10 English Sounds That Don’t Exist in Spanish (And How to Pronounce Them)

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TLDR; English pronunciation is difficult for Spanish speakers because several key sounds don’t exist in Spanish. As a result, the brain replaces them with familiar sounds, which can change meaning and reduce clarity.

English isn’t difficult because of grammar. In fact, many learners struggle with English sounds that don’t exist in Spanish, which can make pronunciation tricky.

It’s difficult because of sound.

If you’re a Spanish speaker, you already know thousands of English words. Vocabulary isn’t the real problem. The real challenge is pronunciation. Sounds that simply don’t exist in Spanish.

And when a sound doesn’t exist in your language, your brain replaces it.

That’s why:

• Sheep becomes ship
• Beach becomes… something risky
• Very sounds like berry
• And three becomes tree
  

This isn’t about intelligence. It’s about phonetics.

Spanish has a clean, consistent sound system. English doesn’t. English has extra vowels, unusual consonants, and subtle sound contrasts that completely change meaning.

In this guide, we’ll break down 10 English sounds that don’t exist in Spanish and show you exactly how to pronounce them correctly.

No theory overload.
No vague advice.
Just clear explanations and practical fixes.

The importance of pronunciation in language learning

Pronunciation isn’t cosmetic.

It’s functional.

But if people can’t understand you, communication breaks down.

Pronunciation is what turns knowledge into connection.

It affects:

• Clarity
• Confidence
• Listening ability
• Fluency perception
• First impressions

And here’s the part most learners miss:

Improving pronunciation doesn’t just help people understand you.

Challenges Spanish speakers face with certain English sounds

English doesn’t just use different words from Spanish.

It uses different sounds.

And when your brain has been trained on the Spanish sound system since childhood, it naturally filters English through that same framework. If a sound doesn’t exist in Spanish, your brain substitutes the closest one it knows.

That’s where the confusion begins.

Here are the main challenges Spanish speakers face with certain English sounds:

• Missing vowel contrasts: Spanish has five clear, stable vowels. English has many more including subtle pairs like ship / sheep and full / fool.
  
• The /ɪ/ vs /iː/ distinction: Spanish doesn’t separate these two vowel sounds. As a result, live and leave often sound the same.
  
• The “th” sounds (/θ/ and /ð/): These don’t exist in most varieties of Spanish. They’re often replaced with /t/, /d/, or /s/.  Turning think into tink or this into dis.
  
• The /v/ sound: Spanish doesn’t strongly distinguish between /b/ and /v/. Which is why very and berry often sound identical.
  
• Final consonant pronunciation: Spanish words rarely end in complex consonant clusters. English does. Words like asked, world, or months can feel physically awkward to pronounce.
  
• The /ʃ/ and /ʒ/ sounds: The “sh” sound exists in some contexts, but the “zh” sound (as in measure) is unfamiliar and often replaced incorrectly.
• Word stress difference:  Spanish has more predictable stress patterns. English stress shifts meaning and misplacing stress can make speech harder to follow.
  
• Rhythm and timing: Spanish is syllable-timed. English is stress-timed.
  

The “TH” Sounds (/θ/ and /ð/)

The “th” sounds are some of the most recognisable features of English.

They’re also some of the most misunderstood.

For many Spanish speakers, these sounds feel unnatural. Not because they’re difficult, but because they simply don’t exist in most varieties of Spanish.

That’s why mastering “th” isn’t about trying harder.

It’s about learning something genuinely new.

Description of the sounds

English has two different “th” sounds:

• /θ/ – voiceless (no vibration in the throat), as in think, three, bath
• /ð/ – voiced (your throat vibrates), as in this, that, mother

Both sounds are produced the same way:

• Place the tip of your tongue lightly between your teeth
• Let air pass through
• Don’t bite your tongue, just rest it gently
• For /ð/, add voice (touch your throat to feel vibration)

Common mistakes made by Spanish speakers

Because these sounds are unfamiliar, Spanish speakers usually substitute them with more familiar consonants:

• think → tink
• three → tree
• this → dis
• that → dat
• bath → bas or bat

These substitutions make sense. Spanish already has /t/, /d/, and /s/. Your brain chooses the closest match automatically.

But here’s the problem:

English distinguishes meaning through these sounds.

• thin ≠ tin
• thank ≠ tank
• then ≠ den

Tips for practising pronunciation

The goal isn’t to exaggerate.

It’s to build control.

Start with these steps:

• Practise the tongue position slowly: Look in a mirror. Make sure your tongue is slightly visible between your teeth.
  
• Isolate the sound
  • Say:
  • thhhhh (air only)
  • Then add vowels: tha, the, thi, tho, thu
    
• Feel the vibration difference
  • Put your hand on your throat.
  • Say think (no vibration).
  • Say this (vibration).
  • Train your body to feel the contrast.
    
• Use minimal pairs
  • Practise word pairs like:
    • thin / tin
    • thank / tank
    • then / den
    • they / day
      
• Slow down in real speech: Accuracy first. Speed later.

Most learners try to fix “th” by forcing it.

The Short “I” Sound (/ɪ/)

If there’s one vowel sound that causes constant confusion for Spanish speakers, it’s this one.

The short “I” /ɪ/ looks harmless. It’s just a small vowel.

But in English, it changes everything.

It’s the difference between:

• ship and sheep
• live and leave
• sit and seat

And because Spanish doesn’t have this sound, your brain often replaces it automatically, without you realising.

Explanation of the sound and its significance

The short “I” /ɪ/ is a short, relaxed vowel.

It’s produced:

• With the tongue slightly high, but not as tense as /iː/
• With the mouth only slightly open
• Without stretching the lips

It’s quick. Light. Unstressed.

Compare it to the long “ee” sound /iː/ (as in see). That one is:

• Longer
• Tenser
• More stretched

Comparison with Spanish vowel sounds

Spanish has five strong, stable vowels:

• a, e, i, o, u

The Spanish “i” is closer to the English /iː/ (long “ee”).

There is no equivalent to the English /ɪ/.

So when a Spanish speaker says:

• ship
• live
• sit

They often pronounce them like:

• sheep
• leave
• seat
  

Not because they’re careless.

Because their vowel system doesn’t require that distinction.

English, however, depends on it.

• Spanish vowels are consistent and pure.
• English vowels are flexible and contrast-heavy.

That’s the structural difference.

Techniques for mastering the short “I”

The goal is not to say it louder.

The goal is to make it shorter and more relaxed.

Try this:

• Say /iː/ first: Stretch the sound: eeeeee
  • Feel the tension in your tongue and lips.
    
• Now relax it: Shorten it and drop the tension.
  • Say: ih
    

It should feel softer and quicker.

• Use minimal pairs: Practise contrasts like:
  • ship / sheep
  • sit / seat
  • live / leave
  • bit / beat
    
• Make it shorter than you think: Spanish speakers often hold it too long. Keep it brief.
  
• Record yourself: Many learners believe they’re making the distinction until they hear the playback.

This sound isn’t dramatic.

It’s subtle.

And that’s why it matters.

The “V” Sound (/v/)

At first glance, the “v” sound looks easy.

It’s just one letter.

But for many Spanish speakers, it’s one of the most persistent pronunciation challenges in English.

The ‘V’ sound and its absence in Spanish

The English /v/ is a voiced labiodental fricative.

That sounds technical, but here’s what it means in practice:

• Your top teeth touch your bottom lip
• Air flows continuously between them
• Your throat vibrates (it’s voiced)

Try it slowly:

vvvvv

You should feel:

• A light friction between teeth and lip
• A vibration in your throat

The Spanish “v” is usually pronounced like a soft /b/, where the lips come together rather than the teeth touching the lip.

That physical difference is key.

Common substitutions and errors

Because /v/ doesn’t function distinctly in Spanish, it’s often replaced with /b/.

That’s why you’ll hear:

• very → berry
• vote → boat
• vine → bine
• save → sabe

To English listeners, these aren’t small differences.

They’re different words.

The issue isn’t effort. It’s muscle memory. Spanish trains your lips to close together for that sound. English requires teeth-to-lip contact instead.

If the lips close completely, you’re producing /b/, not /v/.

Exercises to improve pronunciation

The solution is mechanical awareness.

You need to retrain the mouth.

Start with these steps:

• Practise the position in isolation: Place your top teeth gently on your bottom lip.
  • Blow air and add voice: vvvvv
    
• Contrast with /b/: Say slowly:
  • bbb (lips fully closed
  • vvv (teeth touching lip)
  • Feel the physical difference.
    
• Use minimal pairs: Practise word contrasts like:
  • very / berry
  • vest / best
  • vine / bine
  • vote / boat
    
• Exaggerate at first: Make the teeth-to-lip contact very clear.
  • Precision comes before speed.
    
• Record and compare: Many learners think they’re producing /v/ correctly until they hear themselves.

This sound is less about theory and more about placement.

Once your mouth learns the correct position, the distinction becomes automatic.

And when that happens, your English sounds sharper, clearer, and far more natural.

The “Z” Sound (/z/)

The letter looks simple.

The sound isn’t.

In English, /z/ is common, important, and often hidden inside words. For many Spanish speakers, however, it’s either replaced, softened, or devoiced without realising.

And that small shift changes how English sounds especially at the end of words.

The voiced “Z” sound

The English /z/ is a voiced alveolar fricative.

In practical terms:

• Your tongue sits just behind your top teeth
• Air passes through a narrow space
• Your throat vibrates

Try holding the sound:

zzzzzz

Now compare it to /s/:

ssssss

The mouth position is almost identical.

The only difference is voice.

• /s/ = no vibration
• /z/ = vibration

Touch your throat as you say both. You should feel the contrast immediately.

In English, this difference is meaningful:

• sip ≠ zip
• bus ≠ buzz

Differences between English and Spanish pronunciation

This is where things get interesting.

In many varieties of Spanish:

• The letter “z” is pronounced like /s/ (Latin America)
• Or like /θ/ in parts of Spain
• Word-final consonants are often softer or reduced

English, however, uses a strong, fully voiced /z/ sound, especially:

• At the end of plural nouns (dogs, cars, keys)
• In third-person verbs (runs, plays, moves)
• Inside common words (music, easy, zero)

Spanish speakers often:

• Devoice /z/ into /s/:
  • dogs → docks
• Or weaken the final consonant
• Or fail to vibrate the vocal cords

The result?

English can sound flatter and less precise.

Practice methods for producing the correct sound

Mastering /z/ is about controlling voicing.

Start here:

• Contrast /s/ and /z/: Say slowly:
  • ssss → zzzz
  • Keep the tongue position identical.
  • Only change the vibration.
    
• Practise plural endings: Focus on voiced endings:
  • Dogs
  • Cars
  • Bags
  • Make sure you hear and feel the /z/ at the end.
    
• Minimal pairs: Practise contrasts like:
  • sip / zip
  • bus / buzz
  • rice / rise
    
• Sustain the vibration: Hold the sound longer than natural at first.  Train your muscles to recognise it.
  
• Slow down connected speech: For example:
  • She loves music
  • Make every /z/ audible.

This sound often disappears because it feels small.

But in English, small sounds carry grammar, meaning, and clarity.

The “J” Sound (/dʒ/)

The English “J” sound surprises a lot of Spanish speakers.

It looks familiar.

It isn’t.

In English, “J” represents a soft, voiced sound, but in Spanish, the letter “j” is pronounced completely differently. That mismatch creates confusion from the very beginning.

And when the wrong sound is used, English words can change dramatically.

Explanation of the English “J” sound

The English /dʒ/ sound is a voiced affricate.

That means it’s a combination of two movements:

1. A quick stop (like /d/)
2. Followed by friction (like /ʒ/, the sound in measure)

Put together, it sounds like:

• Judge
• Job
• June
• giant

To produce it:

• Place your tongue just behind your top teeth
• Stop the air briefly (like a soft /d/)
• Release into a gentle “zh” sound
• Keep your voice on (you should feel vibration)

It’s smooth and controlled, not harsh.

Comparison with the Spanish “J” and “Y” sounds

This is where interference happens.

In Spanish:

• The letter “j” is pronounced like a strong /x/ sound (as in jamón or José). Produced at the back of the throat.
  
• The letter “y” (and sometimes “ll”) is pronounced like /ʝ/ or /j/. Closer to the English “y” in yes.
  

Neither of these matches the English /dʒ/.

So Spanish speakers may accidentally say:

• job → like Spanish jota (too harsh and throaty)
• John → with a back-of-the-throat sound
• jam → closer to yam

The English /dʒ/ is made at the front of the mouth, not the throat.

That’s the critical difference.

Tips for accurate pronunciation

The key is control and placement.

Try these steps:

• Break the sound into two parts: Say a soft d
  • Then add a gentle zh (like the middle of measure)
  • Combine them: d-zh → j
    
• Contrast with similar sounds: Practise:
  • job / yob
  • jeep / sheep
  • joke / choke
    
• Avoid throat tension: If it feels like Spanish jamón, you’re too far back. Keep the sound forward in the mouth.
  
• Use minimal pairs
  • gin / chin
  • jam / yam
  • jet / yet
    
• Slow down at first: Accuracy before speed.

The English “J” is softer and more controlled than many Spanish learners expect.

The “NG” Sound (/ŋ/)

You use this sound every time you say:

• Sing
• Long
• Running
• English

But here’s the catch:

The “ng” sound in English is not “n” + “g”.

It’s a completely separate sound.

Description of the nasal “NG” sound

The English /ŋ/ is a nasal sound.

It’s produced:

• With the back of your tongue touching the soft palate (the top back part of your mouth)
• With air flowing through your nose
• Without releasing a “g” sound

Try this:

• Say sing slowly.
• Now stop before the final “g”.
• You should end with a soft nasal sound, not “sing-guh”.
• That final sound is /ŋ/.

Important:

There is no hard “g” release at the end.

It’s not:

• sing-guh 

It’s:

• siŋ

That back-of-the-mouth contact is what makes it different from /n/, which is produced at the front of the mouth.

Common difficulties for Spanish speakers

Spanish does not typically use /ŋ/ as a standalone sound at the end of words.

So Spanish speakers often:

• Add a hard “g” → sing-g
• Replace it with /n/ → sin
• Or pronounce it as two separate sounds → sin-g

For example:

• long → lon-g
• running → run-ning-g
• song → son-g

To English ears, this sounds unnatural and sometimes changes the rhythm of speech.

The main issue isn’t understanding the sound.

Strategies for practising the sound

The goal is control at the back of the mouth.

Try this:

• Start with “n” and move it backwards: 
  • Say nnnnn (front of mouth).
  • Now shift your tongue further back and say ŋŋŋ.
  • Feel the difference in placement.
    
• Practise words ending in -ing
  • Sing
  • Bring
  • Long
  • strong
    
• Hold the sound: Say:
  • Siŋŋŋŋ
  • Sustain the nasal sound to feel it clearly.
    
• Use mirrors or slow repetition: If your mouth opens for a final “g”, you’re adding too much movement.
  
• Compare minimal pairs:
  • sin / sing
  • ran / rang
  • thin / thing
    

The “ng” sound is subtle.

But when mastered, it smooths out your English immediately.

The “R” Sound (/ɹ/)

The English “R” is one of the strongest markers of accent.

It’s also one of the most misunderstood sounds for Spanish speakers.

Not because it’s harder.

But because it’s completely different.

Spanish uses a tapped or rolled “r”. English doesn’t. The muscle movement is different. The tongue position is different. Even the airflow is different.

If you use a Spanish “r” in English, it’s immediately noticeable.

So this isn’t about correcting a small detail.

It’s about learning a new sound from scratch.

The English “R” sound

The English /ɹ/ is a voiced approximant.

That means:

• The tongue moves towards the roof of the mouth
• But it does not touch it
• Air flows smoothly
• The sound is soft and controlled

To produce it:

• Slightly raise the front of your tongue
• Pull it back slightly in the mouth
• Keep the tip from touching your teeth or the roof
• Round your lips slightly
  

Say:

• Red
• Right
• Around
• car

The key detail:

There is no tap, no roll, no vibration of the tongue tip.

It’s smooth.

Differences from the Spanish “R”

Spanish has two main “r” sounds:

• The tap /ɾ/ (as in pero)
  
• The trill /r/ (as in perro)
  

Both involve the tongue touching or striking the roof of the mouth.

English /ɹ/ does not.

That’s the major difference.

Common substitutions include:

• Using a tap: red → sounds like re-d
• Using a trill: very → with a rolled “r”
• Placing the tongue too forward

To English listeners, this creates a clear Spanish accent, even if everything else is correct.

English “R” is:

• Backer in the mouth
• Softer
• Less dramatic

Spanish “R” is:

• Forward
• Contact-based
• More percussive

Different mechanics. Different sound.

The “W” Sound (/w/)

The English “W” looks harmless.

But for Spanish speakers, it causes constant confusion.

Why?

Because standard Spanish doesn’t have a true /w/ sound as a separate phoneme. When it appears in loanwords (like whisky), it’s often adapted and many learners automatically replace it with a /b/ or a soft /gʷ/ sound.

In English, however, /w/ is distinct.

And it changes meaning.

Explanation of the “W” sound and its absence in Spanish

The English /w/ is a voiced labio-velar approximant.

In practical terms:

• Your lips round tightly (as if preparing to say “oo”)
• The back of your tongue rises slightly
• Air flows smoothly
• Your throat vibrates

Try holding it:

wwwww

It should feel:

• Rounded
• Smooth
• Gliding into the next vowel

Examples:

• Water
• Win
• West
• quick

The sound is light and fluid.

It is not produced with the lips fully closed.

That’s the critical difference.

Common errors and substitutions

Spanish doesn’t contrast /w/ and /b/ in the same way, learners often substitute:

• /b/ → wine sounds like bine
• A soft “gu” sound → west sounds like gwest
• Or they overpronounce it

For example:

• very and berry confusion becomes even more complex when /w/ is involved
• wet → bet
• will → bill

To English listeners, these are completely different words.

The issue usually comes down to lip movement.

If your lips close completely, you’re making a /b/.

If they round and glide, you’re making /w/.

Practice exercises for correct pronunciation

​​The key to /w/ is rounded lips and smooth transition.

Try this:

• Start with “oo”: Say: oo (as in food)
  • Now glide quickly into another vowel:
  • oo-ah → wa
  • That’s the motion of /w/.
    
• Practise lip awareness: Say:
  • bbb (lips closed)
  • www (lips rounded, not closed)
  • Feel the difference clearly.
    
• Use minimal pairs: 
  • wine / vine
  • west / vest
  • wet / bet
  • witch / which (if practising distinctions)
    
• Slow transitions: wa, we, wi, wo, wu
  • Focus on the glide into the vowel.
    
• Record and listen: Many learners think they’re producing /w/, but it still sounds like /b/ until corrected.

The “W” sound is all about shape.

Round the lips. Don’t close them.

English Sounds That Don’t Exist in Spanish FAQs

Why is English pronunciation harder for Spanish speakers?

Because English has more vowel sounds and several consonants that don’t exist in Spanish. When a sound is unfamiliar, the brain replaces it with the closest Spanish equivalent, which can change meaning.

Which English sounds cause the most problems?

Common challenges include /θ/ (th), /ɪ/ (short i), /v/, /z/, /dʒ/ (j), /ŋ/ (ng), /ɹ/ (r), and /w/. These sounds either don’t exist in Spanish or function differently.

Why do words like “ship” and “sheep” sound the same to me?

Spanish has five stable vowels, while English has many more. The short /ɪ/ and long /iː/ are different in English, but Spanish doesn’t make that distinction, so they often blend together.

Can I improve my pronunciation without sounding “native”?

Yes. The goal isn’t to lose your accent, it’s to be clear. Improving mouth placement, sound awareness, and minimal pair practice can dramatically increase clarity and confidence.

What’s the fastest way to improve English pronunciation?

Train your ear first. Learn to hear the difference between similar sounds, then practise them slowly with minimal pairs, record yourself, and focus on correct mouth position before speed.