Ever had to spell your name on the phone in Spanish? Today you’ll learn the Spanish alphabet essentials, how to ask for and give spellings, and how to mention accents like in “María.” By the end, you’ll be able to confidently say “Se escribe…” and spell your name clearly.

The Spanish alphabet: quick overview

Spanish uses 27 letters: the English A–Z plus “ñ.” The digraphs “ch” and “ll” are no longer considered separate letters. Many letter names are similar to English, but a few are different — and that’s the key to spelling.

Common letter names you’ll hear:

• a (a), e (e), i (i), o (o), u (u)
• b (be), v (uve)
• h (hache) — remember, “h” is silent
• j (jota)
• ñ (eñe)
• y (ye, also called “i griega”)
• w (uve doble)

Useful words:

• “la letra” (the letter)
• “vocal” (vowel) and “consonante” (consonant)
• “mayúscula” (uppercase) and “minúscula” (lowercase)
• “acento / tilde” (accent mark on vowels, like á, é, í, ó, ú)

Example phrases:

• “¿Cómo se escribe tu nombre?” (How do you spell your name?)
• “Se escribe A-N-A.” (It is spelled A-N-A.)
• “Con acento en la í.” (With an accent on the í.)

Pronunciation notes (simple and practical)

• “h” is silent: “hache.” Example: “hola” (hello) sounds like “ola.”
• “j” is “jota” and has a strong, breathy sound (like the “ch” in Scottish “loch”).
• “v” is called “uve.” In many regions it sounds very similar to “b.” When spelling, use the names “be” (b) and “uve” (v) to avoid confusion.
• “ñ” is “eñe,” and it’s a distinct letter: “año” (year), “señor” (sir).

Me llamo es Juan. → Me llamo Juan. “Me llamo” already means “I call myself / my name is.” No extra “es.”

Ask and give spelling

Use these mini-dialogue lines in real life:

• “¿Cómo se escribe tu nombre?” (How do you spell your name?)
• “¿Cómo se escribe su apellido?” (How do you spell your last name? — formal)
• “¿Puede deletrearlo, por favor?” (Can you spell it, please?)
• “Se escribe L-U-C-Í-A.” (It is spelled L-U-C-Í-A.)
• “Con acento en la O.” (With an accent on the O.)
• “Todo en mayúsculas.” (All in uppercase.)
• “Todo en minúsculas.” (All in lowercase.)

La letra ñ se llama .

Translation: “The letter ñ is called ___.” Answer: “eñe.”

Spelling your name: model and practice

Model it like this:

Try your own name: say “Me llamo …” and then “Se escribe …,” naming each letter in Spanish.

Tip: If your name has an accent in Spanish (like “Lucía” or “José”), add “Con acento en la …” (With an accent on the …).

Uppercase, lowercase, and accents

When someone asks about caps or accents, you can say:

La “v” en español se llama .

Translation: “The ‘v’ in Spanish is called ___.” Answer: “uve.”

Málaga lleva en la “a”.

Translation: “Málaga has an ___ on the ‘a’.” Answer: “acento.”

Cultural notes you’ll actually use

• Variations exist: you may hear “ve” or “ve corta” for V, “i griega” for Y, and “doble ve” for W. The widely taught forms are “uve,” “ye,” and “uve doble.” If you hear a variant, just ask politely: “¿La v de ‘uve’?”
• “h” (hache) is silent in words. Don’t pronounce it in “hola” or “hotel.”
• “ch” and “ll” are digraphs now (two-letter combinations), not separate alphabet letters. You may still hear people list them when spelling; it’s okay.
• For accents, native speakers often say “con acento en la …” rather than spelling the accented letter separately.

Polite helper phrases:

Mini practice

• Say your full name in Spanish: “Me llamo …” / “Mi nombre es …”
• Spell it: “Se escribe …” (use letter names: a, be, ce, de, e, efe, …)
• If needed, add: “Con acento en la …” / “Todo en mayúsculas.” / “Todo en minúsculas.”

You’ve got this. With a few letter names and the phrases above, spelling your name in Spanish becomes simple and stress-free. ¡Buen trabajo! (Great job!)