No partner. No problem. You can get real, usable speaking practice in Spanish by designing short, repeatable routines that let you listen, speak, and get feedback on your own. Here is a toolbox you can start using today.
The LEO Loop
LEO stands for Listen, Echo, Own. Hear a short line, repeat it with the same rhythm, then make it yours by changing one piece. This turns passive input into active speaking.
What is the best order for the LEO loop?
A 10-minute solo speaking routine
Do this once a day. Twice if you can.
- Warm up 1 min: Say the alphabet, numbers, days. Focus on clean sounds.
- Shadow 3 min: Play a 15–30 second clip. Echo each line immediately.
- Own it 3 min: Recycle the clip with small changes.
- Self-talk 2 min: Describe what you are doing right now.
- Record-check 1 min: Record 20 seconds and listen back.
Quick refreshers: numbers, days of the week.
Set up your phone
Add a Spanish keyboard and try voice typing in Spanish. It gives instant feedback on pronunciation and helps you catch stress and vowel clarity.
Shadowing that sticks
- Pick short audio with clear speech. News shorts, stories, or graded podcasts.
- Use 5–7 second chunks. Pause, echo, play again.
- Match melody and pauses more than speed.
- After two echoes, change one item.
For ready-made short audios at different levels, browse our Spanish stories library.
Example changes:
- Time: Ayer fui al cine → Mañana voy al cine
- Person: Quiero comer → ¿Quieres comer?
- Place: Trabajo en casa → Trabajo en la oficina
Self-talk prompts you can use anywhere
Speak to yourself while you cook, commute, or walk the dog. Keep it simple and consistent.
Try these frames:
- Plans: Hoy voy a + verbo
- Feelings: Me siento + adjetivo
- Opinions: Para mí, + idea
- Recaps: ayeryesterday hice…
- Wishes: ojaláhopefully que…
To build near‑future sentences confidently, review the informal future: ir + a + infinitive. For adjectives, see feelings and states of mind.
Arrange the words to form a correct sentence:
Need vocabulary in reach? Label a few objects around you:
- tazacup
- mesatable
- puertadoor
Say two sentences per label every time you see it. For more home items, browse household furniture.
Dictation and transcription for solo mastery
This turns listening into speaking fuel.
- Play 5 seconds of audio and write what you hear.
- Check with a transcript if available.
- Read your corrected line aloud three times.
- Record yourself and compare rhythm.
You will boost spelling, grammar, and pronunciation at once. For short, clear clips with transcripts, try our A1 stories.
Voice typing as a pronunciation mirror
Open a notes app with Spanish voice typing. Say a sentence. Check what the phone writes. If it misunderstands a word, slow down and open your vowels.
Try:
- Quiero una manzanaapple y un café
- Estoy en la parada del autobús
- ¿Cuánto cuesta esto?
Repeat until the result matches what you intended. Need themes to speak about? Pick words from fruits.
Avoid literal translations
Spanish often uses set chunks. Learn the chunk, not a word-by-word map.
Drag the handle to compare
If this pair trips you up, review ser vs estar and common weather expressions.
Chunk drills you can do alone
Substitution keeps your speaking flexible.
Base chunk: Quiero + cosa
- Quiero agua
- Quiero otra idea
- Quiero un descanso
Expansion: Quiero + cosa + para + actividad
- Quiero un café para estudiar
- Quiero tiempo para practicar
Time shift:
- Quería un café
- Querría un café
- Quise un café
Say each version twice, then faster with the same clarity. For verb forms, refresh regular -ar present tense. For the time shifts above, see the conditional tense and common preterite irregulars.
Read out loud with rhythm, not speed
Choose a short paragraph from a graded reader. Mark pauses with slashes and underline stress. Read it three times:
- First for clarity
- Second for melody
- Third for flow
Record the third read. Compare against the original. Match the music of the language.
Mini role plays without a partner
Pretend you are both sides of a simple situation. Keep it short.
-
At a café
- Tú: Hola, ¿me pones un café con leche?
- Camarero: Claro, ¿algo más?
- Tú: Sí, una tostada, por favor.
-
Asking for directions
- Tú: Perdona, ¿dónde está la estación?
- Persona: Sigue recto y gira a la derecha.
Switch roles and change one detail each round. For café language, browse food and meals.
Drag the handle to compare
A simple weekly plan
- Mon: Shadowing + Own it 15 min
- Tue: Self-talk walk 10 min + voice typing 5 min
- Wed: Dictation 10 min + read aloud 10 min
- Thu: Role play 10 min + chunk drills 10 min
- Fri: Review recordings 10 min + free talk 10 min
- Sat: Mix and match your favorite two for 20 min
- Sun: Light day Recap your week in 2 minutes
Two-second gap
After every sentence, pause two seconds. This builds breath control and reduces filler words like eh and pues.
When you want quick grammar checks
Use short, targeted comparisons to fix a pattern, then go back to speaking.
- Time expressions with hacer
- Tener for age, hunger, and cold — see the verb tener
- Por vs para in common chunks — see por vs para
Practice a corrected line three times and plug it into your self-talk.
Quick prompts to keep variety high
- Describe your breakfast in three sentences.
- Name five things you see and one opinion about each.
- Retell a 30 second clip from memory.
- Give yourself instructions for a task.
- Make a plan with times and places for tomorrow.
Which sentence is the best self-talk starter for planning your day?
Final encouragement
You can build momentum with ten focused minutes a day. Keep your loops short, recycle chunks, and check yourself quickly. The goal is progress you can feel, not perfection you cannot measure. Speak today, even if you are the only one listening.