Learn to Ask How a Spanish Word Is Pronounced and Repeat It Back
Ask ¿Cómo se pronuncia esta palabra? in Spanish, repeat the word back to confirm it, and understand how this differs from asking someone to repeat themselves.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
When you meet a new Spanish word in a book, on a menu, or on a sign, you often need more than its meaning: you need to know how it sounds. This lesson teaches you to ask how a word is pronounced, listen to the answer, and then say the word back so the other person can confirm you got it right. This is different from asking someone to repeat something they said. Here you are learning the pronunciation of a word, not asking for a second hearing.
By the end, you can…
- ask how a specific Spanish word is pronounced
- repeat a word back to check whether my pronunciation is correct
- tell the difference between asking about pronunciation and asking someone to repeat what they said
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
¿Cómo se pronuncia esta palabra?
How is this word pronounced?
KOH-moh seh pro-noon-SEE-ah ES-tah pah-LAH-brah
The standard, polite way to ask about a word you are looking at. Use it with teachers, classmates, or strangers.
¿Cómo se dice esta palabra?
How do you say this word?
KOH-moh seh DEE-seh ES-tah pah-LAH-brah
Very common in Latin America. It asks how the word is said, which in practice usually means how it is pronounced.
¿Se pronuncia así?
Is it pronounced like this?
seh pro-noon-SEE-ah ah-SEE
Say this right before or after you repeat the word back, to invite a yes-or-no confirmation.
Repito: ¿está bien?
I'll repeat it: is it right?
reh-PEE-toh es-TAH byehn
Use this to announce that you are about to say the word again and want feedback.
¿Puede repetirlo más despacio?
Can you repeat it more slowly?
PWEH-deh reh-peh-TEER-loh mahs des-PAH-syoh
Use this when the pronunciation was given too quickly. It asks for a slower repetition, not for the meaning.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is ¿Cómo se pronuncia...? plus the word or phrase you want to learn. For example: ¿Cómo se pronuncia 'gente'? (How is 'gente' pronounced?) or ¿Cómo se pronuncia esta palabra? You can also use ¿Cómo se dice...? with the same practical result: ¿Cómo se dice 'llave'? Both questions are impersonal, so they work with anyone. To confirm, simply repeat the word with a rising intonation: ¿Gente? or say ¿Se pronuncia así? followed by the word.
When to use it
Use these questions when you are learning a new word and want its sound, not when you missed what someone said. If a friend says something too fast and you did not hear it, ask ¿Puedes repetirlo? (Can you repeat it?) or ¿Cómo? (What?). If you are looking at a written word and want to know how to say it, ask ¿Cómo se pronuncia esta palabra? Then repeat it back: ¿Así? (Like this?) This keeps the two situations clear and avoids confusion.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
¿Cómo se pronuncia esta palabra?
How is this word pronounced?KOH-moh seh pro-noon-SEE-ah ES-tah pah-LAH-brahSe pronuncia 'llave'.
It's pronounced 'llave'.seh pro-noon-SEE-ah YAH-behRepito: ¿llave? ¿Está bien?
I'll repeat: 'llave'? Is that right?reh-PEE-toh YAH-beh es-TAH byehnSí, muy bien.
Yes, very good.see MOO-ee byehnA little context goes a long way
In much of Latin America, ll and y are pronounced like the English y in 'yes', so llave sounds like YAH-beh. In parts of Argentina and Uruguay, ll and y sound like the English sh in 'she', so llave may sound like SHAH-beh. Both are correct regional pronunciations. When you repeat a word back, a rising tone signals a question; a flat tone can sound like a statement.
One thing to watch for
Using ¿Cómo se pronuncia? when you simply did not hear what someone said.
Try this instead: If you missed what someone said, ask ¿Puedes repetirlo? (Can you repeat it?) or ¿Cómo? If you are looking at a written word and want its pronunciation, use ¿Cómo se pronuncia esta palabra? Example: ¿Cómo se pronuncia 'gente'? not ¿Puedes repetirlo? for a word on a page.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1You see the word 'gente' in a book and want to know how to say it. What do you ask?
Show a sample answer
¿Cómo se pronuncia 'gente'?
This directly asks for the pronunciation of a specific written word. ¿Cómo se dice 'gente'? is also correct and very common.
2Someone says a word too fast and you want to hear it again slowly. What do you ask?
Show a sample answer
¿Puede repetirlo más despacio?
This asks for a slower repetition. If you only missed it, ¿Puedes repetirlo? also works; the slower request adds 'más despacio'.
3You think the word 'llave' is pronounced YAH-beh and want to confirm. What do you say?
Show a sample answer
¿Se pronuncia así? ¿Llave?
This invites a yes-or-no check. In Argentina and Uruguay, SHAH-beh may also be accepted as a regional variant.
Ask ¿Cómo se pronuncia esta palabra? to learn a word's sound, then repeat it back with a rising tone to confirm. Save ¿Puedes repetirlo? for when you simply did not hear something.
Progress is saved on this browser.
Practice real time conversations on Yapr for faster learning.
Put today’s Spanish into a conversation with an AI tutor. Speak, make mistakes, and try again.
Practice on Yapr