Known as the eñe
in Spanish, that funny letter N with a squiggly hat is so cute, you probably wish you had it in your language.
The Ñ is a completely separate letter that is independent of the ene
(letter N) in the Spanish dictionary and according to the Real Academia Española (Royal Spanish Academy), the Spanish language authority in Spain.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to pronounce the letter, tell you where it came from and also we’ll give you a list of words that contain the Spanish Ñ, and show you how to type it on your non-Spanish keyboard.
Vamos! (Let’s go!)
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How Do You Pronounce Ñ?
This unique letter represents a palatal nasal sound, which means you have to touch your tongue to the roof of your mouth to produce it. It’s similar to the /ny/ sound in the English word “canyon” or the /gn/ in the Italian word “gnocchi.”
Two of the most common Spanish words that contain the letter are señor
(sir) and señora
(madam).
Say these words out loud slowly and you’ll notice that you have to make an N sound first, followed quickly by a Y sound.
Keep in mind that the letter Ñ (compared to N) and this sound often change the meaning of words. For example, ano
without the tilde means “anus,” while año
with the tilde means “year.” Big difference, right?
Here’s a great video pronunciation guide:
What Is Ñ and Where Did It Come From?
The Ñ has its origins in the evolution of the Spanish language from Latin. In medieval Spanish manuscripts, scribes used to write the letter N with a tilde (~) above it to indicate that it was a palatalized (meaning that your tongue touches the roof of your mouth when saying it) version of the regular N sound.
Over time, this modified N became a distinct letter in its own right, known as ene con tilde, and it was officially recognized as such. The Royal Spanish Academy incorporated the Ñ into the Spanish alphabet in the 18th century.
The inclusion of the Ñ in the alphabet distinguishes Spanish from many other Romance languages and contributes to the distinct phonological characteristics of the Spanish language.
It’s important to note that while the letter Ñ is most commonly associated with Spanish, it is also used in other languages, including Tagalog, Galician and Asturian.
Words that Contain Ñ
Try saying this Spanish sentence: Mi niña pequeña baña a su pequeño pato en la fuente mientras sueña con un montón de piñatas en la montaña.
(My little girl bathes her little duck in the fountain while dreaming of a bunch of piñatas on the mountain.)
The above sentence notwithstanding, the Ñ occurs in less than 0.2% of Spanish words, but there are some key words that need it.
To find out words that start with Ñ, check out this helpful post:
How to Type Ñ on Your Keyboard
In Spanish-speaking countries, computers come with an Ñ key just to the right of the L, but if you have an English keyboard (or some other system), you’ll have to know the trick to typing the letter.
Mac:
- Hold down Option key + N
- Type N again for lowercase ñ or Shift + N for uppercase Ñ.
Windows:
- Toggle NumLock on.
- Hold down Alt key and type 164 (lowercase ñ) or 165 (uppercase Ñ).
iPhone and Android Phones:
- Hold down the N or n
- Select Ñ or ñ from the options that appear above the letter.
How to Practice Pronouncing the Spanish Ñ
Practicing the pronunciation of the Spanish Ñ can be fun. Here are some tips and exercises:
The Ñ Quiz: Test Yourself!
What does “señal” mean in English?
What does “niño” mean in English?
In English, what does “baño” mean?
How to you say “Mr.” in Spanish?
What’s the meaning of the verb “añadir”?
What is the adjective “ñoño” in English?
What’s the English word for “sueño”?
And One More Thing…
If you’ve made it this far that means you probably enjoy learning Spanish with engaging material and will then love FluentU.
Other sites use scripted content. FluentU uses a natural approach that helps you ease into the Spanish language and culture over time. You’ll learn Spanish as it’s actually spoken by real people.
FluentU has a wide variety of videos, as you can see here:
FluentU brings native videos within reach with interactive transcripts. You can tap on any word to look it up instantly. Every definition has examples that have been written to help you understand how the word is used. If you see an interesting word you don’t know, you can add it to a vocab list.
Review a complete interactive transcript under the Dialogue tab, and find words and phrases listed under Vocab.
Learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentU’s robust learning engine. Swipe left or right to see more examples of the word you’re on.
The best part is that FluentU keeps track of the vocabulary that you’re learning, and gives you extra practice with difficult words. It’ll even remind you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. Every learner has a truly personalized experience, even if they’re learning with the same video.
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