Treasure hunting, pronunciation tips, and Spanish accents

Hello language learner,

What would you do to collect an ancient inheritance? How much would you pay, how far would you travel, and who would you recruit along the way? Our feature story, Somos millonarios, follows a true tale that spilled into the media and courts of the Dominican Republic. After the story, we offer tips on pronunciation, tricks to identify different Spanish accents, and some articles we've been reading.

Featured story
Somos millonarios

The Rosario surname is everywhere in the Dominican Republic. Following rumors that a common ancestor had left a multimillion-dollar inheritance that was just waiting to be claimed, the clan began to mobilize. Thousands of Rosarios organized to receive their fortune, but was it all a mirage?

"Y poco a poco su discurso comenzó a cambiar. Dejó de concentrarse tanto en la demanda por las tierras y empezó a decirle a los Rosario que había una herencia guardada en bancos europeos."

Soundbites from Somos millonarios will teach you how to identify a Dominican accent and another way to use quedar.

Want to listen to the full story? Subscribe to unlock the entire catalog of Stories and Soundbites. 

Artwork by Daniel Liévano

Study tip
Pronunciation

Spanish pronunciation is more predictable than English, but that doesn’t always make it easy. Here is a simple routine to build better pronunciation habits using short bits of interesting content.

1. Don’t try to improve everything at once

Instead, pick one or two “target sounds” to work on for a week, then move on.

2. Pick a ‘phrase of the day’

With your target sound(s) in mind, grab a phrase from anything you're listening to. For example, try this phrase from the story Somos fabricantes:

Cuando llegué a la casa de Elio, él estaba a punto de salir para misa.

3. Analyze it

Consider your target sound(s). What do you notice that makes it different or difficult? Watch your mouth's movements in a mirror as you practice the sounds. Your tongue and mouth may need to learn new patterns or break habits. 

4. Break it down

Start at the end of the phrase and work backwards. This helps you maintain a similar rhythm and pronunciation:

para misa → salir para misa → a punto de salir para misa → él estaba a punto de salir para misa → and so on, until you put the entire phrase together.

5. Record and repeat

Record yourself saying the target phrase and listen back. Compare how you say it to the original audio. Try to mimic the speaker, including their emphasis and intonation (this is also known as the shadow method). Play the original audio snippet for yourself throughout the day and repeat this to track your progress.

With pronunciation, it helps to exaggerate at the start. You can dial it back later. But for now, really overdo it and try to get into character. This will help you shake off any shyness you might be feeling about adopting this new way of speaking.

This week's tip comes to us compliments of Connor Kane from Breakthrough Spanish. He's offering a free pronunciation workshop you won't want to miss.

ICYMI
Identifying Spanish accents

Let's play a game and identify different Spanish accents as you'll hear them in Jiveworld stories. Three quick clips, three tips, and three countries - how many can you guess right?

Want us to make a video on a specific aspect of Spanish? Send us an email with your request.

What we're reading

Limited time offer
Subscribe by April 30th

If you want to reach real-world Spanish fluency with Jiveworld Español, now is the time. On April 30th, prices for monthly and annual plans are increasing. But if you subscribe today, you'll lock in these lower rates for as long as you keep your subscription.