Spanish · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "querer" in Spanish?

Q: How do you pronounce querer in Spanish?

querer is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /keˈɾeɾ/. It means “to want / to love (a person).” keh-REHR — the u is silent, and both r's are single taps, not trills.

keh-REHR — the u is silent, and both r's are single taps, not trills.

querer /keˈɾeɾ/

Two syllables, que-RER, beat on the last because of the r ending. Like "poder", this verb changes its stem when the stress lands on it: "QUIE-ro" and "QUIE-res" split the e into ie, while "que-RE-mos" keeps the plain e because the beat has moved off the stem. The rhythm and the spelling change together.

Listen: querer

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Sound it out

que A hard k with no aspiration. The u is a silent spelling device that keeps the c hard before an e; it makes no sound of its own. Then a short "eh".

re A single tap of the tongue tip, then another short "eh" carrying the stress. This r sits between vowels, which is exactly where Spanish uses the tap rather than the trill.

r A second single tap to close the word. Two taps in one short word, and neither of them is rolled.

Hear it in a sentence

Mis hijos quieren jugar.

My kids want to play.

Listen: Mis hijos quieren jugar.

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"Mis hijos quieren jugar" shows the stem-changed form "quieren" with the stress on QUIE. "Hijos" has a silent h and the throaty j, so it is EE-hos. And "jugar" gives you that same back-of-the-throat j again — hoo-GAR — which makes this sentence a good workout for a sound English does not have.

Where English speakers slip

Pronouncing the u is the first error — "kweh-RER" — since English says the u in "question". It is silent here. Then both r's get the English curl, which is doubly noticeable in a word that has two of them; each should be one forward flick. And a meaning note: "querer" covers both wanting and loving a person, so "te quiero" is an expression of affection, not a statement of desire.