One of the most common questions from Spanish students is, "How can I perfect my Spanish accent?" Like many language learning questions, this one doesn't have a simple answer.
First of all, unless you started learning at a very young age, it's very unlikely that you will ever have a perfect Spanish accent. That said, you can certainly improve your accent, and the first step, or rather series of steps, is obviously to learn how to pronounce all the different Spanish letters and letter combinations, which takes time. Next, you have to learn about the particularities of Spanish like diphthongs, enlaces, rhythm, and all that jazz.
To a certain extent, you can learn the above on your own, by reading lessons and using audio tools. You can hear the pronunciation of individual words in dictionaries or websites like
- Forvo (also includes many phrases)
- HowToPronounce
- Span¡shD!ct
- WordReference
For more detail, take a look at these video lessons:
- Blog de Lengua - Videos for individual sounds and letters, Spanish only
- Practiquemos: B and V | C and Z | J and G | LL and Y
- All about "N" including how it changes depending on what letter it's next to
It's also essential to listen to Spanish as much as possible. It doesn't matter whether it's news, movies, cartoons, or podcasts, as long as it's native Spanish speakers. Training your ear is a vital part of training your tongue.
The human touch
At some point, preferably sooner rather than later, you’ll have to interact with actual humans. Of course, speaking with natives can be intimidating, some sounds can be particularly tricky and almost everyone gets nervous when doing this!
You have to make sure that what you’re pronouncing is correct - otherwise, you might end up practising the wrong sound (see Don't practise your mistakes).
The best way to build up your confidence and also to get expert feedback on your pronunciation is to take regular lessons with a native Spanish tutor. They'll make you feel comfortable and help you master those sounds and words that you have trouble with. If you wish to explore this, you can view tutors videos and reviews, then book a 30-minute trial session on LanguaTalk. Click here to see the live availability of tutors from Spain and Latin America.
Alternatively, you can look for a language exchange if you live in a bigger city and have the time to also help others with learning your native language.
The bottom line
Like everything, improving your Spanish pronunciation takes dedication and motivation, and there's a limit to how much you can do on your own. If you're serious about improving your accent, you need to work with a tutor or at least take a class.
