LingoDrop
Spanish · Pronunciation Guide
How do you pronounce "la cocina" in Spanish?
lah koh-SEE-nah — the first c is a k and the second is an s.
Three syllables, co-CI-na, with the weight on the second-to-last, which is where the default rule puts it. The plural "cocinas" keeps it. The verb "cocinar" moves the beat to the end because of its r ending, so noun and verb sit on opposite rhythms from the same stem.
Listen: la cocina
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Hear it in a sentence
La cocina es pequeña pero bonita.
The kitchen is small but pretty.
Listen: La cocina es pequeña pero bonita.
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"La cocina es pequeña pero bonita" strings three feminine adjectives after the noun, all agreeing. "Pequeña" needs its ñ as one fused sound, and "pero" has a single tapped r that distinguishes it from "perro". The sentence is a compact tour of Spanish agreement.
Where English speakers slip
The two c's get made the same, producing either "KOH-kee-na" or "soh-SEE-na". Spanish decides by the vowel after each: k before o, s before i. The s between vowels then wants voicing into a z. And note the word covers both the kitchen and cooking as an activity, so "la cocina mexicana" means Mexican cuisine.