If you happen to’re a U.S.-based Spanish speaker like I’m, you may need some questions on why Spaniards pronounce the s sound otherwise from Latin American Spanish audio system.
The so-called Spanish “lisp,” which is definitely extra like a /th/ sound, or [θ] in IPA, is known as the ceceo and it’s one of the distinctive options of European Spanish.
Learn on, mis amigos (my associates), to seek out out extra in regards to the ceceo (plus the seseo and distinción), and how one can grasp and follow it.
Prepare to essentially use your tongue!
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What’s the Spanish “Lisp”?
The Spanish language has many totally different regional dialects with numerous variations in grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. One distinctive pronunciation characteristic of European Spanish is the “th” sound, written as /θ/ in IPA, which English audio system prefer to name a lisp.
The Spanish lisping pronunciation can probably have an effect on the pronunciation of three totally different letters: s, z and c (when it’s adopted by an e or an i).
Relying on the place you’re and who you’re speaking to, these letters can take one in all two sounds: They both sound like an English s or an English comfortable th, like you may hear on the finish of the phrase “tooth.”
The phrases distinción, ceceo and seseo describe how you need to pronounce s, z and c. The 2 types that represent the usage of the “lisp” are distinción and ceceo, whereas seseo requires no lisping in any respect.
Understand that although we’re utilizing the time period “lisp” for the sake of readability on this submit, the goal sound isn’t, in truth, a lisp. It’s only a distinctive pronunciation ingredient in sure components of the Iberian Peninsula, as we talked about above.
1. Distinción — The distinción (which means “distinction”) is the preferred trait of Spanish from Spain. In these locations that use distinción, you pronounce an s like an English s, however a c or z like a th.
2. Ceceo — In areas with the ceceo, you pronounce s, z and c just like the th in “tooth.” The verb for utilizing this pronunciation is cecear.
3. Seseo — In areas with the seseo, you pronounce all three of those letters like an English s. The verb for saying like that is sesear.
Preserving in thoughts that θ is pronounced like “th,” let’s evaluate the pronunciation of various phrases utilizing distinción, ceceo and seseo. Now we have bolded phrases that are “lisped.”
| Gracias (Thanks) | Taza (Cup) | Tasa (Price) | Ases (Aces) | Haces (Do) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Distinción | [‘graθias] | [‘taθa] | [‘tasa] | [‘ases] | [‘aθes] |
| Ceceo | [‘graθiaθ] | [‘taθa] | [‘taθa] | [‘aθeθ] | [‘aθeθ] |
| Seseo | [‘grasias] | [‘tasa] | [‘tasa] | [‘ases] | [‘ases] |
If you happen to’re an intermediate or superior Spanish learner you need to discover this video fascinating—it provides an in depth take a look at the pronunciation of ceceo and seseo.
For everybody else, the video under provides an ideal overview of the variations we’ve simply mentioned, together with a number of instance phrases and a few fascinating tidbits in regards to the Spanish lisp.
The Origin of the Spanish “Lisp”
There’s an often-repeated fantasy that King Ferdinand of Spain had a lisp, and that his countrymen imitated him as a type of respect, which led to the event of the Spanish lisp.
Historians and linguists have refuted this declare, arguing that there’s no proof King Ferdinand had a lisp. In addition to, if that have been the case, the predominance of distinción (as an alternative of ceceo) in Spain would nonetheless not make sense.
It’s extra possible that ceceo and distinción had their roots in medieval Spanish speech patterns, which developed naturally over time to regional variations.
So, why don’t Latin Individuals have this lisping type of pronunciation?
Properly, historical past tells us that Seville was one of the essential cities in Early Fashionable Spain, and it was the peninsula’s most essential buying and selling hub with the brand new colonies within the Americas.
In actual fact, a giant proportion of early settlers within the New World colonies got here from Andalucía and the Canary Islands—each seseo areas. Thus, this linguistic type finally took predominance within the New World.
The place Spanish Audio system “Lisp” Their S Sounds
You gained’t discover Spanish audio system lisping in any of the nations of Latin America or the Caribbean. That is additionally why most Spanish learners in North America don’t encounter the lisp in a Spanish classroom.
However, most of Spain embraces the Spanish lisping pronunciation in a single type or one other. See the map of Spain above to view the distinctions by area.
In Andalucía, pronunciation borders get a bit extra difficult. TranSpanish has a helpful map of the area displaying the place every variation might be heard.
Easy methods to Pronounce the Spanish “Lisp”
I may simply inform you to pronounce your c and z (and s, if you wish to cecear) like an English th. Nonetheless, it’s a bit extra difficult than that. English has two th sounds, and it’s essential to make use of the correct one.
Slate has an article that helps clarify the distinction between the 2 th sounds. To really feel this distinction, put your hand in your throat and say the phrases “then” and “factor.” You’ll discover that your throat vibrates once you say “then,” however not once you say “factor.”
The proper option to lisp is the second means—the one the place your throat doesn’t vibrate. Another English phrases that comprise that th sound are “thought,” “tooth” and “three.”
The Spanish Dude has a useful video with Spanish lisp pronunciation suggestions.
Easy methods to Observe Correct Spanish Pronunciation
Watch and Take heed to Genuine Video Materials
Top-of-the-line methods to follow is to watch Spanish tv, immerse your self in genuine clips and take heed to genuine Spanish audio. If you happen to hear sufficient native audio system lisping, it’ll finally sound pure and can develop into simpler to include into your individual speech.
One nice useful resource for Spanish movies with native audio system utilizing the Spanish lisp is the FluentU language studying program. FluentU makes use of genuine movies made by native audio system for native audio system to showcase the language naturally and in context. You’ll discover totally different Spanish pronunciation types and interactive clickable bilingual subtitles, so once you hear an instance of ceceo, you may click on the phrase to seek out out what different movies the phrase happens in.
Sing Alongside
If you happen to aren’t already singing in Spanish to enhance your pronunciation, now’s the time to start out. Discover a Spanish singer (from Spain, that’s) and sing alongside to one in all their songs, paying specific consideration to their pronunciation of c and z.
One good place to start out is the music “Deshazte de mi” (Get Rid of Me) by the Madrid-born singer Malú. Within the first verse alone, you may follow the phrases necesitas (you want), vacía (empty), principio (starting), hice (I made), cerraba (closed) and hacía (I made), all of which embrace a lisp.
Another good Spanish songs with ample lisping embrace “Cero” (Zero) by Dani Martin and “Quisiera” (I Wished) by Frank Diago.
Make Flashcards
One other good option to follow the lisp is to make a listing of phrases that showcase c, z and s sounds and flip them into flashcards.
For instance, you may use phrase pairs like ciento (100) and siento (I sit) and cazar (to hunt) and casar (to marry), or pair single phrases which have each sounds akin to cesar (to stop) or superficie (floor).
Why Be taught the Spanish “Lisp”?
I didn’t trouble lisping in my first few months in Spain. Then, sooner or later, I used to be having a dialog with a buddy and he or she advised me about her household from the small village of Siruela.
“Siruela?” I requested. “You imply, like the fruit?”
She checked out me in confusion for a couple of seconds, then burst out laughing. “No, that’s ciruela,” she stated, saying the phrase for “plum” with a discernible “lisp” on the letter c.
That’s once I realized: Studying this distinct type of pronunciation from Spain may assist me keep away from a number of confusion when speaking to Spanish-speakers.
There are a lot of phrase pairs that develop into extra simply distinguishable once you use the Spanish “lisp.” For instance, the phrases casar (to marry) and cazar (to hunt) have virtually the identical pronunciation until you’re utilizing the lisp.
Studying this type of pronunciation will even assist broaden your comprehension when listening to Spanish audio system discuss, or when consuming Spanish media.
Plus, studying regional variations of Spanish is enjoyable! If you happen to’re residing in Spain, talking the way in which these round you communicate is a part of the immersion course of.
Hopefully, after studying this submit, you gained’t be fairly so baffled by the Spanish lisp any longer. With a bit of follow, you’ll be changing your c and z sound with a th sound like a neighborhood—however solely in the correct areas!
Obtain:
This weblog submit is out there as a handy and transportable PDF that you just
can take anyplace.
Click on right here to get a replica. (Obtain)
