1. The Spanish "a" in América (ahhh) does not sound like the English "a" in ancient (ayyy).
The Spanish "a" is more similar to the English "a" in "father." In fact, the Spanish "a" is always the same sound, whereas English has several "a" sounds (the most common being the short "a" - ant - and long "a" - ancient).
2. The Spanish "a" in "amigo" (ahhh) does not sound like the English "a" in "apple."
As always, the Spanish "a" sound does not change (and is more similar to the English "a" in "father," as described in the previous answer). However, the English "a" in "apple" is called the short "a," and is the same as the "a" in "cat," "ant," "had," etc.
3. The Spanish "i" in "indio" does not sound like the English "i" in "idea."
The Spanish sound for "i" is always the same, and sounds like the English "i" in "is" or "lip." The English "i" in "idea" is a long "i," and sounds like the "i" in "ice cream" or "I'm."
4. The Spanish "i" in "indio" is the same as the English "i" in "Indian."
As always, the Spanish "i" sound does not change, and is similar to the English "i" in "lip" or "is," as described in the previous answer. This sound in English is called the short "i" sound.
5. The Spanish "h" in "hola" is not the same as the English "h" in "hello."
Although both words start with the same letter, the "h" is silent in Spanish. So, "Hola" really sounds like "oh-la." In English, on the other hand, the "h" is pronounced (although there are some exceptions to these rules in both languages).
6. The Spanish "j" in "jalapeño" is the same as the English "h" in "house."
Although the "h" sound in Spanish is usually silent, the "j" is always pronounced like the "h" in "English." This is why "ham" and "jamón" (ha-mon, literally means "ham") sound similar, even if they are written with different letters.
7. The Spanish "r" in "María" is the same as the "dd" sound in "ladder."
The Spanish "r" is usually one of the more difficult sounds for English speakers to pronounce when speaking Spanish, because it's so different from the English "r." It's easier to pronounce if you practice words like "ladder" and "little," concentrating on the sound that comes out for "dd" and "tt."
8. The Spanish "j" in "Jaime" is similar to the English "h" in "ham."
As discussed in question 6, these different letters have corresponding sounds. Although we say "Jay-mee" in English, in Spanish it is pronounced "hi-meh."
9. The Spanish "y" in "yate" is the same as the English "y" in "yo-yo."
In addition to the Spanish "y" sound, the "ll" in Spanish is also pronounced like the English "y." For example, the verb "llamar" (to name) sounds like "ya-mar."
10. The Spanish "ch" in "churro" is not the same as the English "sh" in "shower."
The Spanish "ch" is more similar to the English "ch" (for example, chick or chill). In fact, the English "sh" sound does not exist in Spanish.
