Focused learning guide
Spanish alphabet: 27 letters, names and sounds
Learn the modern Spanish alphabet, letter names, sound patterns and the spelling conventions English speakers most often misread.
The modern Spanish alphabet has 27 letters. Ch and ll represent important letter combinations but have not been separate alphabet entries since the 1994 reform.
The letters and their names
Spanish letter names include a, be, ce, de, e, efe, ge, hache, i, jota, ka, ele, eme, ene, eñe, o, pe, cu, erre, ese, te, u, uve, doble uve, equis, ye and zeta. Names vary slightly by region, especially for v, w and y, but spelling remains mutually intelligible.
Letters do not always equal one sound
C changes before e and i; g changes before e and i; h is normally silent; qu represents /k/ before e and i; and r changes by position. Spanish spelling is comparatively regular, not perfectly phonetic.
How to practise spelling
Spell your name, email and street aloud. Then alternate hearing and writing short words. Learn accent marks and the diaeresis in words such as pingüino as part of spelling, not decoration.
Questions learners ask
Frequently asked questions
Are ch and ll letters?
They are digraphs—two-letter combinations—not separate entries in the modern alphabet.
Is ñ different from n?
Yes. Ñ is a distinct letter and can distinguish words.
Is Spanish h always silent?
In standard native words it normally has no sound, though loanwords and names can vary.