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Why learn Spanish?
Spanish is spoken by over 480 million native speakers across Spain and Latin America, making it the world's second-most-spoken native language. Its Latin roots and phonetic spelling make it one of the most approachable languages for English speakers to start with.
In the US Foreign Service Institute ranking, Spanish is a Category I language - about 700 class hours to professional working proficiency for English speakers. Spanish belongs to the Indo-European (Romance) family - if you enjoy it, a natural next step is Portuguese, Italian or French.
The 50 most common Spanish words
Start with the words you will actually meet: learn these and you will recognize something in almost every Spanish sentence.
| # | Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | el | el | the (definite article) |
| 2 | de | deh | of |
| 3 | que | keh | that (conjunction) |
| 4 | y | ee | and |
| 5 | a | ah | to |
| 6 | en | en | in |
| 7 | un | oon | one |
| 8 | ser | sehr | be |
| 9 | se | seh | self |
| 10 | no | noh | no |
| 11 | haber | ah-BEHR | have |
| 12 | por | por | by |
| 13 | con | kohn | with |
| 14 | su | soo | his |
| 15 | para | PAH-rah | for |
| 16 | como | KOH-moh | like |
| 17 | estar | es-TAR | be |
| 18 | tener | teh-NEHR | have |
| 19 | le | leh | him |
| 20 | lo | loh | it |
| 21 | todo | TOH-doh | all |
| 22 | pero | PEH-roh | but |
| 23 | más | mahs | more |
| 24 | hacer | ah-SEHR | do |
| 25 | o | oh | or |
| 26 | poder | poh-DEHR | can |
| 27 | decir | deh-SEER | say |
| 28 | este | ES-teh | this |
| 29 | ir | eer | go |
| 30 | otro | OH-troh | other |
| 31 | ese | EH-seh | that |
| 32 | si | see | if |
| 33 | me | meh | me |
| 34 | ya | yah | already |
| 35 | ver | behr | see |
| 36 | porque | POR-keh | because |
| 37 | dar | dar | give |
| 38 | cuando | KWAN-doh | when |
| 39 | él | el | he |
| 40 | muy | mwee | very |
| 41 | sin | seen | without |
| 42 | vez | behs | time (occasion) |
| 43 | mucho | MOO-choh | much |
| 44 | saber | sah-BEHR | know |
| 45 | qué | keh | what |
| 46 | sobre | SOH-breh | on |
| 47 | mi | mee | my |
| 48 | alguno | al-GOO-noh | some |
| 49 | mismo | MEES-moh | same |
| 50 | yo | yoh | I |
Useful phrases in Spanish
- Hola · OH-lah · Hello / Good day
- ¿Cómo estás? · KOH-moh ehs-TAHS · How are you?
- Gracias · GRAH-syahs · Thank you
- Por favor · por fah-VOR · Please
- Me llamo... · meh YAH-moh · My name is...
- ¿Dónde está...? · DOHN-deh ehs-TAH · Where is...?
- Adiós · ah-DYOHS · Goodbye
- Perdón · pehr-DOHN · Excuse me
- No entiendo · noh en-TYEN-doh · I don't understand
- ¿Puedes ayudarme? · PWEH-dess ah-yoo-DAR-meh · Can you help me?
- ¿Cuánto cuesta? · KWAN-toh KWES-tah · How much is it?
- ¡Hasta mañana! · AH-stah mah-NYAH-nah · See you tomorrow!
Learn Spanish with comprehensive language resources
- Pronunciation
- Numbers
- Verbs and adjectives
- Frequency dictionaries
- Basic sentences
- Thematic dictionaries
- Politeness
- Idioms
Learn Spanish, wherever you are
- AI-powered spaced repetition learning system on the go
- Audio processing for pronunciation
- Creation of visual language flash cards with images
- Search for speaking practice partners
- Frequency and thematic dictionaries for any language
- Alert system with exercise reminders
- Live video and messaging to facilitate learning
Join our global Spanish learning community
Collaborate with native Spanish speakers and fellow learners: exchange messages, correct each other's cards, and practice real conversation.
Send friend requests to the speakers you click with and build your own friends list - many practice partners become real friends.
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Frequently asked questions about learning Spanish
How difficult is it to learn Spanish?
Spanish is one of the most approachable languages for English speakers. It shares thousands of Latin-rooted words with English and is written almost exactly as it sounds. The Foreign Service Institute rates it among the easiest, at roughly 600-750 hours of study.
What should I learn first to reach a basic level in Spanish?
Start with the 100-500 most frequent words (free in our apps) and the thematic dictionaries most relevant to your daily life. Set clear goals and practise a few minutes every day - consistency is what produces results. Then connect with other learners to build confidence at your new basic level.
How long does it take to learn Spanish?
Most learners reach a comfortable conversational level within 6-10 months of consistent daily study. Practising vocabulary with spaced repetition and speaking regularly speeds this up considerably. About 480 million people across 21 countries speak Spanish, so you will never run short of practice partners.
How do I improve my Spanish vocabulary?
Use the spaced-repetition and flashcard systems in the app. You can set daily, weekly, or yearly goals in our mobile apps and steadily reach the vocabulary size you’re aiming for.
Is Spanish pronunciation hard?
Spanish pronunciation is consistent - each letter almost always makes the same sound - so it's one of the easier languages to read aloud. Rolling the 'r' is the main thing that takes practice.
How do I get Free Spanish speaking practice?
Open the Practice or Friends page in the app, send practice requests, and start real conversations with other learners - don’t be shy! You can also mention that you want speaking practice when you create your account, and the platform will help match you with suitable partners.
Do I need to learn the Spanish alphabet first?
Spanish uses the Latin alphabet, so if you read English you can start reading Spanish right away. On Lingocard you'll find every alphabet, with example words, free.