Spanish · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "deber" in Spanish?

Q: How do you pronounce deber in Spanish?

deber is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /deˈβeɾ/. It means “must / to have to / to owe.” deh-BEHR, with a soft dental d at the front and an even softer b in the middle.

deh-BEHR, with a soft dental d at the front and an even softer b in the middle.

deber /deˈβeɾ/

Two syllables, de-BER, weight on the last, following the r-ending default. Unlike "poder" and "querer", this verb is perfectly regular, so the stress moves in a predictable way through the conjugation: "DE-bo", "DE-bes", "de-BE-mos" — always on the second-to-last syllable of whatever the form happens to be.

Listen: deber

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Sound it out

de The tongue tip touches the back of the upper front teeth for a light d, then a short "eh". Further forward and quieter than an English d.

be A soft b between vowels: the lips approach without meeting, and the voice hums through the gap. Then a stressed "eh", identical in quality to the first vowel.

r A single tap of the tongue tip at the end, leaving the vowel before it unbent.

Hear it in a sentence

Debo estudiar esta tarde.

I have to study this afternoon.

Listen: Debo estudiar esta tarde.

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"Debo estudiar esta tarde" pairs the conjugated "debo" with an infinitive to express obligation, and no preposition comes between them. "Estudiar" packs the ia into a single final syllable — es-tu-DYAR, three beats, stressed at the end because it finishes in r. Say "debo estudiar" and the o runs straight into the e.

Where English speakers slip

Both consonants get hardened by English reflex, giving a clipped "DEH-bur" with a popping b and a curled r. The d should be dental and light, the b between vowels should barely close, and the r is one flick. Meaning-wise, note that "deber" carries both must and to owe — "debo cien pesos" is a debt, "debo estudiar" is an obligation, and only the structure after it tells you which.