Yo no compro coco.
YO no COM-pro CO-co
I don't buy coconut.
🔊 Listen & Practice
Start with slow speed to master pronunciation, then gradually increase to challenge yourself.
🎨 Visualization
Yo no compro coco. This simple phrase is perfect for practicing your 'o' sounds!
🎯 Pronunciation Focus
The Pure 'O' Vowel
/o/The Spanish 'o' is a short, crisp, pure sound. Unlike the English 'o' in 'go' which glides into a 'w' sound, you should keep your lips rounded and not change their shape as you say it.
The Hard 'C' Sound (like 'k')
/k/When 'c' comes before 'o' (as in 'compro' and 'coco'), it makes a hard 'k' sound. It's a sharp, clean sound made at the back of your mouth, like the 'c' in 'car'.
📝 Practice Breakdown
Start here. Focus on making the 'o' sound in 'yo', 'no', and 'compro' very pure and short. Don't let it trail off like the English 'oh'.
Now for the fun part! Notice how the 'co' sound repeats. Make that 'c' a sharp 'k' sound. COM-pro CO-co.
Put it all together. Try to keep the rhythm steady. The stress is on 'COM' and 'CO'. Let the sounds pop!
📚 Background
This is a very simple but effective 'trabalenguas' for beginners. It's a fantastic exercise for practicing the pure Spanish 'o' vowel and the hard 'c' sound, which are foundational for clear pronunciation. It's often one of the first tongue twisters Spanish learners encounter.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using the English 'O' Sound
Mistake: "Saying 'yo' or 'coco' with the English 'o' sound, which sounds like 'oh-w' (as in the words 'go' or 'so')."
Correction: The Spanish 'o' is a pure, short vowel. Round your lips and say 'o' without moving your mouth or jaw. It should be a single, clean sound, not a glide. Think of the 'o' in 'cot', but with more rounded lips.
A Soft 'C' Sound
Mistake: "Pronouncing the 'c' in 'coco' like an 's' sound, as it can be in English (e.g., 'celery' or 'city')."
Correction: In Spanish, a 'c' that comes before 'a', 'o', or 'u' is always a hard 'k' sound. Think of the 'c' in 'cat' or 'cool'. Make it a sharp, crisp sound from the back of your throat.
🌎 Where It's Used
General Spanish
This is a basic and widely understood phrase used for pronunciation practice across all Spanish-speaking regions.
🔗 Related Tongue Twisters
The Coconut Challenge
Say 'Yo no compro coco' five times in a row, as fast as you can. Can you do it without your 'o's turning into English 'oh's? Record yourself and listen back!
🏷️ Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is practicing such a simple phrase important?
Mastering simple phrases builds a strong foundation. This one trains your mouth for two of the most common sounds in Spanish: the pure 'o' vowel and the hard 'c' ('k') sound. Getting these right makes hundreds of other words easier to pronounce correctly.
Is the 'c' in Spanish always a 'k' sound?
No. It's a 'k' sound before 'a', 'o', and 'u' (like in 'casa', 'coco', 'cuna'). Before 'e' or 'i' (like in 'cero' or 'cine'), it makes a soft 's' sound in Latin America or a 'th' sound in most of Spain.