Pronouncing the Difficult Consonants of Spanish

Pronouncing the Difficult Consonants of Spanish While many of the Spanish consonants have sounds that are similar to those in English, many are distinctly different and have become the bane of many a Spanish student. Persons learning Spanish who see a familiar letter are tempted to give it the pronunciation they already know- but more often than not that wont get it exactly right. Even though Spanish is highly phonetic, some letters have more than one pronunciation, and still others are simply different than what might be expected. Consonants With More Than One Sound C, at least in most of Latin America, is pronounced like the c in cereal when it comes before an e or an i, and like the c in car when it is other positions. Examples: complacer, hacer, cido, carro, acabar, crimen. Note: Although you will be understood if you use the Latin American pronunciation, in parts of Spain the c sounds like the th in thin when it comes before an e or i. Learn more details in the lesson on pronouncing the C. D generally is pronounced somewhat like the d in diet, although often the tongue touches the bottom of the teeth instead of the top. But when d comes between vowels, it has a much softer sound, kind of like the th in that. Examples: derecho, helado, diablo. See our lesson on pronouncing the  D for more details. G is pronounced much like the English g in go, although softer, except when it precedes an i or e. In those cases, it is pronounced like the Spanish j. Examples: gordo, gritar, gigante, mgico. See the lesson on pronouncing the  G. N usually has the sound of the n in nice. If it is followed by a b, v, f or p, it has the sound of m in empathy. Examples: no, en, en vez de, andar. Learn more in our lesson on the  N. X varies in sound, depending on the origin of the word. It is often pronounced like the x in example or exit, but it also may be pronounced like the s or the Spanish j. In words of Mayan origin it can even have the English sh sound. Examples: à ©xito, experiencia, Mà ©xico, Xela. See also our explanation of the Spanish  X. Consonants That Markedly Differ from English B and V are pronounced exactly the same. In fact, one of the few spelling problems that many Spanish speakers have is with these two letters, because they dont distinguish them at all from their sound. Generally, the b and v are pronounced like the b in beach. When either of the letters is between two vowels, the sound is formed kind of like the English v, except that the sound is made by touching the lips together instead of the upper teeth and lower lip. See our lesson on pronouncing the B and V for more details and a brief audio lesson. H is always silent. Examples: hermano, hacer, deshacer. See also the lesson on the silent H. J (and the g when before an e or i) can be difficult, as its sound, that of the German ch, is absent in English except for a few foreign words where it is sometimes retained, as in the final sound of loch or the initial sound of Channukah. The sound is sometimes described as a heavily aspirated h, made by expelling air between the back of the tongue and the soft palate. If you cant pronounce it well, youll be understood by using the h sound of house, but its worthwhile to work on the correct pronunciation. Examples: garaje, juego, jardà ­n. See the lesson on pronouncing the J. L is always pronounced like the first l in little, never like the second one. Examples: los, helado, pastel. See the lesson on pronouncing the L. LL (once considered a separate letter) is usually pronounced like the y in yellow. There are some regional variations, however. In parts of Spain it has the sound of the ll in million, and in parts of Argentina it has the zh sound of azure. Examples: llama, calle, Hermosillo. See the lesson on pronouncing the LL. Ñ is pronounced like the ny in canyon. Examples: à ±oà ±o, caà ±Ãƒ ³n, campaà ±a. See the lesson on pronouncing the Ñ. R and RR are formed by a flap of the tongue against the roof of the mouth, or a trill. See the R and RR how to guides for these letters. Z generally sounds like the s in simple. In Spain it is often pronounced like the th in thin. Examples: zeta, zorro, vez. See our lesson on pronouncing the C and Z.

How LinkedIn Networks You like a Pro

How LinkedIn Networks You like a Pro Recently I needed to build momentum as a certified SEO copywriter. Enter LinkedIn, a highly undervalued networking resource for writers, and suddenly, I had a new strategy for landing writing gigs. The types of writing gigs one reaches for on LinkedIn can be typically found under â€Å"search job† tab where you also enter your location. There is a plethora of niche driven writing and editor jobs which companies and agencies pay big bucks to advertise. Such gigs include technical, romance, email marketing writer, B2B/B2C, freelance, copywriting, digital content, SEO writers, among many others. But consider also using LinkedIn to network with potential people who may need your services. For example, if you’re an SEO content writer, you might want to network with CEOs of SEO agencies. Or if you are a freelance writer, you might want to connect with editors or publishers. There are two ways to leverage LinkedIn as a professional. The first is optimizing your LinkedIn profile and the second is networking. Be Keyword Friendly   Just like on any social media site, your prospect has just a few seconds to size you up. There are two prime real estates on LinkedIn: Your title and your profile. 1) A professional title that spells out your focus or niche.   Keywords help you build professional credibility. They are also used 2) A strong profile describing how you help clients. Using a bit of sales copy helped me restructure my profile so it’s not about me but what I can do for the client. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/doritsasson/)   Consider using the powerful second person, â€Å"you.† What does your prospect currently struggle with and need help with? If your prospect is a hiring manager representing clients, what are your client’s pain points? Increase Personal Outreach The more people you know on LinkedIn, the higher the chances your profile will be seen Adjust Your Profile Settings Once you increase your networking pool, start making those direct contacts. Leverage your network When a prospect views my profile, I immediately follow up with this short but sweet note: Hey, Prospect X, I noticed you were looking at my profile. I was just wondering if you needed marketing, writing, or any SEO support. If so, I’d be happy to hop on a call and talk with you. Thanks! There you go†¦nothing too scary! Post Regularly Finally, be sure to post regularly. No-one wants to hop on your LinkedIn profile only to find that the last time you’ve posted was six months ago. Inactivity shows a lack of professional commitment. Happy networking!