There are only a few sounds in Spanish that do not exist in English. Many sounds common to both languages, however, are represented by different letters in each language. For example in certain situations the letter d in Spanish is pronounced like the “th” in the English “brother”. Also, English and Spanish have different pronunciation patterns for vowels, which can cause English speakers to mispronounce many words.

Although many Spanish words have cognates in English, there are also many false cognates, aptly called falsos amigos in Spanish. One example is sensible, an adjective in both languages; it means “level-headed” in English but “sensitive” in Spanish.

Although there are some clues as to whether Spanish nouns and masculine or feminine, many nouns seemed to defy regular patterns. English speakers must learn the gender of Spanish nouns and be careful to use correct corresponding articles and pronouns.

Information can be expressed one way in one language, and in a different way in the other. In English, for example, one says” I am hungry,” while in Spanish wants is the equivalent of “I have hunger.” likewise, the English “I like ice cream” is stated in Spanish as ”ice cream appeals to me” . Expressions of this type present more complications when their individual words are modified.

Language is constantly changing, there are many different forms of expression and certain items are accepted as standard usage in some areas. The biggest blunder that any non-native speaker could to, would be to correct a native speaker, or in any way imply that he or she doesn't speak correct Spanish. Recognizing the differences you encounter in different places will enrich your Spanish and enable you to identify regional variations. The best way to learn a language is to listen to its native speakers and practice by communicating with them.

Jason Grafier - Despite what I've just said about the difficulties surrounding some aspects of Spanish, it is actually quite an easy language to learn. I've been using learn to speak Spanish software to teach people in community colleges for almost 2 decades, and it never ceases to amaze me how quickly people pick up the basics. Learn more about the software I use on my website. www.squidoo.com/Learn-to-speak-Spanishsoftware.