o
letter name
The letter O is called o in Spanish, said like the English "oh" but short and pure, without the glide at the end. It is the same name in every Spanish-speaking country.
When spelling a word aloud you simply say o. Example: Olga is spelled o, ele, ge, a.
Meaning: fifteenth letter of the Spanish alphabet (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
Spanish o is always one clean vowel, as in oso (bear) and ojo (eye). It never turns into "uh" in unstressed syllables the way English O often does.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not confuse the letter o with the word o, which means "or". They sound the same, and the word is used between alternatives such as té o café.
Did you know?
- Spanish writes the word for "or" as u before a word that starts with an o sound, as in siete u ocho, to avoid two identical vowel sounds in a row.
Examples in context
- Oso empieza con o.Oso (bear) starts with o.
- Se escribe o, ele, ge, a.It is spelled o, ele, ge, a.
- ¿Té o café?Tea or coffee?
