Learn to pronounce more diphthongs
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| This is the iu /iu̯/ sound, and this is the ui /ui̯/ sound. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to tell them apart, PLUS you'll be practicing them and on your way to perfect pronunciation! |
| I'm Horacio, and this is Spanish Pronunciation Through Minimal Pairs. |
| First is iu /iu̯/. This is the iu /iu̯/ sound in ciudad "city," diurno "diurnal," viuda "widow," and other words. |
| Ui /ui̯/ is the ui /ui̯/ sound in muy "very," ruido "noise," CUIDADO "caution," and other words. |
| These sounds are diphthongs made up of two weak vowels. They are pronounced within one syllable, while English often breaks similar combinations into two syllables. |
| To make the iu /iu̯/ sound: start with the tongue high and close to the roof of the mouth for the /i/ sound, similar to the ee in "see." Then, smoothly glide into the /u̯/ sound by rounding the lips and slightly raising the back of the tongue, like the oo in "boot." The transition from /i/ to /u/ is smooth and happens within one syllable. |
| iu |
| [3 sec pause] |
| iu (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| iu |
| iu |
| [3 sec pause] |
| iu (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| iu |
| To make the ui /ui̯/ sound: start by rounding the lips and positioning the tongue high for the /u/ sound, like the oo in "boot." Then, glide into the /i̯/ sound by raising the tongue close to the roof of the mouth, similar to the ee in "see." The transition is quick, smooth and occurs within one syllable, keeping both vowels tightly connected. |
| ui |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ui (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ui |
| ui |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ui (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ui |
| In Spanish, /iu/ and /ui/ form one syllable, while in English, similar combinations of vowels are typically broken into two syllables. |
| Listen carefully and repeat after me. |
| iu, ui |
| [3 sec pause] |
| iu, ui (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| iu, ui |
| Try to pronounce Spanish diphthongs in a shorter and more even way. |
| Listen and repeat or speak along with me. |
| Ready? |
| viuda/vida |
| "widow"/"life" |
| (space for repetition) |
| viuda/vida |
| "widow"/"life" |
| ruido/rudo |
| "noise"/"tough" |
| (space for repetition) |
| ruido/rudo |
| "noise"/"tough" |
| Let's practice. |
| Compare the sounds in these two words. |
| Piura/pira |
| "Piura"/"pyre" |
| (1) |
| Piura/pira |
| "Piura"/"pyre" |
| (1) |
| Let's try another. |
| Luis/luz |
| "Luis"/"light" |
| (1) |
| Luis/luz |
| "Luis"/"light" |
| (1) |
| Now, listen to the following sentences. |
| Después de quedar viuda, ella no volvió a casarse en toda su vida. |
| "After becoming a widow, she didn't get married again in her whole life." |
| (3 sec pause) |
| viuda, vida |
| El rudo motociclista hace mucho ruido. |
| "The tough motorcyclist makes a lot of noise." |
| (3 sec pause) |
| rudo, ruido |
| Read the following sentences out loud, focusing on the different sounds. |
| (pause) |
| La viuda tuvo una vida muy larga. |
| "The widow had a very long life." |
| (3 sec pause) |
| viuda, vida |
| Luis, por favor apaga la luz. |
| "Luis, please turn off the light." |
| (3 sec pause) |
| Luis, Luz? |
| By the way, if you watched til the end |
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