Pronunciar Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of pronunciar — “to pronounce” in English — is the form you need for what happens now, for habits and for general truths. This page gives you the full present conjugation table for pronunciar with all six persons, explains exactly how the tense is formed for this verb, shows when to use it with real examples, and finishes with a quiz so you can test yourself. 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. To see it in a real sentence: Pronuncio la palabra correctamente. — “I pronounce the word correctly.”
Present tense conjugation table: pronunciar
Every person of pronunciar in the present tense. The gerund is pronunciando and the past participle is pronunciado.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | pronuncio |
| tú | pronuncias |
| él/ella/Ud. | pronuncia |
| nosotros/as | pronunciamos |
| vosotros/as | pronunciáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | pronuncian |
The gerund is pronunciando, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy pronunciando” means the action of pronunciar is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is pronunciado, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he pronunciado” is the present perfect, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present is only one part of how pronunciar is used.
How the present of pronunciar is formed
The present of pronunciar is built from the stem pronunci plus the present endings for -ar verbs. Take the infinitive, drop the -ar ending, and add the ending that matches the person. The table below shows the endings, and the full table above shows them attached to the stem.
| Person | Ending | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | pronuncio |
| tú | -as | pronuncias |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | pronuncia |
| nosotros/as | -amos | pronunciamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | pronunciáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | pronuncian |
pronunciar is a regular -ar verb in the present, so the table above is completely regular. The stem is pronunci and the endings are the normal -ar endings, so there are no surprises to memorise in this tense — the challenge is only using the forms naturally.
The gerund of pronunciar is pronunciando and the past participle is pronunciado. Both are the forms you need for the progressive and the perfect tenses with haber.
When to use the present of pronunciar
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use pronunciar in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.
1. A routine or habit
The present tense of pronunciar is the tense for what happens regularly. When something is part of your routine, your week or your normal life, the present is the right choice, and pronunciar is no exception. The time words that go with it are todos los días, cada semana, siempre and a menudo.
Example: “Pronuncio la palabra correctamente.” — I pronounce the word correctly.
2. A general fact
The present tense also states facts that are true in general, not just today. When you describe what pronunciar means in the world — what it does, who it affects, how it works — the present is the tense to use. There is no time limit on the statement, so no past or future form is needed.
Example: “Pronuncia un discurso en la ceremonia.” — He/she pronounces a speech at the ceremony.
3. Something happening right now
The present tense describes what is happening at this very moment. You do not need the progressive (estar plus the gerund) to say what is going on now: the simple present does the job in Spanish, and it is the more common choice in everyday speech.
Example: “Pronuncio tu nombre sin errores.” — I pronounce your name without mistakes.
4. A plan or arrangement
Spanish uses the present tense for plans that are already fixed, especially with a time expression such as mañana or el lunes. When the arrangement is made, the present tense states it as a fact, and pronunciar follows the same rule as every other verb.
Example: “Mañana, nosotros pronunciamos las vocales con claridad.” — Tomorrow, we pronounce the vowels clearly.
5. Asking and answering questions
Questions in the present tense ask about routines, facts and what is happening now. The answer uses the same tense, so a question and its answer stay in the present together. This is the pattern you will hear most often in conversation.
Example: “¿Pronuncias un discurso en la ceremonia?” — Do you pronounce a speech at the ceremony?
The present vs the preterite: how to choose
The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and choosing between them is one of the first decisions in Spanish. The rule is simple: the present reports what happens now, what happens regularly, or what is generally true, while the preterite reports one finished action in the past. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is whether the action is happening now or is already finished. Time words help: ahora and todos los días point to the present, while ayer and anoche point to the preterite.
Present: “Pronuncio la palabra correctamente.” — I pronounce the word correctly.
Preterite: “Pronuncié la palabra correctamente.” — I pronounced the word correctly.
The present sentence describes what happens now or regularly; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Present: “Pronuncia un discurso en la ceremonia.” — He/she pronounces a speech at the ceremony.
Preterite: “Pronunció un discurso en la ceremonia.” — He/she pronounced a speech at the ceremony.
The present sentence describes what happens now or regularly; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Present: “Pronunciamos tu nombre sin errores.” — We pronounce your name without mistakes.
Preterite: “Pronunciamos tu nombre sin errores.” — We pronounced your name without mistakes.
The present sentence describes what happens now or regularly; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Example sentences: pronunciar in the present
Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions, the objects, the other verbs — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.
“Pronuncio la palabra correctamente.” — I pronounce the word correctly.
“Pronuncias un discurso en la ceremonia.” — You pronounce a speech at the ceremony.
“Pronuncia tu nombre sin errores.” — He/she pronounces your name without mistakes.
“Pronunciamos las vocales con claridad.” — We pronounce the vowels clearly.
“Pronunciáis la palabra correctamente.” — You pronounce the word correctly.
“Pronuncian un discurso en la ceremonia.” — They pronounce a speech at the ceremony.
“Pronuncio tu nombre sin errores.” — I pronounce your name without mistakes.
“Pronuncia las vocales con claridad.” — He/she pronounces the vowels clearly.
Common mistakes with pronunciar in the present
These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. 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: Yo needs the yo form pronuncio. The form pronuncia belongs with él, ella or Ud.
Wrong: “Yo pronunciar un discurso en la ceremonia.” Right: “Yo pronuncio un discurso en la ceremonia.” Why: The infinitive pronunciar cannot be the main verb of a sentence: it must be conjugated to agree with yo, giving pronuncio.
Wrong: “Ayer yo pronuncio un discurso en la ceremonia.” Right: “Ayer yo pronuncié un discurso en la ceremonia.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to pronuncié.
Wrong: “Ellos pronuncia un discurso en la ceremonia.” Right: “Ellos pronuncian un discurso en la ceremonia.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form pronuncian. The singular pronuncia belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
Quiz: pronunciar in the present
Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.
1. Complete the sentence: “Yo ___ la palabra correctamente.”
- (a) pronuncio
- (b) pronuncias
- (c) pronuncia
Answer: pronuncio — The yo form of pronunciar in the present is pronuncio.
2. Complete the sentence: “Tú ___ un discurso en la ceremonia.”
- (a) pronuncio
- (b) pronuncia
- (c) pronuncias
Answer: pronuncias — The tú form of pronunciar in the present is pronuncias.
3. Complete the sentence: “Él/ella ___ tu nombre sin errores.”
- (a) pronuncias
- (b) pronuncia
- (c) pronuncio
Answer: pronuncia — The él/ella form of pronunciar in the present is pronuncia.
4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros/as ___ las vocales con claridad.”
- (a) pronunciamos
- (b) pronuncio
- (c) pronuncias
Answer: pronunciamos — The nosotros/as form of pronunciar in the present is pronunciamos.
5. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros/as ___ la palabra correctamente.”
- (a) pronuncio
- (b) pronuncias
- (c) pronunciáis
Answer: pronunciáis — The vosotros/as form of pronunciar in the present is pronunciáis.
6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos/ellas ___ un discurso en la ceremonia.”
- (a) pronuncias
- (b) pronuncian
- (c) pronuncio
Answer: pronuncian — The ellos/ellas form of pronunciar in the present is pronuncian.
7. What does pronunciar mean in English?
- (a) to pronounce
- (b) to say
- (c) to be about
Answer: to pronounce — Pronunciar means to pronounce.
8. Which sentence is in the present?
- (a) Pronuncié la palabra correctamente.
- (b) Pronunciaré la palabra correctamente.
- (c) Pronuncio la palabra correctamente.
Answer: Pronuncio la palabra correctamente. — “Pronuncio la palabra correctamente.” is in the present. The other two use different tenses.
Frequently asked questions
Is pronunciar regular in the present?
Yes. Pronunciar is regular in the present: pronuncio, pronuncias, pronuncia, pronunciamos, pronunciáis and pronuncian. Watch the accents on the forms that carry them, and remember that the nosotros form is the one that keeps the stem unchanged.
What is the gerund and the past participle of pronunciar?
The gerund is pronunciando, used with estar for the progressive: estoy pronunciando. The past participle is pronunciado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he pronunciado.
What should I watch out for with pronunciar?
Pronunciar is fully regular: pronuncié, pronunciaba, pronunciaré. The ci sounds like th in Spain and s in Latin America. In the present, the form to fix in your memory first is pronuncio, because the yo form shows the stem pattern for the whole tense.
How do I practise pronunciar in the present?
Say the six forms in the table out loud with the examples above, then use the pronunciar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of pronunciar — every tense of pronunciar in one place.
- Pronunciar examples and quiz — more sentences with pronunciar and a ten-question quiz.
- Spanish present guide — how the present works for all Spanish verbs.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Present tense conjugator — conjugate any verb in the present instantly.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on pronunciar and other verbs.