LingoDrop
Spanish · Pronunciation Guide
How do you pronounce "el papel" in Spanish?
el pah-PEHL — the stress is at the end, and both p's are unaspirated.
Two syllables, pa-PEL, beat at the end. The word finishes in l, a consonant that is not n or s, so the default rule places the stress on the final syllable with no accent needed. The plural "papeles" now ends in s, and the beat slides back to pa-PE-les — still second-to-last, still unmarked.
Listen: el papel
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Sound it out
Hear it in a sentence
Necesito una hoja de papel.
I need a sheet of paper.
Listen: Necesito una hoja de papel.
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"Necesito una hoja de papel" uses "hoja" for a sheet, with its silent h and throaty j. Spanish counts paper in sheets rather than pieces. Say "de papel" and the d softens between the vowels around it, toward a th sound.
Where English speakers slip
The English "paper" front-stresses the word and its two p's both explode, giving "PAY-per". Spanish puts the beat at the end, keeps both p's quiet, and finishes with a bright l rather than an r. The final l is the one most likely to get darkened — keep the tongue tip forward against the teeth ridge.