Tenerife forum

[bardofely]

Spanish courses and teach yourself books tell you that that the correct pronunciation of "os" in words like los and nos and at endings of words like Cristianos is like it looks or like the los part of lost!

However, whilst this is generally the case here it appears that for some names of places the pronunciation is "oh" rather than "os" with the s sound. San Marcos, where I live, is San Marco, and I have heard Erho for Erjos. At the same time if I said Lo Cristiano it would be wrong!

I have asked a few people but so far haven't had any answers that really explain how you know if it's an os or and oh! Does anybody know the answer please?

[rob]

It's the same answer as your other query....mispronunciation. In English, how often is the letter 'T' missed out wa er instead of water.
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[bardofely]

Thanks for explaining, Rob! I have found that people usually understand either but not always so have taken to adopting the mispronounced versions in an effort to improve communications!

[jenny]

If speaking to Canarians then you could miss it off (although they should undestand it with the s which is correct Castellano) as this is their way of pronouncing it.
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[bardofely]

[jenny]

I have never had a problem being understood by Canarians and I speak Castellano with a Galician accent.

I would say that the locals who cannot / do not want to speak Castellano (ie the older village people or the right wing Canarians) will be the ones who pronounce those words without the s.

Go with whatever feels good for you and stick to it. If you want a Canarian accent then miss it off. If you want to speak Castellano then leave it on when pronouncing words. Mixing with a variety of nationalities/people from different parts of Spain when learning Spanish makes it more complicated.
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I will make this day a happy one for I alone can determine what kind of day it will be.

[bardofely]

"Go with whatever feels good for you and stick to it." - this is really good advice, Jenny - part of my problem is that keep unlearning what I've learned! I did that with the "ci" and "ce" sound having learned in Spanish book and classes to sound it as th only to find people sound with an s sound so for the first 6 months or more I was wrongly pronouncing words with ci or ce in them. I will have to decide how I am going to say words and stick to it!

[jenny]