Spanish speaker difficulties in English

This page is for IELTS candidates whose first language is Spanish. Spanish and English share many words, which makes reading easy, but the grammar habits, the vowels and the rhythm are different, and the same mistakes keep appearing in Speaking and Writing. Read the problems once, then do one lesson a day and go round the series again: every lesson practises the same problems with new sentences.

Pronunciation

The weak vowel /ə/: teacher, banana, support

Makes you sound more natural.

Why it happens: In Spanish every written vowel has its own clear sound, so you say each letter of banana and doctor in full. English hides most vowels in short, unstressed syllables behind one relaxed sound.

The most common sound in English is the weak vowel /ə/: a short, lazy "uh". It sits in unstressed syllables whatever the spelling: along, suppose, doctor, teacher, company. Endings in -er and -or are /ə/ with no r sound in British English. Say the one strong syllable clearly and let every other vowel shrink. If you give each letter its full sound, the stress disappears and listeners work much harder.

• Not ba-NA-na with three clear "a" sounds, but bə-NA-nə: the first and last vowels are weak
• Not doc-TOR, with a clear o and a rolled r, but DOC-tə: the ending is a short /ə/
• Not to-MOR-row, with every "o" the same, but tə-MOR-rəʊ: the first vowel is weak
• Not sup-PORT, with a full "u", but sə-PORT: the first vowel is weak

How to make it: Open your mouth only a little and relax your tongue and lips: no smile, no round shape. Say a very short "uh" from the middle of your mouth. Say the strong syllable clearly, then make every other syllable shorter and quieter. Never say the name of the letter: a in banana is not "ay" or "ah".

Sentence stress and rhythm: stress-timing

Makes you sound more natural.

Why it happens: Spanish gives every syllable about the same length, like a drum beating evenly. English beats on the important words and squeezes everything between them, so an even Spanish rhythm hides the key words from the listener.

In English the content words (nouns, main verbs, adjectives, adverbs) carry the beat: they are longer, louder and higher. Grammar words (a, the, of, to, was, can) are quick and quiet. The beats come at fairly regular times, so when there are many small words between two beats, you say them faster. Tap the beats as you speak: She wants to study in London has three beats, however many syllables lie between.

• Not we-are-go-ing-to-vi-sit-the-mu-se-um (every syllable equal), but we're GO-ing to VIS-it the mu-SEUM (three beats)
• Not My-bro-ther-works-in-a-fac-to-ry (all loud), but my BROTH-er WORKS in a FAC-to-ry
• Not I-need-to-buy-a-ti-cket (even), but I NEED to BUY a TICK-et

How to make it: Tap the table once for each important word as you speak. On each tap, make the stressed syllable longer, louder and a little higher. Say the small words between the taps very fast and very quietly: do not skip them, just squeeze them. Keep the taps steady, even when there are more small words between them.

Weak forms and contractions: to, can, of, I'll, they're

Makes you sound more natural.

Why it happens: Spanish has no contractions and no reduced little words, so you say every word in full: I will not, to as "too". English listeners expect the short forms, and you may not hear them either when others speak fast.

In normal speech small grammar words use a weak form: to /tə/, for /fə/, of /əv/, and /ən/, than /ðən/, can /kən/. Contractions join two words into one beat: I'll, they're, he'd, we've, isn't. Listen carefully to can and can't: can is short and weak, can't has a long vowel /kɑːnt/ and a final /t/. Use the full form only at the end of a sentence (Yes, I am.) or when you stress the word.

• Not I want /tuː/ travel. (full "to"), but I want /tə/ travel.
• Not I can swim. (said like can't, with a long vowel), but I can swim: /aɪ kən swɪm/. I can't swim: /aɪ kɑːnt swɪm/.
• Not They are late. (every word full), but They're late. (one beat)
• Not Are you ready? Yes, I'm., but Are you ready? Yes, I am. (never end on a contraction)

How to make it: Say small words in the middle of your mouth, with relaxed lips, much shorter than the beat words. Join a contraction into one syllable: they're is one beat, not two. For can keep the vowel short and weak; for can't stretch the vowel long and finish with /t/. If a small word ends the sentence, say it in full: Yes, I can.

Linking and connected speech: turn off, did you

Makes you sound more natural.

Why it happens: Spanish also links words, but mostly vowel to vowel (la_amiga). English words often end in consonants, so you may stop after them or drop them, leaving a gap. English runs words together: a final consonant slides onto the next vowel, and some sounds change when words meet.

Say a phrase as one long word. (1) A final consonant moves to a following vowel: turn off sounds like "tur-noff", an aim like "a-naim". (2) Between two vowels a small glide appears: go on gets a /w/ /ɡəʊ wɒn/, see it gets a /j/ /siː jɪt/. (3) t or d + you merge: did you /dɪdʒə/, don't you /dəʊntʃə/. Linking changes where a word seems to begin, so an ocean and a notion sound different only in the link.

• Not turn / off (a stop between words), but tur-noff (the n slides onto off)
• Not go / on (a stop), but gowon (a small /w/ joins them)
• Not Did / you see it? (separate words), but /dɪdʒə/ see it? (d and you merge)

How to make it: Do not stop at the end of a word. Keep the air moving and slide the last consonant onto the next word. Between two vowels, add a tiny glide: round your lips for /w/ after go, do, who; spread them for /j/ after see, try, they. When t or d meets you, say /tʃ/ or /dʒ/ in one move. Say the whole phrase smoothly as one word.

Word stress: PHOtograph, phoTOgraphy, deVELopment

Big effect on being understood.

Why it happens: Spanish stress follows spelling rules and stays fixed in a word family, and Spanish-like words (fotografía, economía) pull your English stress to the Spanish syllable. English stress is not marked and it moves when the word changes.

Every word of two or more syllables has one strong syllable: longer, louder, higher. It can move inside a word family: PHOtograph, phoTOgrapher, photoGRAPHic; eCONomy is stressed on con, but ecoNOMic on nom. Endings -tion, -sion, -ic, -ical, -ity pull the stress to the syllable just before them: eduCAtion, uniVERsity, ecoNOMic. Some two-syllable words change stress between noun and verb: a REcord, to reCORD. Always check a British dictionary for the mark ˈ.

• Not pho-to-gra-PHY (stress copied from Spanish fotografía), but pho-TOG-ra-phy
• Not e-co-no-MY, but e-CON-o-my
• Not en-vi-ron-MENT, but en-VI-ron-ment
• Not de-ve-lop-MENT, but de-VEL-op-ment

How to make it: Find the strong syllable and say it longer, louder and a little higher. Make the other syllables short and quiet: the vowels shrink to /ə/ or /ɪ/. Learn the word family as a set and say them one after another. Check the dictionary mark ˈ before you use a new long word in Speaking.

Stress for meaning: new information, contrast, compounds

Big effect on being understood.

Why it happens: In Spanish the main stress falls near the end of the sentence, so to stress a word you move it to the end. In English the word stays in its place and the stress moves onto it. If you always stress the last word, the listener cannot hear what is new or what you are correcting.

Every sentence has one most important word: the word that answers the question or corrects something. Give it the biggest stress and let the words after it fall quiet. Who took the bus? TOM took the bus. What did Tom take? Tom took the BUS. The same goes for putting something right: I said sixTEEN, not sixty. Compound nouns put the stress on the first part (a WHITEboard, a HOTdog); an adjective + noun puts it on the noun (a white BOARD, a hot DOG).

• Not Who took the bus? Tom took the BUS. (stress at the end), but Who took the bus? TOM took the bus.
• Not No, I said sixteen. (all syllables the same, so the listener still hears sixty), but No, I said six-TEEN.
• Not a white BOARD (when you mean the classroom board), but a WHITE-board
• Not I drove to the MARKET (to correct "you walked"), but I DROVE to the market.

How to make it: Decide first which word is new or corrected. Make that word longer and jump your pitch up on its strong syllable. Say the words after it quietly and lower: do not move the word to the end. For a compound noun, put the jump on the first part.

Intonation and pitch range: sounding interested

Makes you sound more natural.

Why it happens: Many Spanish speakers use a narrow pitch range and show emphasis only by making words longer. To an English ear a flat voice can sound bored, even when you are enthusiastic.

Think of pitch as stairs. Use wider steps: jump up on the key word, then fall. Statements and wh-questions (Where do you work?) fall at the end. Yes/no questions (Do you work here?) rise. In a list, rise on each item and fall on the last: tennis, golf and chess. When you pause but are not finished, rise a little. A wide, lively voice sounds engaged and is easier to follow in the Speaking test.

• Not It was interesting. (one flat note), but It was so INterest-ing! (jump up, then fall)
• Not Do you like swimming? (voice goes down), but Do you like swimming? (voice goes up at the end)
• Not I enjoy tennis, golf and chess. (all falling), but tennis ↗, golf ↗ and chess ↘

How to make it: Start a little lower than your normal note and jump up on the key word. End statements and wh-questions with a clear fall to a low note. End yes/no questions with a rise, as if you are waiting for a reply. In a list, rise on each item and fall only on the last one.

Long and short vowels: leave/live, fool/full

Big effect on being understood.

Why it happens: Spanish has only five vowels and length never changes a word. One Spanish i covers two English vowels and one u covers two more, so pairs such as feel and fill sound identical to you.

Length and tension separate the pair. /iː/ (feel, green, heat) is long and tense with spread lips. /ɪ/ (fill, grin, hit) is short and relaxed. /uː/ (fool, Luke, who'd) is long with tightly rounded lips. /ʊ/ (full, look, hood) is short with loosely rounded lips. As a guide, the long vowel is about twice as long as the short one. Wrong vowels change the word, so a wrong vowel can change your meaning in Speaking.

• Not I can feel the glass. (you meant fill it), but I can fill the glass.
• Not Please luke at this picture. (you meant look), but Please look at this picture. (short /ʊ/)
• Not I hate the summer hit. (you meant heat), but I hate the summer heat.
• Not I leave in a small flat near the river. (you meant live), but I live in a small flat near the river.

How to make it: /iː/: smile, put the tongue high at the front, and hold it for two counts. /ɪ/: relax the smile, let the jaw drop a little, and make it very short. /uː/: round your lips tightly like a small tunnel, and hold it long. /ʊ/: let the lips go loose and quick, with no tension.

Open vowels and /ɜː/: march/match/much, work/walk

Big effect on being understood.

Why it happens: Spanish has one a where English has three (long, short, and a half-open one) and one o where English has two. English /ɜː/ does not exist, so work becomes "work" with a rolled r.

In British English, r is silent unless a vowel follows, so the vowel is the whole sound. /ɑː/ is long and open (march, heart, barn). /æ/ is short, wide and forward (match, hat, lack). /ʌ/ is short and relaxed (much, hut, luck). /ɒ/ is short and rounded (shot, spot), /ɔː/ is long and rounded (short, sport). /ɜː/ is long, in the middle of the mouth, with lips relaxed and no r (work, turn, hurt).

• Not I went on a match. (you meant march), but We went on a march.
• Not It hearts when I walk. (you meant hurts), but It hurts when I walk.
• Not I like my work. (said /wor-k/ with a rolled r), but I like my work. (said /wɜːk/, no r)
• Not a shot skirt (you meant short), but a short skirt

How to make it: /ɑː/: open wide, tongue low and back, and hold a long "ah" with no r. /æ/: open the jaw and spread the lips, with the tongue forward; make it short. /ʌ/: open the jaw only halfway, relax, and say a short "uh". /ɜː/: lips neutral, tongue flat in the middle; hold "er" and do not touch the tongue to anything.

Endings and clusters: -ed, -s, bed/bet, school

Big effect on being understood.

Why it happens: Spanish words end mostly in vowels, n, s, r, l or d, and no Spanish word starts with s + consonant. So you cut the last sounds of English words, devoice final b, d, g, v, z, drop -ed and -s, and put an e before words like school.

Say the last sound of every word. Keep voiced ends voiced (bed, bag, leave, rise) and do not add a vowel after. -ed has three sounds: /t/ after voiceless sounds (helped, watched), /d/ after voiced sounds (opened, played), /ɪd/ after t or d (needed, started). -s has three sounds too: /s/ (cats), /z/ (dogs), /ɪz/ (buses, changes). Start school, station, study with s straight into the next consonant: no e in front.

• Not I carry my back to school. (you meant bag), but I carry my bag to school.
• Not Yesterday I help my brother. (-ed missing), but Yesterday I helped my brother. (/helpt/)
• Not Two bus stop here., but Two buses stop here. (/ˈbʌsɪz/)
• Not I go to eschool by bus., but I go to school by bus. (s straight into k)

How to make it: Finish each word: let your tongue or lips reach the last consonant. For voiced ends, feel your throat buzz (hand on it) but do not add an "uh" afterwards. For -ed and -s, copy the sound before: whisper /t/ or /s/ after a whisper, buzz /d/ or /z/ after a buzz. Start with a long hiss "sss" and go straight into the next consonant: sss-chool.

Consonants: b/v, s/z, sh/ch/j, y, h

Big effect on being understood.

Why it happens: Spanish uses one sound for b and v and has no /z/, so s replaces it. It has /tʃ/ but no /ʃ/ or /dʒ/ for most speakers. Its written h is silent, so you drop English /h/ (hair → "air") or you replace it with the rough throat sound of Spanish j. Many speakers also turn English /j/ into /dʒ/.

/b/ = lips together, a small burst (ban); /v/ = top teeth on the lower lip, voice on (van). /z/ buzzes like a bee (zip, prize); /s/ only hisses (sip, price). /ʃ/ is a long soft hush (share, wash); /tʃ/ starts with a stop (chair, watch); /dʒ/ is the voiced version (joke, badge). /j/ in yes is a smooth glide, not /dʒ/. /h/ is a soft breath (hair), not a scrape; and silent in hour.

• Not I wear a best under my jacket. (you meant vest), but I wear a vest under my jacket.
• Not I need a sip for my jacket. (you meant zip), but I need a zip for my jacket.
• Not Jes, I would love to come. (you meant yes), but Yes, I would love to come. (a smooth /j/ glide)
• Not My grandfather has almost no air left. (you meant hair), but My grandfather has almost no hair left. (soft breath /h/)

How to make it: /v/: bite your lower lip lightly with the top teeth and buzz; /b/: press the lips together and release. /z/: say /s/ but turn the voice on; keep your hand on your throat and feel it buzz. /ʃ/: pull the tongue back and round the lips slightly. /tʃ/ adds a stop first. /dʒ/ is /tʃ/ with voice. /j/: lift the front of the tongue and glide. /h/: breathe out softly, no rubbing in the throat.

th: tongue on the back of your top teeth: think, this, mother

Makes you sound more natural.

Why it happens: Many Spanish speakers, especially in Latin America, say /s/ or /t/ for the sound in think (sink, tink) and /d/ for the sound in this (dis). Spanish has a soft d between vowels (nada), but you hear it as a /d/, so at the start of English words it comes out hard. In much of Spain z and ce already give /θ/, so the voiceless sound is easier there.

English has two th sounds and both use the same tongue place: the tip of the tongue touches the back of your top front teeth (when you practise slowly, it can show a little between your teeth). /θ/ has no voice (think, three, thank, month, mouth). /ð/ has voice (this, that, the, mother, weather). The air must flow over the tongue, so it is not a stop like /t/ and /d/, and the tongue tip is not held back near the ridge, which would give a hiss like /s/. Small words such as the, this, that, they, them are very common, so a hard /d/ in them is noticed all the time.

• Not I sink it is a good idea. (you meant think), but I think it is a good idea.
• Not Dis is my broder. (this, brother), but This is my brother.
• Not My son is tree years old. (you meant three), but My son is three years old.
• Not Sank you for the gift. (you meant thank), but Thank you for the gift.

How to make it: Touch the back of your top front teeth lightly with the tip of your tongue. When you practise slowly, you can let the tip show a little between your teeth. Do not bite it. For /θ/ (think, three) blow air softly over the tongue. No voice: only air. For /ð/ (this, mother) keep the same tongue place and turn your voice on: feel the tongue buzz. Pull the tongue back in for the next sound. Check in a mirror: if you cannot see the tongue tip, you said /s/, /t/ or /d/.

Grammar

had, knew, wanted: not was having

Why it happens: You think in the Spanish imperfect (tenía, sabía, quería), which is the everyday past for how things were. The closest English-looking copy is was having, was knowing, was wanting, so that is what comes out.

Some verbs describe a state, not an action happening step by step: have, know, want, like, need, prefer, own, understand, believe, remember, love, hate. In these meanings they never take -ing (but have as an action, as in having lunch, is fine). In the past, just use the past simple: had, knew, wanted, liked, needed, owned, understood.

• Not When I was young, I was having a problem with spelling., but When I was young, I had a problem with spelling.
• Not She was owning a small bakery in Valencia., but She owned a small bakery in Valencia.
• Not I wasn't understanding the teacher's accent., but I didn't understand the teacher's accent.
• Not At that age I was preferring cartoons to sport., but At that age I preferred cartoons to sport.

Past habits, and when was -ing is right

Why it happens: The Spanish imperfect (íbamos, jugaba) covers repeated habits and also actions in progress, so you use was/were + -ing for both. English keeps them apart.

If something happened again and again, use the past simple (we visited) or used to (we used to visit). Use was/were + -ing only when you describe an action already in progress when something else interrupted: I was cycling home when it started to rain.

• Not Every summer we were visiting my grandmother., but Every summer we visited my grandmother.
• Not My uncle was taking me fishing every Sunday morning., but My uncle took me fishing every Sunday morning.
• Not I was cycling home when I was hearing a loud bang., but I was cycling home when I heard a loud bang.
• Not We were going to the market every Saturday., but We used to go to the market every Saturday.

It's raining, I'm meeting, have you been playing?

Why it happens: In Spanish the plain present does three jobs: now (llueve), the future (mañana lo veo), and a time that began earlier and continues (llevo años aquí). English splits these into three different forms.

Happening now: present continuous (The baby is crying). Arranged future: I'm meeting the dentist on Friday. Began earlier and continues (for, since, how long): present perfect, often continuous: How long have you been playing the guitar? After when, if, as soon as keep the present: as soon as I finish, not as soon as I will finish.

• Not Listen! The baby cries!, but Listen! The baby is crying!
• Not I meet the dentist on Friday., but I'm meeting the dentist on Friday.
• Not I am vegetarian since last year., but I have been vegetarian since last year.
• Not I'll call you as soon as I will finish., but I'll call you as soon as I finish.

must, should, will: no do, no -s, no to

Why it happens: In Spanish every verb works the same way, so poder, deber take endings and can be used with a helper. English modal verbs follow stricter rules, and it is easy to treat them like normal verbs.

can, could, may, must, should, will never take -s, never need do/does to make a question or negative (just swap or add not), never take to, and never follow another modal. You need other words for the future: will have to, will be able to. For one success in the past, say managed to / was able to, not could.

• Not Does he should see a doctor?, but Should he see a doctor?
• Not My brother musts leave early on Fridays., but My brother must leave early on Fridays.
• Not In 2030 we will must pay more for water., but In 2030 we will have to pay more for water.
• Not Last night I could open the jammed window after ten minutes., but Last night I managed to open the jammed window after ten minutes.

Questions: do/does and word order

Why it happens: In Spanish a question can just be a statement with a rising voice, or the verb can jump to the front with no helper. English wants a helper (do, does, did) in nearly every question.

A direct question follows a pattern: question word + do/does/did + subject + base verb. The helper shows the tense, so the main verb stays plain (Does he cook, not Does he cooks). In a polite or indirect question (Do you know…, I wonder…) the clause goes back to normal statement order, with no helper. When the question word is the subject (Who called you?), there is no helper either.

• Not Does your flatmate cooks?, but Does your flatmate cook?
• Not What time arrives the train?, but What time does the train arrive?
• Not I wonder why did he leave., but I wonder why he left.
• Not Who did call you last night?, but Who called you last night?

Don't drop it: subjects, short answers, not

Why it happens: A Spanish verb ending already says who is acting, so you can leave out the subject, answer with just the verb, and make a negative with no before the verb. In English each of these leaves a hole.

Every English clause needs a subject, even an empty one: it (It is difficult) or there (There are many tourists). A short answer repeats the helper from the question: Did you finish? Yes, I did. Make a negative with don't / doesn't / didn't, never no, and use only one negative word: I haven't met anybody.

• Not Is difficult to park near the market., but It is difficult to park near the market.
• Not Are many tourists in my city in August., but There are many tourists in my city in August.
• Not Did you finish? Yes, I finished., but Did you finish? Yes, I did.
• Not I no like cold weather. I haven't met nobody there., but I don't like cold weather. I haven't met anybody there.

the, a, or nothing

Why it happens: Spanish puts el / la / los in front of general ideas (El dinero no da la felicidad) and often leaves out the article before a job (Mi tío es piloto).

When you talk about something in general, use no article: Money does not bring happiness. I admire honesty. Use the only when both people know which one. For a job you need a/an: My uncle is a pilot.

• Not The money does not bring happiness., but Money does not bring happiness.
• Not My uncle is pilot., but My uncle is a pilot.
• Not I admire the honesty., but I admire honesty.
• Not The pollution is a serious problem in Madrid., but Pollution is a serious problem in Madrid.

luggage, equipment, research: no -s

Why it happens: Some words that you can count in Spanish are a single mass in English. Your Spanish habit adds -s or a to them.

These words have no plural and no a/an: luggage, equipment, research, traffic, weather, homework, advice, evidence, progress. The verb is singular (The equipment is modern). To count them, use a piece of or some.

• Not I lost two luggages at the airport., but I lost two pieces of luggage at the airport.
• Not The equipments in the gym are very modern., but The equipment in the gym is very modern.
• Not Researchs show that sleep matters., but Research shows that sleep matters.
• Not The traffics were terrible this morning., but The traffic was terrible this morning.

Word order: red dress, car key, always check

Why it happens: Spanish adjectives follow the noun (un vestido rojo), noun + noun uses de (llave de coche), and adverbs move wherever you like.

Adjective + noun: a red dress, never a dress red, and the adjective has no -s. Noun + noun: the first noun describes the second (a car key, a travel bag). Frequency adverbs (always, usually, never) go before the main verb. A manner adverb goes after the object: He drives his car carefully.

• Not She wore a dress red to the wedding., but She wore a red dress to the wedding.
• Not I need a key of the car., but I need a car key.
• Not Always I check my emails first., but I always check my emails first.
• Not He drives carefully his car., but He drives his car carefully.

I am thirty, I am afraid, I like jazz

Why it happens: Spanish uses tener (have) for age and many feelings (tengo treinta años, tengo miedo, tengo sueño) and gustar for liking (a mi padre le gusta el jazz, literally jazz pleases my father).

Age and feelings take be: I am thirty. She is afraid of flying. We are sleepy. For liking, the person is the subject: My father likes jazz, never jazz likes my father.

• Not I have thirty years., but I am thirty.
• Not She has fear of flying., but She is afraid of flying.
• Not After the long drive we had sleep., but After the long drive we were sleepy.
• Not Horror films like me., but I like horror films.

tired or tiring, excited or exciting

Why it happens: A Spanish word like aburrido can mean both bored and boring, so you have no habit of choosing between two endings.

-ing describes the thing or person that causes the feeling: The match was exciting. -ed describes the person who feels it: I was excited. The same pairs: surprising/surprised, tiring/tired, confusing/confused, boring/bored, interesting/interested.

• Not The match was very excited., but The match was very exciting.
• Not I am very tiring after work., but I am very tired after work.
• Not The results were surprised., but The results were surprising.
• Not She is confusing by the map., but She is confused by the map.

want you to, not want that you

Why it happens: Spanish builds a whole second clause (quiero que vengas, necesito que me ayudes), so you copy that + a full clause into English.

After want, need, ask, tell, would like use person + to + verb: I need you to help me. For a negative, use not to: She told me not to wait. Some verbs (describe, explain, suggest) put the thing first and the person after to: He described his journey to me.

• Not I need that you help me., but I need you to help me.
• Not The coach asked that we didn't be late., but The coach asked us not to be late.
• Not He described me his journey., but He described his journey to me.
• Not She doesn't want that I tell anyone., but She doesn't want me to tell anyone.

Prepositions: for, on, at, in, as

Why it happens: One Spanish preposition (en, de, a, durante) covers several English ones, so you pick the one that translates, not the one English uses.

Learn them as chunks: for + a length of time (for six weeks), during + an event (during the course). depend on, good at, married to, born in a year. as + your job (works as a guide) but like = similar to.

• Not I studied there during six weeks., but I studied there for six weeks.
• Not It depends of the price., but It depends on the price.
• Not I was born on 1995., but I was born in 1995.
• Not He is good in maths and married with a doctor., but He is good at maths and married to a doctor.

Sources

Problems chosen with reference to Learner English (Swan & Smith, 2nd edn, Cambridge University Press), chapter on Spanish and Catalan speakers by Norman Coe. Explanations, examples and exercises are IELTS Laboratory’s own.