¿Cómo se pronuncia?
The English phrase "how do you pronounce" is translated into Spanish as ¿Cómo se pronuncia?
To make it even more specific when pointing at a particular word in a text, you can say ¿Cómo se pronuncia esto?
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "How is it pronounced?" by using the reflexive se to create a passive construction.
Which one should you use?
While ¿Cómo se pronuncia? specifically asks for the phonetic sound, it is more specific than the broader and more common way to ask how to say a word or express an idea, which is ¿Cómo se dice…? Additionally, if you are asking about multiple words or letters, you must use the plural form ¿Cómo se pronuncian?
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are asking about multiple words or letters, you must change the verb to the plural form pronuncian to create ¿Cómo se pronuncian?
Did you know?
- Unlike English, which has many irregular pronunciations, Spanish is a phonetic language where words are almost always pronounced exactly as they are spelled.
- Depending on the region, the pronunciation of the 'z' in pronuncia can vary between Spain and Latin America, though the spelling remains identical.
- The word cómo is derived from a non-literary version of the Latin word quōmodo, which meant 'in what manner'.
Examples in context
- ¿Cómo se pronuncia esta palabra?How do you pronounce this word?
- ¿Podría decirme cómo se pronuncia esto?Could you tell me how this is pronounced?
- Oye, ¿cómo se pronuncia esta palabra?Hey, how do you pronounce this word?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cómo, se, CC BY-SA 4.0.
