Phonetics Letter N in Spanish - Pronouncing the N in Spanish (2024)

Table of Contents
How to Pronounce the Spanish Letter ñ cuñado (koo-nyah-doh) &nbsp=Brother-in-law Los museos en España suelen descansar los lunes.&nbsp=Museum in Spain are usually closed on Mondays La señorita a quien usted esperaba acaba de llegar.&nbsp=The young lady whom you were waiting for just arrived. Un compañero está aquí.&nbsp=A classmate is here. Nuestro compañero Baldarelli hablaba de ello hace un momento.&nbsp=Mr Baldarelli mentioned this a few minutes ago. What is Ñ called in Spanish? Yo escribí la carta esta mañana.&nbsp=I wrote the letter this morning. Las señoras no están en España.&nbsp=The women are not in Spain. La señorita Gómez nunca juega con nadie después de las once menos cuarto de la noche.&nbsp=Miss Gómez never plays with anybody after 10:45 p.m. Tú conoces a mi compañero.&nbsp=You know (acquainted with) my partner. What is the sound of Ñ? ¿Escribiste la carta esta mañana?&nbsp= Did you write the letter this morning? Esa es la mujer con la que me voy a España&nbsp=That is the woman who I am going to Spain with. Yo no sé. Le podemos preguntar a la señorita.&nbsp=I don't know. We can ask the lady. Mi compañero puede atestiguarlo.&nbsp=My colleague can confirm this. I always sit here. What's the difference between N and Ñ? in Spanish Ellos leerán el periódico mañana en la mañana.&nbsp=They'll read the newspaper tomorrow morning. La película se rodó en España.&nbsp=The movie was filmed in Spain. Señorita, ¿me puede decir cuánto cuesta esta camisa?&nbsp=Miss, can you tell me how much this shirt costs? Además, nuestro compañero Kouchner acaba de recordarlo.&nbsp=Mr Kouchner too has just made this point. Is ñ an accent? María escribió la carta esta mañana.&nbsp=María wrote the letter this morning. ¿Cuáles son las capitales de España y Cuba?&nbsp=What are the capitals of Spain and Cuba? Señorita, ¿cuánto cuesta esta camisa?&nbsp=Miss, how much does this shirt cost? Comparto lo que acaba de decir mi compañero.&nbsp=I agree with what my fellow Member has just said. Spanish Tilde: ñ Nosotros escribimos la carta esta mañana.&nbsp=We wrote the letter this morning. Estabas realizando un filme en España.&nbsp=You were doing a film in Spain. Yo quisiera volar de México a España.&nbsp=I would like to fly from Mexico to Spain. Señorita, ¿Hay corbatas?&nbsp=Miss, are there ties?. Entre ellos se encuentra mi compañero Méndez de Vigo.&nbsp=Amongst them is a colleague of mine, Méndez de Vigo. Related Lessons in Intermediate Course, to further your understanding. Explore a world of languages


Phonetics Letter N in Spanish - Pronouncing the N in Spanish (1)

Table of Contents
1. How to Pronounce the Spanish Letter ñ 2. What is Ñ called in Spanish?
3. What is the sound of Ñ? 4. What's the difference between N and Ñ? in Spanish
5. Is ñ an accent? 6. Spanish Tilde: ñ

How to Pronounce the Spanish Letter ñ

Phonetics Letter N in Spanish - Pronouncing the N in Spanish (2)


Steps to Pronounce Spanish Letter ñ1) Place your tongue on the roof of your mouth, right behind your upper, front teeth.2) Now say the letter “n”.3) Bring your tongue down and say “yah”.4) Repeat until perfected
  • cuñado (koo-nyah-doh) &nbsp=Brother-in-law

    Phonetics Letter N in Spanish - Pronouncing the N in Spanish (3)

  • Los museos en España suelen descansar los lunes.&nbsp=Museum in Spain are usually closed on Mondays

    Phonetics Letter N in Spanish - Pronouncing the N in Spanish (4)

  • La señorita a quien usted esperaba acaba de llegar.&nbsp=The young lady whom you were waiting for just arrived.

    Phonetics Letter N in Spanish - Pronouncing the N in Spanish (5)

  • Un compañero está aquí.&nbsp=A classmate is here.

    Phonetics Letter N in Spanish - Pronouncing the N in Spanish (6)

  • Nuestro compañero Baldarelli hablaba de ello hace un momento.&nbsp=Mr Baldarelli mentioned this a few minutes ago.

    Phonetics Letter N in Spanish - Pronouncing the N in Spanish (7)

    What is Ñ called in Spanish?

    Phonetics Letter N in Spanish - Pronouncing the N in Spanish (8)


    The consonant ñ gives the Spanish alphabet one more letter than the English alphabet. When you see a wiggly line — called a tilde (teel-deh) — on top of the letter n that looks like ñ, use the ny sound that you use for the English word canyon.
    • Yo escribí la carta esta mañana.&nbsp=I wrote the letter this morning.

      Phonetics Letter N in Spanish - Pronouncing the N in Spanish (9)

    • La señorita Gómez nunca juega con nadie después de las once menos cuarto de la noche.&nbsp=Miss Gómez never plays with anybody after 10:45 p.m.

      Phonetics Letter N in Spanish - Pronouncing the N in Spanish (11)

    • Tú conoces a mi compañero.&nbsp=You know (acquainted with) my partner.

      Phonetics Letter N in Spanish - Pronouncing the N in Spanish (12)

      What is the sound of Ñ?

      Phonetics Letter N in Spanish - Pronouncing the N in Spanish (13)


      All words that begin with this letter are pronounced with the N sound, but this changes if N precedes C and G. It becomes a little hushed, and the tone of N sound comes in a distant way. You will love the little difference that this intonation gives to the conversation. The meaning of the words comes out concisely and gives you a mastery edge to the Spanish language. The diatribe aspect of the letter N gives it a little more influence on the language. These are indication marks above the letter that alludes the pronunciation to sound like the word nay in English. 
      • ¿Escribiste la carta esta mañana?&nbsp= Did you write the letter this morning?

        Phonetics Letter N in Spanish - Pronouncing the N in Spanish (14)

      • Esa es la mujer con la que me voy a España&nbsp=That is the woman who I am going to Spain with.

        Phonetics Letter N in Spanish - Pronouncing the N in Spanish (15)

      • Yo no sé. Le podemos preguntar a la señorita.&nbsp=I don't know. We can ask the lady.

        Phonetics Letter N in Spanish - Pronouncing the N in Spanish (16)

      • Mi compañero puede atestiguarlo.&nbsp=My colleague can confirm this. I always sit here.

        Phonetics Letter N in Spanish - Pronouncing the N in Spanish (17)

        What's the difference between N and Ñ? in Spanish

        Phonetics Letter N in Spanish - Pronouncing the N in Spanish (18)


        The ñ came about in the 12th century as a variation of copying a double-n from Latin words. The ñ is a separate letter of the Spanish alphabet, not merely an n with a mark over it. In precise pronunciation of Spanish, the ñ is similar to but different than the "ny" of "canyon."
        • Ellos leerán el periódico mañana en la mañana.&nbsp=They'll read the newspaper tomorrow morning.

          Phonetics Letter N in Spanish - Pronouncing the N in Spanish (19)

        • La película se rodó en España.&nbsp=The movie was filmed in Spain.

          Phonetics Letter N in Spanish - Pronouncing the N in Spanish (20)

        • Señorita, ¿me puede decir cuánto cuesta esta camisa?&nbsp=Miss, can you tell me how much this shirt costs?

          Phonetics Letter N in Spanish - Pronouncing the N in Spanish (21)

        • Además, nuestro compañero Kouchner acaba de recordarlo.&nbsp=Mr Kouchner too has just made this point.

          Phonetics Letter N in Spanish - Pronouncing the N in Spanish (22)

          Is ñ an accent?

          Phonetics Letter N in Spanish - Pronouncing the N in Spanish (23)


          It's very important to include the tilde when writing or typing, because N and Ñ are two different letters.
          • María escribió la carta esta mañana.&nbsp=María wrote the letter this morning.

            Phonetics Letter N in Spanish - Pronouncing the N in Spanish (24)

          • ¿Cuáles son las capitales de España y Cuba?&nbsp=What are the capitals of Spain and Cuba?

            Phonetics Letter N in Spanish - Pronouncing the N in Spanish (25)

          • Señorita, ¿cuánto cuesta esta camisa?&nbsp=Miss, how much does this shirt cost?

            Phonetics Letter N in Spanish - Pronouncing the N in Spanish (26)

          • Comparto lo que acaba de decir mi compañero.&nbsp=I agree with what my fellow Member has just said.

            Phonetics Letter N in Spanish - Pronouncing the N in Spanish (27)

            Spanish Tilde: ñ

            Phonetics Letter N in Spanish - Pronouncing the N in Spanish (28)


            The ~ accent, called a tilde, on the Spanish letter Ñ indicates that the word used to be spelled with two Ns but now the tilde stands in for the second one. Ñ is pronounced like the ni in onion.
            • Nosotros escribimos la carta esta mañana.&nbsp=We wrote the letter this morning.

              Phonetics Letter N in Spanish - Pronouncing the N in Spanish (29)

            • Estabas realizando un filme en España.&nbsp=You were doing a film in Spain.

              Phonetics Letter N in Spanish - Pronouncing the N in Spanish (30)

            • Yo quisiera volar de México a España.&nbsp=I would like to fly from Mexico to Spain.

              Phonetics Letter N in Spanish - Pronouncing the N in Spanish (31)

            • Señorita, ¿Hay corbatas?&nbsp=Miss, are there ties?.

              Phonetics Letter N in Spanish - Pronouncing the N in Spanish (32)

            • Entre ellos se encuentra mi compañero Méndez de Vigo.&nbsp=Amongst them is a colleague of mine, Méndez de Vigo.

              Phonetics Letter N in Spanish - Pronouncing the N in Spanish (33)

    Related Lessons in Intermediate Course, to further your understanding.

    Phonetics Letter N in Spanish - Pronouncing the N in Spanish (34)

    How To Pronounce L in Spanish

    How To Pronounce L in Spanish

    Phonetics Letter N in Spanish - Pronouncing the N in Spanish (35)

    Pronouncing Letter N in Spanish

    Pronouncing Letter N in Spanish

    Phonetics Letter N in Spanish - Pronouncing the N in Spanish (36)

    Pronouncing Letter Q in Spanish

    Pronouncing Letter Q in Spanish

    Phonetics Letter N in Spanish - Pronouncing the N in Spanish (37)

    Merry Christmas in Spanish

    How to Say Merry Christmas in Spanish

    Explore a world of languages

Phonetics Letter N in Spanish - Pronouncing the N in Spanish (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Lilliana Bartoletti

Last Updated:

Views: 6095

Rating: 4.2 / 5 (73 voted)

Reviews: 88% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Lilliana Bartoletti

Birthday: 1999-11-18

Address: 58866 Tricia Spurs, North Melvinberg, HI 91346-3774

Phone: +50616620367928

Job: Real-Estate Liaison

Hobby: Graffiti, Astronomy, Handball, Magic, Origami, Fashion, Foreign language learning

Introduction: My name is Lilliana Bartoletti, I am a adventurous, pleasant, shiny, beautiful, handsome, zealous, tasty person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.