find English pronunciation tricky. Some sounds simply don’t exist in Spanish, while others are pronounced differently, leading to misunderstandings or a heavy accent.
Mastering these sounds can boost confidence, improve communication, and make your English sound more natural. Below, we’ve listed the 11 hardest English sounds for Spanish speakers, along with tips to practise them — including how Accentify can guide you step by step.
1. /θ/ as in “think”
Why it’s hard: The “th” sound doesn’t exist in Spanish, so it’s often replaced with /s/ or /t/.
Tip: Place your tongue lightly between your teeth and blow air out gently. Accentify’s bite-sized lessons give feedback to perfect this tricky sound.
2. /ð/ as in “this”
Why it’s hard: Another “th” sound, voiced instead of unvoiced, which can confuse learners.
Tip: Practice by alternating “think” (/θ/) and “this” (/ð/) in Accentify’s interactive exercises.
3. /v/ as in “very”
Why it’s hard: Spanish speakers often pronounce it as /b/.
Tip: Bite your lower lip lightly and vibrate your vocal cords. Accentify lets you record and get instant AI feedback.
4. /ʃ/ as in “shoe”
Why it’s hard: Similar to Spanish “ch”, but softer and unvoiced.
Tip: Stretch the “sh” sound longer and practice in words and phrases using Accentify’s immersive exercises.
5. /ʒ/ as in “measure”
Why it’s hard: Rare in Spanish, often mispronounced as /s/ or /j/.
Tip: Feel the vibration in your mouth and repeat words slowly. Accentify’s AI will highlight mistakes and guide you to perfection.
6. /r/ as in “red”
Why it’s hard: English /r/ differs from the Spanish trilled “r”.
Tip: Curl your tongue slightly, don’t roll it. Accentify provides targeted lessons for English /r/ with comparison to your native accent.
7. /æ/ as in “cat”
Why it’s hard: Spanish vowels are pure; /æ/ is between “a” and “e”.
Tip: Practise with minimal pairs: “cat” vs “cot”. Accentify tracks your progress and scores your pronunciation.
8. /ɪ/ as in “sit”
Why it’s hard: Often confused with /i:/ as in “seat”.
Tip: Listen, repeat, and record. Accentify’s AI feedback makes it easy to hear the difference.
9. /ʌ/ as in “cup”
Why it’s hard: No equivalent vowel in Spanish.
Tip: Relax your mouth and tongue. Accentify gives personalised exercises to nail this vowel.
10. /eɪ/ as in “day”
Why it’s hard: Dipthongs are tricky; Spanish vowels are single sounds.
Tip: Stretch the vowel slightly. Accentify has interactive audio comparisons so you can hear exactly how it should sound.
11. /ɔː/ as in “thought”
Why it’s hard: Often pronounced too short or like /o/.
Tip: Open your mouth more and hold the sound. Accentify helps you compare with native speakers.
How Can You Improve Your English Pronunciation?
These 11 sounds are the most common challenges for Spanish speakers learning English, but with practice, mastery is achievable.
Accentify stands out by giving you structured exercises, AI-powered feedback, and real-time correction, so you can tackle each sound confidently.
Start improving your English pronunciation today — your accent can sound more natural, clear, and confident in weeks with Accentify.
