Catalan pronunciation: a simple guide
Catalan looks tricky on a sign, but it follows rules. Learn these and you can have a go at any word. The guide is for the Barcelona accent, which is what you'll hear most.
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Try my app free 📱The vowels go soft
This is the big one. In Catalan, vowels with no stress change sound:
- a and e with no stress sound like the "a" in "sofa" (we write it "uh")
- o with no stress sounds like "oo"
So Barcelona is "bar-suh-LOH-nuh", not "bar-the-LOH-na" like in Spanish. Bona tarda is "BOH-nuh TAR-duh".
Letters that catch you out
| Letters | Sounds like | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ll | "lli" in million | llet (milk): YET |
| ny | "ny" in canyon | Catalunya: kuh-tuh-LOO-nyuh |
| l·l | a long "l" | col·legi (school): koo-LEH-zhee |
| x | "sh" | xocolata: shoo-koo-LAH-tuh |
| tx | "ch" | cotxe (car): KOT-chuh |
| ig (at the end) | "tch" | maig (May): MATCH |
| j, and g before e or i | "s" in measure | Jordi: ZHOR-dee |
| tj, tg | "dj" | platja (beach): PLAD-juh |
| ç | "s" | plaça (square): PLAH-suh |
| s between vowels | "z" | casa (house): KAH-zuh |
| ss | "s" | passeig (avenue): puh-SETCH |
| v | "b" (in Barcelona) | vi (wine): bee |
| h | silent | home (man): OH-muh |
Letters that go quiet
- A t after l or n at the end of a word is usually silent: molt is "mol", vint (20) is "BEEN"
- An r at the end of a word is often silent, especially on verbs: menjar (to eat) is "mun-ZHAH"
Where the stress goes
If a word ends in a vowel, a vowel plus s, or -en or -in, stress the second to last bit: CA-sa, TAU-la, CA-ses. Otherwise stress the last bit: men-JAR, es-pa-NYOL. If there's an accent (à, è, é, í, ò, ó, ú), stress that bit instead: ca-FÈ, MÚ-si-ca.
Place names you'll hear
| Català | Place | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| Barcelona | Barcelona | bar-suh-LOH-nuh |
| Catalunya | Catalonia | kuh-tuh-LOO-nyuh |
| Girona | Girona | zhee-ROH-nuh |
| Lleida | Lleida | YAY-duh |
| Sitges | Sitges | SEED-jus |
| Mallorca | Mallorca | muh-YOR-kuh |
| Eixample | Eixample (Barcelona area) | uh-SHAM-pluh |
| Sagrada Família | Sagrada Família | suh-GRAH-thuh fuh-MEE-lee-uh |
Not every Catalan accent is the same. In Mallorca and Valencia you'll hear the vowels more clearly, and v often sounds like an English "v". Don't worry about it: if you use the Barcelona sounds, everyone will understand you.
Practise with the greetings and useful phrases, then try the flashcards. They can read words out loud if your phone has a Catalan voice.
Keep going: Catalan for beginners · Greetings · Catalan vs Spanish · All the free Catalan guides, flashcards and games.
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Questions people ask
How do you pronounce Barcelona in Catalan?
bar-suh-LOH-nuh. The unstressed a's go soft, and there's no "th" sound like in Spanish.
How do you pronounce ll in Catalan?
Like the "lli" in million. So llet (milk) is "YET" and Lleida is "YAY-duh".
What is the dot in l·l?
It's called the punt volat. It just shows a long "l" sound, as in col·legi (school).
Is Catalan pronounced like Spanish?
No. Catalan has softer vowels, "sh" and "zh" sounds, and no lisped "th". It sounds closer to Portuguese or French to a lot of people.
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