# Five pure vowels, always the same

> id: pronunciation.vowels · category: pronunciation · depth: standard · levels: A1 · review: internally_reviewed

**Summary.** A e i o u have exactly one sound each, short and crisp, never reduced: casa is [kasa], not [kahsuh]. No schwa exists in Spanish.

Each vowel keeps its full color in every position, stressed or not: teléfono has four clear vowels. English speakers must kill the schwa habit (banana ≠ banaena) and the gliding (no → [no], not [noʊ]).

French speakers start ahead but must drop nasalization (un, en are vowel + consonant, never nasal vowels) and the French u: Spanish u = ou.

The discipline is keeping every vowel its full, pure color regardless of stress — teléfono has four equally clean vowels, with no schwa anywhere. English speakers must kill two habits: the reduced 'uh' (banana ≠ banaena) and the off-glide (no = [no], not [noʊ]); French speakers must drop nasalization and the French u (Spanish u = 'ou').

## Examples
- Me gusta la música cubana. — I like Cuban music. *(Every a identical.)*
- ¿Cómo se pronuncia esto? — How is this pronounced?
- casa, mesa, piso, todo, mucho: cada vocal pura y corta. — casa, mesa, piso, todo, mucho: each vowel pure and short.

Related: pronunciation.diphthongs, pronunciation.stress-rules

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