Spanish · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "tú" in Spanish?

Q: How do you pronounce tú in Spanish?

tú is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /tu/. It means “you (informal).” too, but shorter and tighter than English "too" — one clean vowel, no glide, and a dry t.

too, but shorter and tighter than English "too" — one clean vowel, no glide, and a dry t.

tú /tu/

One syllable, so there is no choice about placement — which is exactly why the accent is interesting. It is a diacrítico, a spelling device that distinguishes the subject pronoun "tú" (you) from the possessive "tu" (your). Both are pronounced identically; the mark only separates them on the page.

Listen: tú

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Sound it out

t Tongue tip against the upper front teeth, released with no puff of air. English speakers aspirate this heavily; Spanish does not.

ú A pure "oo" as in "boot", but shorter and with tighter lip rounding held steady. The accent mark here is not about how the vowel sounds.

Hear it in a sentence

Tú eres muy amable.

You are very kind.

Listen: Tú eres muy amable.

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"Tú eres muy amable" doubles up on the person — "eres" already means "you are", so the pronoun is there for emphasis, the equivalent of leaning on the word "you" in English. Watch the junction: "tú eres" pushes two vowels together and Spanish links them without a break, giving twe-res in fast speech.

Where English speakers slip

The vowel is the giveaway. English "too" starts with the lips loose and tightens them as it goes, adding a faint "w" at the end; Spanish sets the lips in position first and holds one unchanging sound. Beginners also over-aspirate the t, and — a written mistake that becomes a spoken confusion — mix up "tú" with "tu". If you mean "your", it takes no accent; if you mean "you", it does.