Z is sounded in Spanish-America like sharply hissed s, as in say or base. Example, Zamora, pronounced Sah-mo´rah.
A peculiarity of pronunciation common to almost all Spaniards is the confusion of the b and the v so that one can hardly be distinguished from the other. Vowel sounds are pronounced shortly and crisply, never with the drawling circumflex sound sometimes heard in English. Without going into the complications of the division of syllables, it may be stated that the fundamental principle is to make syllables end in a vowel as far as possible; examples, Do-lo-res (not Do-lor-es), Sa-li-nas (not Sal-in-as).
ACCENT.
All words ending in n or s or a vowel are regularly accented on the next to the last syllable; examples, Sausalíto, Altúras, cómen. All others are accented on the last syllable; examples, San Rafael´, Avenal´. In words following the above rules no mark is used, but in the exceptions, which are many, the stress must be indicated by the written accent. Examples, Portolá, Jolón, Álamo, Los Ángeles.
ARTICLES.
In the Spanish language articles agree with their nouns in gender and number. The forms of the definite article are el (singular) and los (plural) for the masculine, la (singular) and las (plural) for the feminine. Examples, El Portal (the portal, or gate), Los Gatos (the cats), La Paz (the peace), Las Vírgenes (the virgins).
LIST OF NAMES MOST LIKELY TO BE MISPRONOUNCED, WITH THEIR PHONETIC PRONUNCIATION.
| Agua | pronounced | Ah´gwah. Spanish Americans often mispronounce this word by leaving out the g, calling it ah´wa. |
| Aguajito | ” | Ah-gwah-hee´to. |
| Alameda | ” | Ah-lah-may´dthah. |
| Los Ángeles | ” | Loce Ahng´hell-ess. |
| Asunción | ” | Ah-soon-see-on´, with the o long, as in hope. |
| El Cajón | ” | El Kah-hon´, with the o long, as in hope. |
| Camino Real | ” | Kah-mee´no Ray-ahl´. |
| Cañada | ” | Kahn-yah´dtha, with the d slightly softened like th in then. |
| Carpintería | ” | Kar-peen-tay-ree´ah. |
| Carquínez | ” | Kar-kee´ness. |
| Conejo | ” | Ko-nay´ho. |
| Corral | ” | Kore-rahl´. |
| Dolores | ” | Do-lo´ress. |
| Farallones | ” | Fah-rahl-yo´ness, in Spanish-American, Fa-rah-yo´ness. |
| Los Gatos | ” | Loce Gah´tos, the o long, as in hope. |
| Guadalupe | ” | Gwa-dah-loo´pay. |
| La Jolla | ” | La Hole´yah, or in Spanish-American, Ho´yah. |
| La Joya | ” | La Ho´yah. |
| La Junta | ” | La Hoon´tah. |
| Laguna Seca | ” | Lah-goo´nah Say´cah. |
| Lagunitas | ” | Lah-goo-nee´tas. |
| Matilija | ” | Mah-tee-lee´hah. |
| Merced | ” | Mare-sedth´, with the d slightly softened like th in then. |
| Mesa | ” | May´sah. |
| Ojo | ” | O´ho, with the j strongly aspirated. |
| Pájaro | ” | Pah´hah-ro. |
| Paso Robles | ” | Pah´so Ro´blace. |
| Portolá | ” | Por-to-lah´. |
| Punta Arenas | ” | Poon´tah Ah-ray´nas. |
| Rodéo | ” | Ro-day´o. |
| Salinas | ” | Sah-lee´nas. |
| San Gerónimo | ” | Sahn Hay-ro´nee-mo. |
| San Jacinto | ” | Sahn Hah-seen´to. |
| San Joaquín | ” | Sahn Wha-keen´. |
| San José | ” | Sahn Ho-say´. |
| San Juan Bautista | ” | Sahn Whan Bau-tees´ta. |
| San Julián | ” | Sahn Hoo-lee-ahn´. |
| San Luís Obispo | ” | Sahn Loo-ees´ O-bees´po. |
| San Martín | ” | Sahn Mar-teen´. |
| San Quintín | ” | Sahn Keen-teen´, colloquially spelled Quentin. |
| Santa Fé | ” | Sahnta Fay´. |
| Santa Inez | ” | Sahnta Ee-ness´. |
| San Ysidro | ” | Sahn Ee-see´dro, also spelled Isidro. |
| Suñol | ” | Soon-yole´. |
| Vallejo | ” | Val-yay´ho, in Spanish-American Vah-yay´ho. |
| Las Vírgenes | ” | Las Veer´hen-ess. |