Spelling Words in Spanish: Lists and Lessons with the Letter G

Green grapes are great! And so is learning spelling words in Spanish! Spelling isn’t just for kids who want to participate in a spelling bee; it’s for every level and age of learner! Using spelling words in Spanish helps your reading, pronunciation, and comprehension skills.

Today, let’s learn about one of the few Spanish letters with two different sounds: the G.

Spelling Words in Spanish: Letter G

Two Different Pronunciations

One of the great things about the Spanish language is straightforward pronunciation. However, two letters change their pronunciation based on the letters that follow them: C and G. Learn more about “C” spelling words in Spanish here! 

The Spanish G has a hard and soft sound. When followed by an A, O, U, or a consonant, the G has a hard sound, like the G in “great.” When the G is followed by an E or I, it has a soft sound, like the H in “here.” Here are some examples:

Hard G

Followed by A: gato (gah-toh)

Followed by O: goma (goh-mah)

Followed by U: guitarra (gee-tahr-rah)

Followed by consonants: globo (gloh-boh)

grande (grahn-day)

Soft G

Followed by E: gelatina (hel-ah-teen-ah)

Followed by I: girar (here-ahr)

The Silent U

Take a closer look at the word guitarra. The G is actually followed by two vowels. When a U comes after a G and before a vowel, it acts as a placeholder so a hard G can be followed by a soft vowel. In these circumstances, the U is silent and makes the G have a hard sound. If the word guitarra did not have the U, it would be pronounced hee-tahr-rah. The silent U is a spelling tool that makes the spelling match the pronunciation.

Practice with Spelling Words in Spanish

Now that you know all about the letter G in Spanish, it’s time to practice spelling with it! For Spanish spelling exercises, it’s important to practice spelling the words out loud to prepare for when someone asks you how to spell a word (like your name!). For these spelling lists, we will just review the sounds of a few letters, the ones that appear the most in the following words.

G: hay

A: ah

E: ay

I: ee

O: oh

U: oo

L: ele

R: airray

You are ready to start spelling! Here are some tips to make the most out of these spelling lists:

• Practice one list at a time so you can master the beginning sounds.
• Start with the short words first, and make sure you really have them down before moving on to the longer words.
• Pick some words you are struggling with to hang up in your house or study area. Every time you see them, try and spell them.
• Always say the word and its spelling out loud. This will help you relate the pronunciation of the word with its spelling.

Spanish Spelling Lists: G-

GA- Spelling Words in Spanish

GE- Spelling Words in Spanish

GI- Spelling Words in Spanish

GO- Spelling Words in Spanish

GU- Spelling Words in Spanish

*Remember how we said that the U between a G and a vowel is silent? This is only true when the U precedes a soft vowel, E or I. When the U separates a G and a hard vowel (usually A), it has a W sound. Take, for example, the following words:

• Guante (gwahn-tay)
• Guatemala (gwah-tay-mah-lah)
• Guardia (gwahr-dya)

GR- Spelling Words in Spanish

GL- Spelling Words in Spanish

Practice Spelling Words in Spanish!

You have a lot of words to practice! Take it slowly at first, and pronounce the whole word to practice the hard and soft G sounds. Once you feel like you have the hang of it, try practicing these words with a friend, or better yet, with your Spanish teacher!

Try a free Spanish class with us and show off your Spanish spelling skills! They can help you perfect your spelling and provide even more exercises for you. ¡La práctica hace al maestro!

Want more resources for learning Spanish? Check out these useful posts!

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Ashley Reid

Freelance Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy

I have lived in Latin America for 6 years now, and I have worked as an ESL teacher, translator, and missionary during that time. I absolutely love languages and am always learning a new one. However, Spanish is my preferred language! I am a happy wife and mom to an adorable baby boy. In my free time, I love drawing and painting portraits and reading fantasy novels.

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