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CSET SUBTEST SPANISH I > Spanish Alphabet & Writing Conventions > Flashcards

Spanish Alphabet & Writing Conventions Flashcards

(101 cards)

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1
Q

How many letters are in the Spanish alphabet?

A

The Spanish alphabet has 27 letters, including the unique Ñ.

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2
Q

What are the three additional phonemes in Spanish?

A

CH, LL, and RR—these sounds are common but not officially part of the alphabet.

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3
Q

What is special about the letter Ñ?

A

It is unique to Spanish and represents a distinct sound, as in mañana.

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4
Q

How does the letter H behave in Spanish?

A

H is silent, as in hoja and hipopótamo.

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5
Q

How do C and G change pronunciation?

A

They have hard and soft sounds depending on the following vowel.

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6
Q

What vowels make C and G soft?

A

E and I make them soft, while A, O, and U make them hard.

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7
Q

How do B and V sound in Spanish?

A

They sound the same, making spelling tricky for learners.

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8
Q

What are examples of words with CH, LL, and RR?

A

Chico (CH), llama (LL), perro (RR).

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9
Q

What is the best way to practice Spanish pronunciation?

A

Listening to native speakers, repeating words, and practicing phonemes.

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9
Q

Why is pronunciation important in Spanish?

A

It helps with comprehension and avoids confusion between similar-sounding words.

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10
Q

What are the vowels in Spanish?

A

The Spanish alphabet has five vowels: A, E, I, O, U.

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11
Q

How do Spanish vowels differ from English vowels?

A

Spanish vowels have consistent pronunciation, unlike English vowels, which can change depending on the word.

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12
Q

How is the vowel A pronounced in Spanish?

A

Like “ah”, similar to the “a” in “spa.”

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13
Q

How is the vowel E pronounced in Spanish?

A

Like “eh”, similar to the “e” in “day.”

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14
Q

How is the vowel I pronounced in Spanish?

A

Like “ee”, similar to the “i” in “key.”

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15
Q

How is the vowel O pronounced in Spanish?

A

Like “oh”, similar to the “o” in “slow.”

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16
Q

How is the vowel U pronounced in Spanish?

A

Like “oo”, similar to the “u” in “shoe.”

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17
Q

What are Spanish double vowels?

A

In Spanish, each vowel is pronounced separately, unlike English, where double vowels often form a new sound.

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18
Q

What is an example of a Spanish double vowel?

A

“Río” (river) is pronounced “REE-oh”, with both vowels enunciated.

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19
Q

How can learners improve Spanish vowel pronunciation?

A

Practice repetition, listen to native speakers, and read aloud to strengthen pronunciation skills.

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20
Q

How many consonants are in the Spanish alphabet?

A

There are 22 official consonants, plus CH, LL, and RR, which were removed but are still commonly used.

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21
Q

What is special about RR in Spanish?

A

It is a rolled version of R, found in words like perro (dog) and burrito (little donkey).

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22
Q

What is the only type of accent mark in Spanish?

A

La tilde (´), which appears over vowels: á, é, í, ó, ú.

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23
Q

What is the diéresis in Spanish?

A

Two dots (¨) over the U in words like pingüino to indicate a distinct pronunciation.

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24
What are the four types of Spanish words based on stress?
Agudas, graves, esdrújulas, and sobreesdrújulas.
25
When do agudas (last-syllable stress) require a tilde?
When they end in N, S, or a vowel (e.g., corazón, bebé).
26
When do graves (second-to-last syllable stress) require a tilde?
When they end in any consonant except N or S (e.g., árbol, césped).
27
Do esdrújulas (third-to-last syllable stress) always have a tilde?
Yes! (e.g., sábado, círculo).
28
Do sobreesdrújulas (fourth-to-last syllable stress) always have a tilde?
Yes! (e.g., cálidamente, véndemelo).
29
Do monosyllabic words have a tilde?
No, except for words like sí (yes) and más (more) to distinguish meaning.
30
What is an acento prosódico?
A stress that is pronounced but not written.
31
What is an acento ortográfico?
A stress that is marked with a tilde.
32
What is the main difference between Spanish and English punctuation?
Spanish uses inverted question marks (¿) and inverted exclamation points (¡) at the beginning of sentences.
33
How are question marks used in Spanish?
Every question must start with ¿ and end with? (e.g., ¿Cómo estás?).
34
How are exclamation points used in Spanish?
Every exclamation must start with ¡ and end with ! (e.g., ¡Qué sorpresa!).
35
How do commas affect meaning in Spanish?
A comma can change meaning, as in No tengo que ir a la escuela ("I don’t have to go to school") vs. No, tengo que ir a la escuela ("No, I have to go to school").
36
How are quotation marks used in Spanish?
Spanish uses « », " ", and -- -- for quotations, depending on the context.
37
Where does punctuation go in Spanish quotations?
Punctuation marks go outside the quotation marks (e.g., Ella dijo, "Yo quiero ir".).
38
How is the semicolon used in Spanish?
It functions like a colon in English, dividing items in a list or introducing an explanation.
39
Can Spanish punctuation marks be combined?
: Yes! A sentence can start with ¡ and end with ? (e.g., ¡Es una pena lo que pasó; puedo ayudarte con algo?).
40
How many exclamation or question marks can be used in Spanish?
Up to three can be used for emphasis (e.g., ¡¡¡Me gané la lotería!!!).
41
Why does Spanish use inverted punctuation?
It signals a change in tone at the beginning of a sentence.
42
How do you create a basic negative sentence in Spanish?
Add "no" before the verb (e.g., No quiero ir a la fiesta → "I do not want to go to the party.").
43
What is a double negative in Spanish?
A sentence with two negative words, which is grammatically correct in Spanish (e.g., No quiero nada. → "I do not want anything.").
44
What are common negative words in Spanish?
No ("no"), nada ("nothing"), nadie ("no one"), ninguno/ninguna ("none"), ni ("nor"), tampoco ("neither"), nunca/jamás ("never").
45
How do you use "ninguno" and "ninguna" correctly?
They must agree in gender with the noun (e.g., Ningún día volveré a esta playa → "I will never go back to this beach.").
46
How do you form a negative sentence without "no"?
Place a negative word before the verb (e.g., Nadie pasó el examen. → "No one passed the exam.").
47
How do negative verb modifiers work?
They come directly before the verb (e.g., Nunca tengo tiempo → "I never have time.").
48
How do you answer a question negatively in Spanish?
Use "no" twice—once to answer and once before the verb (e.g., ¿Te gusta la ensalada? → No, no me gusta. → "No, I do not like it.").
49
What is an example of a negative sentence in Spanish?
No hay nadie en casa. → "There is nobody home."
50
Why are double negatives acceptable in Spanish but not in English?
In Spanish, a sentence that starts negatively stays negative, unlike English, where double negatives cancel out.
51
What does "al" mean?
"To the", formed by combining "a" + "el
51
How many contractions exist in Spanish?
Only two—"al" and "del".
52
What does "del" mean?
"From the" or "of the", formed by combining "de" + "el".
53
Why must "al" and "del" always be used?
Unlike English contractions, they are mandatory in Spanish grammar.
54
What is an example of "al" in a sentence?
Voy al estadio. → "I go to the stadium."
55
What is an example of "del" in a sentence?
Regreso del trabajo. → "I return from work."
56
What verbs commonly use "al"?
Ir, viajar, llamar, llevar, estar, dar.
57
What verbs commonly use "del"?
Ser, venir, regresar.
58
What is an exception to using "del"?
Proper names like El Paso or El Salvador do not contract (e.g., María es de El Paso.).
59
How does "él" (he) differ from "el" (the)?
"Él" has an accent and does not contract (e.g., El libro es de él. → "The book is his.").
60
What are interrogatives in Spanish?
Words used to form open-ended questions, such as ¿Quién?, ¿Qué?, ¿Cuándo?, ¿Dónde?, and ¿Por qué?.
61
What does ¿Dónde? mean?
"Where?"—used to ask about location (e.g., ¿Dónde está el museo? → "Where is the museum?").
62
What does ¿Adónde? mean?
"Where to?"—used to ask about destination (e.g., ¿Adónde va? → "Where are you going?").
63
What does ¿De dónde? mean?
"Where from?"—used to ask about origin (e.g., ¿De dónde eres? → "Where are you from?").
64
What does ¿Cuánto? mean?
"How much?"—used to ask about price or quantity (e.g., ¿Cuánto cuesta? → "How much does it cost?").
65
What does ¿Cuántos? or ¿Cuántas? mean?
"How many?"—used to ask about quantity (e.g., ¿Cuántas personas? → "How many people?").
66
What does ¿Cómo? mean?
"How?"—used to ask about manner or condition (e.g., ¿Cómo estás? → "How are you?").
67
What does ¿Quién? mean?
"Who?"—used to ask about a person (e.g., ¿Quién lo pintó? → "Who painted it?").
68
What does ¿Cuál? mean?
"Which?"—used to ask about a choice (e.g., ¿Cuál de las pinturas es de Picasso? → "Which painting is by Picasso?").
69
What does ¿Por qué? mean?
"Why?"—used to ask for a reason (e.g., ¿Por qué es arte? → "Why is it art?")
70
What is an adjective in Spanish?
A word that describes or modifies a noun, such as blanco (white) in perro blanco (white dog).
71
How do Spanish adjectives agree with nouns?
They must match the gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) of the noun they describe.
72
Where are adjectives placed in Spanish sentences?
Usually after the noun (e.g., un hombre alto → "a tall man"), unlike English, where adjectives come before.
73
How do adjectives change for gender?
Masculine adjectives often end in -o (alto → tall), while feminine adjectives end in -a (alta → tall).
74
How do adjectives change for plural nouns?
Add -s if the singular adjective ends in a vowel (blanco → blancos), or -es if it ends in a consonant (feliz → felices).
75
What are the four types of adjectives in Spanish?
Descriptive, relational, adverbial, and adjectives used as nouns.
76
What is a descriptive adjective?
An adjective that describes characteristics like color or size (azul → blue, grande → big).
77
What is a relational adjective?
An adjective that classifies a noun into a category (eléctrico → electric, moderno → modern).
78
What is an adverbial adjective?
An adjective that expresses time and is placed before the noun (actual presidenta → current president).
79
What is an adjective used as a noun?
An adjective that functions as a noun (los heridos → "the injured" instead of "injured people").
80
What are irregular verbs in Spanish?
Verbs that do not follow standard conjugation rules and require memorization.
81
What are the four types of irregular verbs in Spanish?
Irregular most of the time, irregular "yo" forms, stem-changing verbs, and spelling-change verbs.
82
What are examples of verbs that are irregular most of the time?
Ser (to be), estar (to be), ir (to go), haber (to have/exist).
83
What are examples of irregular "yo" form verbs?
Dar → doy (I give), ver → veo (I see), saber → sé (I know).
84
What are the four types of stem-changing verbs?
e-ie, o-ue, e-i, u-ue.
85
What is an example of an e-ie stem-changing verb?
Cerrar → cierro (I close).
86
What is an example of an o-ue stem-changing verb?
Dormir → duermo (I sleep).
87
What is an example of an e-i stem-changing verb?
Servir → sirvo (I serve).
88
What is an example of a u-ue stem-changing verb?
Jugar → juego (I play).
89
What are examples of spelling-change verbs?
Escoger → escojo (I choose), distinguir → distingo (I distinguish), contribuir → contribuyo (I contribute).
90
How does Spanish capitalization differ from English?
Spanish uses less capitalization than English, only capitalizing proper names, the first word of a sentence, and certain titles.
91
When is the first word of a sentence capitalized in Spanish?
Always include sentences in quotations and after ellipses if starting a new subject.
92
How does Spanish punctuation affect capitalization?
¿ and ¡ do not change capitalization mid-sentence, unlike English punctuation rules.
93
How is capitalization used in Spanish letters?
A colon (:) is used after the greeting instead of a comma, and the first word after the colon is capitalized.
94
What types of names are capitalized in Spanish?
People’s names, places, holidays, religious entities, planets, and nicknames.
95
Are languages capitalized in Spanish?
No, unless referring to a school subject (e.g., Hablo español vs. Tomé clases de Español).
96
How are book and magazine titles capitalized in Spanish?
Book titles capitalize only the first word, while magazine titles capitalize every word.
97
Are titles like "Señor" and "Señora" capitalized?
No, unless abbreviated (e.g., Sr. González).
98
How does capitalization work for holidays in Spanish?
Holidays are capitalized, except when an article or preposition is included (Día de los Muertos).
99
What official entity regulates Spanish capitalization rules?
The Real Academia Española (RAE) sets the standard for Spanish grammar and capitalization.

CSET SUBTEST SPANISH I (11 decks)

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