The Basics: Spanish Alphabet and Numbers Made Simple

Today, we’re laying down the foundation for your Spanish learning journey by covering the basics: the Spanish alphabet and numbers. Whether you’re brand new to the language or looking to refresh what you already know, this episode will give you a strong starting point to build upon as we progress through more advanced topics in business Spanish.

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Let’s begin with the Spanish alphabet. The Spanish alphabet has 27 letters, similar to the English alphabet, with one additional letter: n with a tilde, a squiggly line, on top. You can find this sound in the word niña, meaning little girl. I’ll guide you through each letter, providing the correct pronunciation so you can become familiar with the sounds of Spanish.

Let’s dive in.

A, amigo, friend

B, bicicleta, bicycle

C, before e or i it’s a soft the sound in Spain, thielo or s in Latin America — cielo (sky), otherwise the sound is k as in casa — house

D, dinero, money

E, elefante, elephant

F, familia, family

G, before e or i it’s pronounced like a soft h — gente, people, otherwise: g — gato, cat

H, hotel, hotel

I, iglesia, church

J, jirafa, giraffe

K, kilómetro, kilometer

L, libro, book

M, mesa, table

N, nube, cloud

Ñ, niño, child

O, oso, bear

P, perro, dog

Q, queso, cheese

R, reloj, watch

S, sol, sun

T, teléfono, telephone

U, universidad, university

V, ventana, window

W, whisky, whiskey

X, at the beginning of a word or after a consonant: x, xilófono, xylophone or éxito (success), and in some words, such as México it’s a soft h

Y, yogur, yogurt

Z, zapato, shoe

We also have three digraphs in Spanish. These are sounds made up by a combination of two letters:

CH, chocolate, chocolate

double L, lluvia, rain

double R, carro, car

Next, we’ll cover numbers one through one hundred, breaking them down into smaller, easy-to-learn segments. Knowing numbers is crucial, especially in a business context where discussing prices, quantities, and data is commonplace. We’ll start with the basics:

uno, one

dos, two

tres, three

cuatro, four

cinco, five

diez, ten

veinte, twenty

once, eleven

doce, twelve

trece, thirteen

catorce, fourteen

quince, fifteen

dieciséis, sixteen

diecisiete, seventeen

veintiuno, twenty-one

veintidós, twenty-two

veintitrés, twenty-three

treinta, thirty

treinta y uno, thirty-one

cuarenta, forty

cuarenta y uno, forty-one

cincuenta, fifty

sesenta, sixty

setenta, seventy

ochenta, eighty

noventa, ninety

cien, one hundred

mil, one thousand

diez mil, ten thousand

cien mil, one hundred thousand

un millón, one million

Cultural Insights

In Spanish, numbers follow a logical structure that is easy to grasp once you understand the basic principles:

Numbers 1–15: These numbers are unique words that you should memorize (e.g., uno, dos, tres, once).

Numbers 16–29: These are often formed by combining “dieci-” (for 16–19) or “veinti-” (for 20–29) with the corresponding unit number. For example, sixteen is “dieciséis,” and twenty-one is “veintiuno.”

Tens and Units (30 and above): Numbers from 30 onwards are formed by stating the tens value followed by the unit, using “y” (which means “and”) in between. For example, “thirty-one” is “treinta y uno,” and “forty-two” is “cuarenta y dos.”

Larger Numbers: For hundreds, thousands, and millions, the structure is similar to English. You simply combine the base number with the larger unit, such as “cien mil” (one hundred thousand) or “un millón” (one million).

Understanding these principles makes constructing numbers in Spanish straightforward and logical.

Real-World Dialogues

To help you put these basics into practice, let’s walk through a couple of simple dialogues that incorporate letters and numbers in a business setting.

For example, imagine you’re on a call and need to spell your name or provide a phone number.

“Mi nombre es Ana. Se escribe: A-N-A.”

“Mi número de teléfono es cinco-cinco-cinco, dos-dos-cuatro, nueve-siete-uno.”

These basic skills are often the first impression you make in any professional setting, and getting them right can help you appear confident and prepared.

Practice

Write out the Spanish alphabet and practice pronouncing each letter aloud.

Try counting from 1 to 100 in Spanish, focusing on the correct pronunciation.

Spell your name and phone number in Spanish. Practice it until it feels natural.

Thank you for joining us today. Remember to subscribe, leave a review, and share this podcast with anyone you think might benefit from learning Business Spanish. ¡Hasta pronto!