Reflexive pronouns in Spanish
Spanish reflexive pronouns. Complete your learning of reflexive pronouns in Spanish and discover everything about them here.
The linguistic phenomena known as Spanish diphthong and Spanish hiatus are related to the pronunciation of vowels within a word. These terms are fundamental to understand the syllabic structure of words and the correct accentuation rules in Spanish, but you must know how to differentiate them.
For this reason, below we explain what a Spanish diphthong and a Spanish hiatus are, their differences and some basic examples to understand how they work.
What is a Spanish diphthong?
A diphthong in Spanish occurs when two vowels are pronounced together in the same syllable. These vowels can be:
- An open vowel (a, e, o) and an atonic closed vowel (i, u).
- Two distinct closed vowels (i, u).
Thus, in a Spanish diphthong, at least one of the vowels must be closed and unstressed (without accent), since if a closed vowel is stressed, a hiatus is formed.
Some examples of diphthongs in words are:
- Open vowel + unstressed closed vowel: aire (air), cielo (sky), pausa (pause)
- Two distinct closed vowels: cuidador (caregiver), cuidad (city), ruido (noise)
But do you know how to identify a Spanish diphthong?
1. Identify the vowels that are together in a word.
2. Check if both vowels are part of the same syllable. For example, in cielo (cie-lo), the vowels i and e are pronounced together, so they form a diphthong.
In addition, this tip can help you identify them: when the accent is placed on the open vowel (a, e, o) it is always a diphthong. Therefore, if the diphthong is formed by two closed vowels, the accent is placed on the second vowel. Examples: adios (goodbye), canción (song) or estudiáis (you study).
What is a Spanish hiatus?
A hiatus in Spanish occurs when two consecutive vowels are pronounced in separate syllables. This can happen in the following cases:
- An open vowel (a, e, o) and a tonic closed vowel (í, ú).
- Two open vowels together (a, e, o)
- Two equal vowels together
Therefore, the hiatus in Spanish breaks the continuity of the vowels, separating them into two different syllables.
Some examples of Spanish hiatus in words:
- Open vowel + tonic closed vowel: país, baúl, María.
- Two open vowels: caer, poeta, teatro.
- Two equal vowels: alcohol, cooperar.
And how to identify a Spanish hiatus?
1. First, locate the vowels that are consecutive in the same word.
2. Then, check if they are separated by different syllables. For example, in país (pa-ís), the vowels a and í form a hiatus because the í is tonic.
Another tip, this time to identify the hiatus, is that if one of the vowels is a stressed closed vowel (í, ú), it always has accent mark, even if it is not required by the general rule. Examples: Raúl, María or baúl.
Differences between diphthong and hiatus
Once you have understood how these phenomena work separately, we will now explain how they differ.
A Spanish diphthong is formed with two vowels in the same syllable, where the vowels are not separated. While a Spanish hiatus occurs with two vowels in separate syllables, where the vowels do separate.
The combination of a Spanish diphthong is an open vowel + unstressed closed vowel or two distinct closed vowels. On the other hand, a Spanish hiatus combines an open vowel and a tonic closed vowel or two open vowels.
As for accentuation, in Spanish diphthongs the accent mark is placed on the open vowel, or on the second closed vowel only in certain cases. And in Spanish hiatus, the tonic closed vowel always has an accent mark.
In addition, these tips can help you differentiate between a Spanish diphthong and a hiatus if you are in doubt. First, divide the word into syllables and see if the vowels are together or apart. Second, if the word has a stressed closed vowel (í, ú), it is a hiatus. And if the vowels are pronounced together and none of them are closed tonic, it is a Spanish diphthong.
Examples of words with Spanish diphthongs and hiatuses
Spanish words with diphthongs:
- Piedra (pie-dra) - Stone
- Cuadro (cua-dro) - Picture
- Cuidadoso (cui-da-do-so) – Carefully
- Tierra (tie -rra) - Earth
- Fiesta (fies-ta) - Party
- Ruido (rui-do) - Noise
- Ciudad (ciu-dad) - City
- Viuda (viu-da) - Widow
- Aire (ai-re) - Air
- Tiempo (tiem-po) - Time
- Fuerza (fuer-za) - Strong
- Miedo (mie-do) - Fear
- Hueso (hue-so) - Bone
- Suave (sua-ve) - Soft
- Pueblo (pue-blo) - Village
- Adiós (a-diós) - Goodbye
- Estáis (es-táis) – You are
- Canción (can-ción) - Song
- Hacéis (ha-céis) – You do/make
- Cielo (cie-lo) - Sky
Spanish words with hiatus:
- Poeta (po-e-ta) - Poet
- Raúl (Ra-úl)
- Maíz (ma-íz) - Corn
- País (pa-ís) - Country
- María (ma-rí-a)
- Baúl (ba-úl) - Trunk
- Tío (ti-o) - Uncle
- Río (rí-o) - River
- Héroe (hé-ro-e) - Heroe
- Aéreo (a-é-re-o) - Aerial
- Toalla (to-a-lla) - Towel
- Frío (frí-o) - Cold
- Vehículo (ve-hí-cu-lo) - Vehicle
- Aúlla (a-ú-lla) - Howl
- Sonríe (son-rí-e) - Smile
Spanish diphthongs and hiatuses are linguistic phenomena that define how vowels are grouped or separated in words. Knowing the characteristics of each is key to correctly dividing words, writing them properly and applying the rules of accentuation.
Practice and internalize these phenomena to keep improving your level. And if you need a little push, you can always sign up for an intensive Spanish course, where our teachers will answer all your questions about these linguistic phenomena.
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