How to Learn The Alphabet in Spanish

Learning the alphabet in Spanish can be a fun throughout the year with your students. I used to do a full unit to teach the alphabet, but now I usually just sneak it in throughout the course. Either way, this post will give you plenty of options to engage your students and get them excited about learning the Spanish alphabet. Let’s talk about how to learn the alphabet in Spanish!

The Alphabet in Spanish

I used to do basically a whole unit that was all focused around the alphabet and as I switched my teaching to more proficiency based practices I stopped doing a whole unit. I started just using a fun alphabet song as a brain break and spelling everything out on the board. Check out the video here:

Every single time I write something out on the board, I say each letter out loud as I write it. I especially do this during Special Person Interviews, because I want to put the emphasis on spelling things like their names, their pets’ names, their family names, etc. correctly!

Alphabet Song: Have students sing along

The song I mentioned above is one of my absolute favorites for a brain break. It’s so darn catchy! Here it is:

Every now and then I like to mix it up and include a different option. Here’s my second pick!

How to Learn The Alphabet in Spanish? Practice Activities

Sometimes it seems like my students are struggling to get them and we have a district assessment coming up on the topic, so we’ll do some more dedicated activities. I love Boom Cards for individual practice!

These digital task cards review the alphabet in Spanish. Students will listen and match the sound to the letter that they hear! There are 27 interactive cards included in this set of digital task cards!

If you want to do more than just listening practices, you might prefer this deck. Students will read the pronunciation guide and type the letter, listen and match the sound to the letter, and listen to the letters and type the word according to what they hear. It’s just a little more in depth! Click here to try out this resource in a short sample.

Play a Quick Alphabet Relay

This is one of my favorite ways to sneak in alphabet practice without it feeling like a worksheet. Divide the class into two teams and have them line up. You’ll say a word out loud in Spanish or English and the first student in each line runs to the board and writes it out letter by letter in Spanish.

You can keep score, give out silly prizes, or just let the fun of the game do the work. Sometimes I use vocabulary we’re already practicing, and sometimes I throw in their names, school subjects, or even silly made-up words just to keep it interesting.

They’re moving, they’re listening, they’re spelling, and they don’t even realize how much Spanish they’re practicing.

Make It Personal with Their Names

Anytime we do introductions, class routines, or even interviews, I make a big deal out of spelling names in Spanish. When I write their names on the board, I say each letter out loud. It’s quick, easy, and gives them that repeated exposure to the letter sounds.

You can turn this into a partner activity too. Have students ask each other questions and then write down their partner’s answers but they have to spell the names or key words out loud as they write. This works great as a warm up or to wrap up class.

If your students are feeling confident, try giving them a mini quiz where you spell out the name of a celebrity, a classmate, or a pet and they write down what they think it is. Keep it light and silly the goal is just to get them listening and thinking about the sounds.

The more often they hear and use the Spanish alphabet in everyday class activities, the more it’s going to stick without you needing to plan a whole lesson around it.

More Practice Activities:

Sometimes, as a quick exit ticket, I’ll have students take out a piece of paper and number 1-5. Then, I’ll spell out words and have them write them. I like to have fun with this by spelling student names, superheroes, or even celebrities!

Another fun option is to pretend like they’re at the eye doctor. Put up a chart, have students cover an eye, and read the chart! The picture below is from Pinterest – when I searched eye doctor chart a whole bunch came up.

How to Learn The Alphabet in Spanish?

I hope that gives you some ideas for How to Learn The Alphabet in Spanish and ways you can teach your students the alphabet in Spanish!

Need a pronunciation guide?

Check out this blog post with a written pronunciation guide for your students!