Spanish · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "equivocado" in Spanish?

Q: How do you pronounce equivocado in Spanish?

equivocado is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /e.ki.βoˈka.ðo/. It means “wrong / mistaken.” eh-kee-boh-KAH-thoh, five beats with the stress fourth and the v as a soft b.

eh-kee-boh-KAH-thoh, five beats with the stress fourth and the v as a soft b.

equivocado /e.ki.βoˈka.ðo/

Five syllables, e-qui-vo-CA-do, with the weight on the second-to-last, straight from the default rule. Long as it is, the word needs no accent at all — a good demonstration that Spanish spelling only marks exceptions. The related verb "equivocarse" keeps the same stem rhythm and moves the beat according to the same rule.

Listen: equivocado

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Sound it out

e A short "eh" opening the word, unstressed but fully formed.

qui A hard k with the u silent — that is what qu does before an i — plus a tight "ee".

vo The v is a soft b between vowels: lips approaching without meeting, voice humming through. Then a pure "oh".

ca A hard k with no puff of air and a wide-open "ah" carrying the stress.

do A soft intervocalic d, close to the th of "those", plus a final pure "oh".

Hear it in a sentence

Creo que estás equivocado.

I think you're wrong.

Listen: Creo que estás equivocado.

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"Creo que estás equivocado" uses the masculine form, which would become "equivocada" if you were addressing a woman — the adjective agrees with the person, not the speaker. "Estás" carries an accent to hold the stress on the final syllable against its s ending, and "creo" is two beats, CREH-o.

Where English speakers slip

A five-syllable word is where English reduction does the most damage: speakers crush it into "eh-kwi-vuh-KAH-doh", pronouncing the silent u and schwa-ing the middle. Every vowel here is full — eh, ee, oh, ah, oh — and the u after q makes no sound. The v then needs to be a soft b, and the d near the end needs softening toward a th.