Introduction
Pronunciar means “to pronounce”, and it is one of the verbs you will use again and again in Spanish. Pronunciar means to pronounce, and it is the verb for saying a word correctly, giving a speech, and pronouncing a sentence in court: pronunciar una palabra, pronunciar un discurso. It is fully regular, and it is the verb learners need most when they ask how a word sounds. This page shows pronunciar in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make most often, and it finishes with a ten-question quiz so you can test yourself. Every sentence below comes with its English translation, and every form is the correct present-tense form unless the sentence is clearly marked as past or future. For a first taste: “Pronuncio la palabra correctamente.” — I pronounce the word correctly.
Pronunciar in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how pronunciar is used. Read each one out loud, then read the translation. If a sentence feels useful, copy it into your own notebook with one small change — a different time, a different person, a different place — and you have a new sentence of your own.
In the present: everyday use
These sentences use pronunciar in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Pronuncio la palabra correctamente.” — I pronounce the word correctly.
“¿Pronuncias un discurso en la ceremonia?” — Do you pronounce a speech at the ceremony?
“Pronuncia tu nombre sin errores.” — He/she pronounces your name without mistakes.
“Nosotros pronunciamos las vocales con claridad.” — We pronounce the vowels clearly.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show pronunciar in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer, yo pronuncié la palabra correctamente.” — Yesterday, I pronounced the word correctly. (preterite)
“Antes, él pronunciaba un discurso en la ceremonia.” — Before, he used to pronounce a speech at the ceremony. (imperfect)
Plans and things already done
These sentences look forward, or look back at something already finished. Notice how the verb form changes while the meaning of pronunciar stays the same.
“Mañana, nosotros pronunciaremos tu nombre sin errores.” — Tomorrow, we will pronounce your name without mistakes. (future)
“¿Tú has pronunciado las vocales con claridad?” — Have you pronounced the vowels clearly? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Vosotros pronunciáis la palabra correctamente.” — You pronounce the word correctly.
“Ellos pronuncian un discurso en la ceremonia.” — They pronounce a speech at the ceremony.
“Yo pronuncio tu nombre sin errores.” — I pronounce your name without mistakes.
“Mi padre pronuncia las vocales con claridad.” — My father pronounces the vowels clearly.
Pronunciar in context
Single sentences teach you the forms. Dialogues teach you when to use them. Read the short conversation below, then the paragraph that follows, and notice how pronunciar appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Marta: “¿Tú pronuncias un discurso en la ceremonia?” — Do you pronounce a speech at the ceremony?
Pedro: “Sí, yo pronuncio la palabra correctamente.” — Yes, I pronounce the word correctly.
Marta: “Nosotros pronunciamos las vocales con claridad.” — We pronounce the vowels clearly.
Pedro: “Y ellos pronuncian un discurso en la ceremonia.” — And they pronounce a speech at the ceremony.
Marta: “Vosotros pronunciáis tu nombre sin errores.” — You pronounce your name without mistakes.
Pedro: “Sí, y él pronuncia la palabra correctamente.” — Yes, and he pronounces the word correctly.
A short paragraph
Pronuncia la palabra correctamente, y nosotros pronunciamos las vocales con claridad. Yo pronuncio un discurso en la ceremonia, y ellos pronuncian tu nombre sin errores. Pronunciar is part of everyday life, because pronounce is something people do in work, at home and with friends, in the present, the past and the future.
Common mistakes with pronunciar
These are the errors learners actually make with pronunciar. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo pronuncia la palabra correctamente.” Right: “Yo pronuncio la palabra correctamente.” Why: The person matters: pronuncia is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is pronuncio. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
Wrong: “Ayer yo pronuncio un discurso en la ceremonia.” Right: “Ayer yo pronuncié un discurso en la ceremonia.” Why: The present and the preterite are different tenses: pronuncio is happening now, while pronuncié is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
Wrong: “Treating pronunciar and decir as identical in every context.” Right: “Pronunciar means to pronounce, while decir means to say.” Why: They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: pronunciar fits sentences such as Pronuncio la palabra correctamente, while decir belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Wrong: “Yo soy pronunciado un discurso en la ceremonia.” Right: “Yo he pronunciado un discurso en la ceremonia.” Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he pronunciado, has pronunciado, ha pronunciado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
Wrong: “De niño, yo pronuncié tu nombre sin errores todos los días.” Right: “De niño, yo pronunciaba tu nombre sin errores todos los días.” Why: For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (pronunciaba), not the preterite. The preterite (pronuncié) is for one finished action.
Quiz: pronunciar in use
Ten questions on pronunciar in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ la palabra correctamente.” (You pronounce the word correctly.)
- (a) pronunciáis
- (b) pronuncio
- (c) pronuncias
Answer: pronunciáis — The vosotros/as form of pronunciar in the present tense is pronunciáis.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ un discurso en la ceremonia.” (They pronounce a speech at the ceremony.)
- (a) pronuncias
- (b) pronuncian
- (c) pronuncio
Answer: pronuncian — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of pronunciar in the present tense is pronuncian.
3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Ayer yo ______ la palabra correctamente.” (Yesterday I pronounced the word correctly.)
- (a) pronunciaste
- (b) pronunció
- (c) pronuncié
Answer: pronuncié — In the preterite, the yo form of pronunciar is pronuncié.
4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “Antes, él ______ un discurso en la ceremonia.” (Before, he used to pronounce a speech at the ceremony.)
- (a) pronunciaba
- (b) pronuncio
- (c) pronunciabas
Answer: pronunciaba — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of pronunciar is pronunciaba.
5. Complete the sentence (future): “Mañana, nosotros ______ tu nombre sin errores.” (Tomorrow we will pronounce your name without mistakes.)
- (a) pronunciarás
- (b) pronunciaremos
- (c) pronunciaré
Answer: pronunciaremos — In the future, the nosotros/as form of pronunciar is pronunciaremos.
6. What does pronunciar mean in English?
- (a) to pronounce
- (b) to process
- (c) to say
Answer: to pronounce — Pronunciar means “to pronounce”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo pronuncia la palabra correctamente.
- (b) Ellos pronuncia un discurso en la ceremonia.
- (c) Yo pronuncio la palabra correctamente.
Answer: Yo pronuncio la palabra correctamente. — “Yo pronuncio la palabra correctamente.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I pronounce the word correctly.” in Spanish?
- (a) Mi padre pronuncia las vocales con claridad.
- (b) Pronuncio la palabra correctamente.
- (c) Pronuncian la palabra correctamente.
Answer: Pronuncio la palabra correctamente. — “Pronuncio la palabra correctamente.” is the correct translation.
9. What is the nosotros form of pronunciar in the present tense?
- (a) pronuncio
- (b) pronuncias
- (c) pronunciamos
Answer: pronunciamos — The nosotros form is pronunciamos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Mañana, nosotros pronunciaremos tu nombre sin errores.
- (b) Pronuncio la palabra correctamente.
- (c) Ayer, yo pronuncié la palabra correctamente.
Answer: Pronuncio la palabra correctamente. — “Pronuncio la palabra correctamente.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I pronounce the word correctly' in Spanish?
Say 'Pronuncio la palabra correctamente'. For a routine, add a time expression: 'Pronuncio la palabra correctamente todos los días'.
How do you say 'He pronounces a speech at the ceremony' in Spanish?
Say 'Él pronuncia un discurso en la ceremonia'. The subject comes first, and the verb agrees with it: él takes pronuncia.
What is the difference between pronunciar and decir?
Pronunciar means to pronounce, while decir means to say. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use pronunciar when you mean to pronounce, as in 'Pronuncio la palabra correctamente', and use decir for to say.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of pronunciar — every tense of pronunciar in one place.
- Pronunciar in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on pronunciar and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of pronunciar until they are automatic.