Cae la clave del clavo.
CA-e la CLA-ve del CLA-vo
The key of the nail falls.
🔊 Listen & Practice
Start with slow speed to master pronunciation, then gradually increase to challenge yourself.
🎨 Visualization
Cae la clave del clavo.
🎯 Pronunciation Focus
The 'cl' Consonant Cluster
/kl/This sound requires a quick, smooth transition from the hard 'c' (like a 'k') to the 'l' sound. Your tongue should start at the back for the 'c' and immediately move forward to touch behind your teeth for the 'l'.
The Spanish 'b'/'v' Sound
/b/In Spanish, the letters 'b' and 'v' make the same sound. In 'clavo', it's a soft sound made by lightly touching your lips together, almost like the 'b' in 'boy' but with less air.
The 'ae' Vowel Hiatus
/a.e/The word 'cae' has two distinct vowel sounds said one after the other, not blended. Pronounce a clear 'ah' sound, then immediately follow it with an 'eh' sound. It's two syllables: ca-e.
📝 Practice Breakdown
Start by separating the vowels in 'cae'. Say 'ca - e' slowly. Then, focus on the crisp 'cl' sound in 'clave'.
Remember, the 'v' in 'clavo' sounds like a Spanish 'b'. Lightly press your lips together. Practice the 'cl' sound again to build muscle memory.
Key Words in This Tongue Twister:
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📚 Background
This is a short but very effective 'trabalenguas' that plays on the similar sounds of 'clave' (key) and 'clavo' (nail). It's a classic exercise for mastering the 'cl' consonant cluster, which can be tricky for learners.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using the English 'v' Sound
Mistake: "Pronouncing the 'v' in 'clavo' by touching your top teeth to your bottom lip, like in the English word 'victory'."
Correction: In Spanish, 'b' and 'v' make the same sound. For 'clavo,' bring your lips together softly as you would for the 'b' in 'baby,' but with less force. It's a much gentler sound.
Blending 'cae' into One Syllable
Mistake: "Pronouncing 'cae' like the English word 'sky' or 'kay'."
Correction: Treat 'cae' as two distinct sounds. First, make an 'ah' sound for 'ca-', then an 'eh' sound for '-e'. Say them back-to-back without a pause, but don't merge them: 'ca-e'.
🌎 Where It's Used
General Spanish
This tongue twister is known and used throughout the Spanish-speaking world as a fundamental pronunciation exercise.
🔗 Related Tongue Twisters
The Key & Nail Challenge
This one is short but tricky! Can you say it five times in a row, getting faster each time, without mixing up 'clave' and 'clavo'?
🏷️ Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do 'clave' and 'clavo' sound so similar?
They are what linguists call a 'minimal pair' – two words that differ by only one sound. This is what makes the tongue twister a great exercise! It forces your mouth to make the small but important difference between the 'e' and 'o' vowels very clearly.
Why do 'b' and 'v' sound the same in Spanish?
It's a feature of modern Spanish! While they were once distinct sounds hundreds of years ago, they merged into one pronunciation over time. The different spellings remain because of the words' Latin origins, but the sound you make is the same for both letters.