Languages › Spanish Pronouncing the K and Q Pronunciation Similar to that of English Share Flipboard Email Print Spanish Pronunciation History & Culture Vocabulary Writing Skills Grammar By Gerald Erichsen Gerald Erichsen Spanish Language Expert B.A., Seattle Pacific University Gerald Erichsen is a Spanish language expert who has created Spanish lessons for ThoughtCo since 1998. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on April 26, 2017 The Spanish k is pronounced basically the same as it usually is in English, except perhaps a bit softer, often something like the "c" in "scatter." The q is pronounced the same. As in English, the Spanish q is always followed by a u except in a very few words of foreign origin. Spanish is even more particular in the sequences in which the q is used: the qu is always followed by by an e or an i, and the u is silent. Thus que is pronounced something like "keh" would be in English and quien is pronounced something like "kyen." The sound is also the same as the c sound except when the c precedes an e or i. In order to maintain the correct pronunciation, the Spanish cognates of English words with "qua" or "quo" are often spelled with a c in Spanish instead. Thus the Spanish word for "quartz" is cuarzo, and the word for "quota" is cuota. The k is rare in Spanish, used almost exclusively for words of foreign origin such as kilo and kayak. In the audio lesson on pronouncing the k and q sounds you will hear the phrase "qué tal" and the number quince spoken by native speakers. Featured Video Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Erichsen, Gerald. "Pronouncing the K and Q." ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/pronouncing-the-k-and-q-3079553. Erichsen, Gerald. (2020, August 27). Pronouncing the K and Q. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/pronouncing-the-k-and-q-3079553 Erichsen, Gerald. "Pronouncing the K and Q." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/pronouncing-the-k-and-q-3079553 (accessed June 30, 2022). copy citation