A BRIEF CATALAN TUTORIAL

Please remember that these pages are still under construction!

Stress

Stress falls on the next to last syllable of words ending in:

• a vowel or a vowel + s excluding dipthongs
• -en or -in

Stress falls on the last syllable of words ending in:

• a consonant (excluding n and s when used as above)
• a dipthong or a dipthong + s

All other cases are indicated by a written accent.

Written accents

• When a word does not fall under the rules above, a written accent is used to indicate stress and pronunciaton.
  • The letter a can only take a grave accent (à), i and u only take an acute accent (í, ú), and e and o take a grave accent for the open sound (è, ò)and an acute accent for the closed sound (é, ó). Examples: país (country), català (Catalan), memòria (memory).
• The diaeresis has two uses:
  • when i or u follow a vowel with which they do not form a dipthong, a diaeresis is used if there is not already an accent mark required. Example: països (countries)
  • A diaeresis is also used to indicate when u should be pronounced after g or q. Examples: qüestió (question), següent (following).
• An accent is also used to differentiate the meanings of words with identical spellings. Examples:
  • més (more), mes (month)
  • què (what), que (that, which)
  • sí (yes), si (if)
  • Déu (God), deu (ten)
  • ós (bear), os (bone)

Vowels

• a
• When stressed always has an open sound between the sound of the a in bat or father. Examples: pa (bread), mà (hand), pare (father).
• Unstressed sounds like the a in sugar or the e in butter. Examples: porta (door), roba (clothes), dona (woman).
• e
• Open e is like the e in set. Examples: cel (sky), nen (child), cafè (coffee).
• Closed e is like the e in they without the final gliding sound. Examples: llengua (language), llet (milk), carrer (street).
• Unstressed e is like the e in butter and sounds just like unstressed a. Examples: mare (mother), jove (young). Unstressed e before a sounds like a closed e. Examples: teatre (theater), real (real).
• i
• Sounds like the i in marine, slightly longer stressed than unstressed. Examples: nit (night), país (country). Between 2 vowel sounds like the y in yes. Examples: noia (girl), joia (joy, jewel). See also dipthongs.
• o
• Open is like the o in coffee. Examples: bo (good), allò (that).
• Closed is like the o in note without the final glide. Examples: cançó (song), boca (mouth).
• Unstressed is between the oo in boot and foot. Examples: potser (maybe), comprar (to buy).
• u
• Sounds like the u in rude when stressed and put when unstressed
, just like unstressed o. Examples: fum (smoke), únic (only, unique).
• Between 2 vowels sounds like the w in away. Examples: creuar (to cross). See also dipthongs.

Consonants

• b
  • At the beginning of a word or after m sounds like the b in bar. Examples: bonic (pretty), també (also, too), balcó (balcony).
  • At the end of a word or before an unvoiced consonant sounds like the p in put. Examples: cub (cube), dissabte (Saturday), absolut (absolute).
  • Final b is silent after m at the end of a word. Examples: amb (with), tomb (turn).
  • In all other cases sounds like a VERY soft b made almost without contact between the lips. Examples: problema (problem), obert (open).
• c
• Before e or i sounds like the c in acid. Examples: cel (sky), cita (appointment).
• In almost all other cases sounds like the c in cat. Examples: poc (little, not much), casa (house).
• ç
• Sounds like the c in acid. Examples: cançó (song), començar (to start).
• Before a voiced consonant has a z sound rather like the s in as.
• d
• At the beginning of a word or after n, m, or l sounds like the d in door. Examples: divendres (Friday), demà (tomorrow).
• Sounds like a t at the end of a word or before an unvoiced consonant. Examples: fred (cold), càlid (warm).
• Sounds almost like a th in most other cases. Examples: vida (life), seda (silk).
• Silent at the end of a word after l or n, and in the group rds.
• f
• Sounds like the f in far. Examples: família (family), estufa (heater).
• g
• With an a, o, u, r, or l at the beginning of a word or after n, sounds like g in get. Examples: gos (dog), gana (hunger).
• gu
• gü
• ig
• Pronounced somewhat like ch in match in the endings -aig, -eig, -oig, and -uig. Examples: boig (crazy), passeig (promenade).
• h
• Always silent. Examples: heretar (to inherit), història (history).
• j
• Sounds like the s in measure or vision. Examples: jove (young), netejar (to clean).
• k
• Only appears in assimilated foreign words. Always sounds like the k in kitten. Examples: karate, kart (cart).
• l
• Sounds like the l in love. Examples: malament (badly), local (local).
• l·l
• Pronounced as two ls. Examples: mal·leable (malleable), idíl·lic (idyllic).
• ll
• Pronounced like the lli in the word million. Examples: lladre (thief), llet (milk), filla (daughter).
• m
• Pronounced like the m in mother. Examples: mare (mother), memòria (memory).
• n
• ny
• p
• Pronounced like the p in prepare. Examples: preparar (to prepare), sempre (always).
• Silent after m at the end of a word, or between m and any consonant except l or r. Examples: llamp (lightning), compte (count).
• qu
• qü
• r
• rr
• s
• ss
• t
• v
• At the beginning of a word or after n, pronounced like the b in bath. Examples: vaixell (boat), vi (wine), enviar (to send).
• Otherwise is pronounced much softer, almost without contact between the lips. Examples: revista (magazine), aviat (soon).
• w
• Only appears in assimilated foreign words. Pronounced like b or v. Examples: watt, wàter (toilet).
• x
• y
• Only appears in assimilated foreign words and in some proper names. Pronounced as i would in the same position. Examples: Sydney, yacht. (For ny see n.)
• z
• Pronounced like the z in zebra. Examples: zèfir (zephyr), zel (zeal), zona (zone).

Diphthongs

• ai
• au
• ei
• eu
• iu
• oi
• ou
• ui
• uu
• ua, üe, üi, uo after g or q

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