How to Pronounce the Days of the Week in Spanish
Castilian and Latin American Accents
Updated 17 April 2026
Spanish is largely phonetic: words are spelled how they sound, and once you learn a handful of consistent sound rules, pronunciation becomes predictable. The days of the week use only a small set of Spanish sounds. The differences between Castilian (Spain) and Latin American Spanish mainly affect the /s/ versus /th/ distinction in other vocabulary, and the strength of the /x/ consonant in jueves.
This guide covers each day with its International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) transcription for both accents, a plain-English approximation, and a note on the specific sounds that trip up English speakers.
Listening Drill
A day will be spoken aloud. Select which day you heard. The drill randomises the order and accent to train your ear.
Full Pronunciation Reference
| Spanish | English | IPA (LatAm) | IPA (Castilian) | Say it like |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| lunes | Monday | /ˈlu.nes/ | /ˈlu.nes/ | loo-ness |
| martes | Tuesday | /ˈmaɾ.tes/ | /ˈmar.tes/ | mar-tess |
| miércoles | Wednesday | /ˈmjeɾ.ko.les/ | /ˈmjer.ko.les/ | mee-AIR-koh-less |
| jueves | Thursday | /ˈxwe.βes/ | /ˈxwe.βes/ | hweh-vess |
| viernes | Friday | /ˈbjeɾ.nes/ | /ˈbjer.nes/ | bee-AIR-ness |
| sábado | Saturday | /ˈsa.βa.ðo/ | /ˈsa.βa.ðo/ | SAH-bah-doh |
| domingo | Sunday | /doˈmiŋ.ɡo/ | /doˈmiŋ.ɡo/ | doh-MEEN-goh |
lunes (Monday)
Two syllables. Stress on first: LU-nes. Both accents identical here.
martes (Tuesday)
Two syllables. The 'r' is a tap (like the 't' in American 'butter'), not a trill.
miércoles (Wednesday)
Three syllables. Stress on first: MIE-rco-les. The 'c' before 'o' is /k/, not /th/.
jueves (Thursday)
Two syllables. The 'j' is pronounced /x/ (like a guttural 'h'). Castilian /x/ is stronger and more velar; Mexican is softer.
viernes (Friday)
Two syllables. The 'v' in Spanish sounds like 'b'. The 'r' is a single tap, not a trill.
sábado (Saturday)
Three syllables. Stress on first. The middle 'b' becomes a voiced bilabial fricative /β/ between vowels.
domingo (Sunday)
Three syllables. Stress on second: do-MIN-go. The 'ng' is a single nasal sound /ŋ/, like English 'sing'.
Three Sounds That Matter
The Tap R (martes, miercoles, viernes)
The single 'r' in Spanish days is not the American English 'r'. It is a tap -- a quick flick of the tongue tip against the ridge behind your upper teeth, exactly like the sound in the American English word “butter” or “ladder” when spoken casually. In martes, the 'r' is that one tap. In miercoles, the 'r' is similarly a single tap (/ɾ/). The double 'rr' (not present in the days) is a full trill.
English speakers often over-roll the 'r' in Spanish days, giving it a trill it does not have. The fix: practise by saying “butter” slowly, isolate the middle sound, and apply it to “mar-[tap]-tes”.
The J Sound in Jueves
The 'j' in jueves is the /x/ phoneme -- a guttural sound made at the back of the throat, like clearing your throat gently. It is not the English “j” (as in “jump”), and it is not a simple “h”.
Accent difference: In Castilian Spanish, this /x/ is more velar and forceful -- closer to the Scottish “loch”. In Mexican Spanish and most Latin American varieties, it is softer and sounds closer to an English “h” with some friction.
English speakers commonly anglicise “jueves” to “yoo-vess”, which is incorrect. Start with the throat friction and you will be understood immediately.
Castilian /th/ vs Latin American /s/: Not in the Days Themselves
You may have heard that Castilian Spanish uses a /th/ sound (like English “think”) where Latin American Spanish uses /s/. This is called seseo (Latin America) versus ceceo. The days of the week do not actually trigger this distinction -- none of the seven days have 'c' before 'e/i' or 'z'. But related vocabulary does: cinco (five) is /ˈθiŋ.ko/ in Castilian versus /ˈsiŋ.ko/ in Latin American.
The 'c' in miercoles falls before 'o', making it a hard /k/ in both accents. So the main accent differences to hear in the days are the strength of /x/ in jueves and minor vowel quality differences.
Common Mistakes English Speakers Make
| Day | Wrong | Right | The fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| miercoles | mee-er-KOH-less | mee-AIR-koh-less | Stress the first syllable, not the third. |
| jueves | yoo-VEH-vess | hweh-vess | The 'j' is a guttural /x/, not the English 'y' or 'j'. |
| domingo | doh-MIN-go | doh-MEEN-goh | The second syllable is stressed, but both 'o' vowels are pure and short. |
| sabado | sah-BAH-doh | SAH-bah-doh | Stress the first syllable. Second and third are unstressed. |
| martes | MAR-tez (trilled r) | MAR-tess (tap r) | Use a tap, not a trill. Like the 't' in American English 'butter'. |