Kiosco, kiosquero, quédate quieto.
KIOS-co, kios-KE-ro, KÉ-da-te KIE-to
Kiosk, kiosk keeper, stay still.
🔊 Listen & Practice
Start with slow speed to master pronunciation, then gradually increase to challenge yourself.
🎨 Visualization
Kiosk, kiosk keeper, stay still! This one is all about that crisp 'k' sound.
🎯 Pronunciation Focus
The Hard 'k' Sound (k, qu)
/k/This is a perfect workout for the hard 'k' sound. In Spanish, this sound is often spelled with a 'k' (like in 'kiosco') or with 'qu' before an 'e' or 'i' (like in 'kiosquero' and 'quédate'). The goal is to make the exact same crisp sound for all of them.
The Silent 'u' in 'que' and 'qui'
/ke/, /ki/This is a super important Spanish rule! When you see 'que' or 'qui', the 'u' is just a placeholder and is completely silent. You pronounce them 'keh' and 'kee'. This twister drills that rule so you never say 'kweh' or 'kwee' again.
📝 Practice Breakdown
Start here. Notice the first sound in 'kiosco' and 'kiosquero' is identical. For 'kiosquero', pretend the 'u' isn't there. It's 'ke-ro', not 'kwe-ro'.
Now for the second half, same rule applies! 'Quédate' is 'KEH-da-te' and 'quieto' is 'KIE-to'. Focus on making a sharp, clean 'k' sound at the beginning of both words.
Key Words in This Tongue Twister:
📚 Background
This is a classic beginner's 'trabalenguas' used to teach one of the most fundamental pronunciation rules in Spanish: how the hard 'k' sound is written. It’s short, simple, and incredibly effective for building muscle memory for the 'que' and 'qui' sounds.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Pronouncing the 'u' in 'que/qui'
Mistake: "The most common mistake by far is saying 'kwe-da-te' or 'kwi-e-to', like in the English words 'queen' or 'quest'."
Correction: Just remember this simple rule: in Spanish, 'q' is always followed by 'u', and that 'u' is ALWAYS silent before an 'e' or 'i'. Think of 'qu' as a team that just makes the 'k' sound. Practice saying 'keh' and 'kee' by themselves first, then add them into the words.
Inconsistent 'k' Sound
Mistake: "Making the 'k' in 'kiosco' strong but then softening the 'qu' in 'quédate'."
Correction: The challenge here is consistency. All four 'k' sounds in this phrase should be identical: a sharp, crisp sound made at the back of your mouth. Record yourself to make sure they all sound the same.
🌎 Where It's Used
General Spanish
This tongue twister is a universal tool for teaching Spanish pronunciation and is recognized and used everywhere from Spain to Latin America.
🔗 Related Tongue Twisters
The Still Kiosk Keeper
Can you say it five times in a row without moving? Try to get faster with each repetition while keeping the 'k' sounds sharp and the 'u's perfectly silent!
🏷️ Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the 'u' silent after a 'q' in Spanish?
It's a spelling rule that Spanish inherited from Latin. The 'qu' combination was created to represent the 'k' sound before the vowels 'e' and 'i'. Think of 'qu' as a single unit that just means 'k'. This helps differentiate it from the 'c', which has a soft sound ('s' or 'th') before 'e' and 'i'.
Are 'kiosco' and 'quiosco' the same?
Yes! You will see both spellings. The Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prefers 'quiosco' because the letter 'k' is not native to Spanish, but 'kiosco' is extremely common and perfectly understood. They are pronounced exactly the same.