Spanish is one of those languages that is considered relatively easy to learn, especially for English speakers. This is because, like other romance languages (e.g. French or Italian), Spanish and English share some common linguistic ancestors. But Spanish is actually a little easier to learn than some other romance languages because the pronunciation is so straightforward. This means that learning Spanish quickly is actually not too difficult—provided you use the right approach.

That’s why we’ve put together this comprehensive article on learning Spanish, with links to our most important guides and resources. Combined with diligence and regular practice, you’re almost certain to start speaking Spanish in just a few months. So what are you waiting for? ¡Vámonos, amigos!

How to Learn Spanish Quickly

What’s on this page?

Why Learn Spanish?


If you’re going to make rapid progress, there’s one thing that’s more important than all others: motivation. Keeping up your motivation when learning a language can make all the difference. Fortunately, there are plenty of good reasons to learn Spanish.

1. It’s widely spoken

First, it’s one of the most widely spoken and used languages in the world, and especially in the Western world. More than 500 million people in 44 different countries speak Spanish on a regular basis. This makes it a fantastic language to learn for traveling, as it opens up a huge number of new cultures and countries for you to explore.

If you live in the United Kingdom, Spain is just a stone’s throw away, and for our American learners, most of Latin and South America are Spanish-speaking. Spanish is thus a fantastic language to learn for its simple utility.

Learn Spanish, and your opportunities for new acquaintances and new adventures simply explode.

2. It’s a good move professionally

Most English-speaking countries also have tight economic and commercial ties with Spanish-speaking ones, due to geographical and cultural proximity. This means that learning Spanish can open up a whole new world of professional opportunities for you. We even have a Business Spanish MosaLingua app to help you make rapid progress towards your goals.

Being bilingual is already a huge advantage in general, as you’ll be eligible for more job openings in more places. But Spanish is particularly useful in this regard, thanks to its widespread use and important commercial relationships between Spanish-speaking nations and most others in the world.

Once you’ve learned how to showcase your language skills on a CV, you’ll probably find that employers show more interest.

3. You can easily live abroad

Of course, if you’ve ever wanted to live abroad, both of the reasons above make Spanish a prime candidate for such an adventure. Speaking English already gives you a solid advantage for certain jobs in Spanish-speaking countries, especially in sectors like tourism and banking.

If you’re wondering how to live abroad, a solid base in Spanish, paired with some determination and motivation, is a good place to start. Your dreams of living in Spain or Chile or Argentina could easily (and quickly!) become a reality.

4. It’s an easy language to learn

Finally, as we mentioned above, Spanish is actually one of the easiest languages to learn. There are plenty of similarities with English when it comes to verbs, and the pronunciation is much easier than with French and Italian, and certainly Chinese or Russian!

That’s because Spanish is almost a phonetic language: there are few hidden surprises, like the kind you might find in French. Number and gender agreements in Spanish are also relatively straightforward, and there are some quick tips you can use to get a handle on it. (For example, most words ending in o are masculine, while most words ending in a are feminine.)

All of this means that if you’re looking to learn a new language, and want to start with something approachable and where you can look forward to rapid progress, Spanish is the way to go.

Four Guides for Learning Spanish Quickly


Spanish is one of our favorite languages to learn and teach. This is why we’ve taken the time to write a number of guides and articles on how to learn Spanish fast and on your own. Below, you’ll find our four main guides for learning Spanish quickly. In the next section, we’ll look at some tips on how to make the most of your time, and then off with some of our favorite resources.

Learning Spanish the Quick and Easy Way

The Easiest and Fastest Way to Learn Spanish

This guide will give you some tips on the fastest and easiest way to learn Spanish. It’s a good place to start before diving into the remaining three guides. It’s got a tonne of useful tips for making sure your language-learning project is a success. Combine these with our Six Tips for Learning Spanish Quickly below, and you’ve got everything you need.

You’ll learn all about the importance of building your vocabulary, how to make Spanish part of your daily life, the Dos and Don’ts of grammar, how to build confidence, and more.

How to Quickly Build your Spanish Vocabulary

Spanish Vocabulary Lists by Topic

Vocabulary is one of the pillars of a language. After all, words and phrases are how we communicate meaning in a language, along with tone and structure (i.e., grammar). At MosaLingua, we’ve designed our own approach around rapidly building vocabulary. In fact, the MosaLingua App uses a science-based method called the Spaced Repetition System to ensure you’re learning vocabulary as quickly and efficiently as possible. It also ensures maximum retention, which is important.

As we’ve already mentioned, one of the reasons Spanish is so easy for anglophones to learn is because so many of the words share a common root. For example:

  • adorare in Latin, adorar in Spanish, adore in English
  • accident in Latin, accidente in Spanish, accident in English
  • abusives in Latin, abusivo in Spanish, abusive in English

We’ve put together a list of Spanish Vocabulary by topic to help you pinpoint the words and expressions that will be most useful to you based on your goals.

Also check out:

How to Perfect your Pronunciation in Spanish

MosaLingua’s Comprehensive Guide to Spanish Pronunciation

Pronunciation and accent are incredibly important, especially for a “phonetic” language like Spanish where pronunciation and meaning are so closely tied. Even if sounding exactly like a native speaker isn’t your goal, it’s important to begin speaking as soon as possible. That means working on your pronunciation.

But don’t worry! Spanish pronunciation is actually much easier than many other languages, including English. That’s because in Spanish, each letter tends to have just one pronunciation (although these may differ between regions). Consider how in English, the letters “gh” can be pronounced multiple ways in English: weigh (silent), rough (f sound), and Ghost (hard g sound). You won’t find much of this in Spanish, so it’s much easier to learn.

Our comprehensive guide to Spanish pronunciation includes everything you need to improve and perfect your accent. It’s also available as an e-book, so you can download it and take it anywhere in an easy-to-read format.

Also check out:

Understanding Spoken Spanish

Spanish Listening Comprehension: El Hombre Sin Nombre

It’s very common to be able to speak a language before feeling fully comfortable understanding to others speak it. When learning a new language, it’s normal for new sounds to “blend together” in what one language psychologist (Carroll, 2004) has aptly described as a “wall of sound.”

how-to-learn-spanish-fast-mosalinguaAnd Spanish is particularly guilty of this, as it’s one of the more rapidly spoken languages. Take a look at the graph to the left, and see how Spanish compares to Italian, French, and English. (Interestingly, the rate of information—how much information is conveyed by a speaker—is actually very similar among most languages).

However, for the same reason that learning pronunciation is actually quite easy, it won’t take you long to be able to comfortably watch Spanish TV shows and films, listen to Spanish podcasts and radio, and understand conversation partners.

To help you make steady, quick progress, we’ve put together a listening series called El Hombre sin Nombre (the man with no name). Follow along with this intriguing story, whose plot will keep you coming back for more while the series progresses in difficulty to keep you improving.

 

Also check out:

Six Tips for Learning Spanish Quickly


On top of the practical tips in our article, The Easiest and Fastest way to Learn Spanish, you’ll definitely want to have a look at the tips below for learning Spanish quickly. Doing so will make it much easier to make rapid progress, especially when paired with the MosaLingua apps for learning Spanish.

apprendre vocabulaire espagnol

Tip #1: Watch Spanish news channels

Watching the news in your target language is a great way to familiarize your ear with how it sounds.

This is especially true in Spanish, as Spanish speakers are known to have a good speech rate on the news. You’ll probably find it much less difficult than listening to a more general Spanish conversation. Start with the news, and you’ll have an easier time picking up words and understanding what’s being said. That way, you can train your ear without feeling overwhelmed.

Additionally, many news channels summarize the main story in text that scrolls across the bottom of the screen. This acts as a great supplement to what’s being said if you’re having trouble following the thread. For the best results, take notes as you go and write down any vocabulary words you didn’t understand. This way, you can learn them for next time.

If you’re looking for a good news channel, we recommend TV Azteca, a Mexican news channel that you can watch “en vivo” (live).

Tip 2: Take the best free lessons on YouTube

Did you know that YouTube is a great way to learn a new language? A lot of professors, professionals, and amateurs have created videos to help you become proficient in Spanish.

We recommend you take a look at our own YouTube channel, where you’ll find a wide variety of videos related to learning languages quickly, including for Spanish. Here are some of our favorites:

You’ll also find plenty of more general advice, like:

But there are also specialty channels for learning Spanish.

To give you a few:

  • SuperHollyVideos is a self-declared “bilingual jack of all trades”. Her videos are meant to inspire people to live a creative life. She has videos on DIYs, stories, tutorials, and reviews. The best part is that her videos are done in both English and Spanish, so you can practice your Spanish while learning interesting things!
  • Check out Dustin Luke’s channel for Spanish language videos. He’s American, but fell in love with Latin culture and now loves sharing his experiences in Spanish.

These are just some of our favorites, but there are plenty more out there. Don’t hesitate to explore, and you’re sure to find some interesting and engaging YouTube channels that will help you to make quick progress. Finding content that interests you for its own sake is the best way to make sure you never get bored of learning Spanish.

You can also focus on finding videos for your level: find somebody who speaks at a pace that’s comfortable for you and relatively easy to understand. Of course, you can always slow down a YouTube video by clicking on the ⚙ Settings icon bottom-right and choosing the playback speed. After you’ve made some progress, check out videos made for locals, which will be more difficult to understand but ultimately more interesting and challenging.

Tip 3: Watch telenovelas

Telenovelas are Latin-American and Spanish romance TV series, known for being over-the-top like English soap operas. Think of shows like The Young and the Restless, Passions, All My Children and General Hospital.

They may not be the most profound shows you’ll see on TV, but they’re a great way to learn everyday vocabulary and slang. They’re usually quite short, as well, so you can work them into your schedule with ease (see Tip 7).

Telenovelas will also help you with your listening comprehension, as the actors tend to overplay their roles and exaggerate the sounds of words. There’s also usually plenty of physical activity to help you understand what’s going on.

Check out Lalola, which is freely available on YouTube (it’s an Argentinian series, and thus Argentinian accent). Others are available on Netflix, like Jane the Virgin and Pasion de Gavilanes.

These are our favorite telenovelas: No Puedo Vivir Sin Ti: 6 Telenovelas You Won’t be Able to Live Without

Tip 4: Practice regularly with native speakers

Although it’s important to familiarize one’s ear with the Spanish language, it is equally important to practice speaking it! However, if you’re learning Spanish on your own, you might not be sure how to go about finding native speakers to practice with.

The Self-Talk Technique is one good way to start making progress learning to speak on your own. That said, you’ll want to start speaking with a conversation partner as soon as possible. This is the best way to make quick progress.

Fortunately, there are many language exchange sites that enable you to meet people from all over the world, and speak to them in Spanish. In turn, you’ll help them to improve their English (or any other languages you speak fluently). It’s a win-win situation, and a wonderful way to make new friends and improve your spoken Spanish.

It’s also a good way to make sure you’re getting regular practice, as you can schedule regular, weekly conversation appointments with your correspondent. You’ll make progress speaking, of course, but also understanding and improving your vocabulary and pronunciation.

To make the most of your discussions, check out this Spanish phrasebook, with plenty of useful phrases to start using in your conversations. It’s free to download.

Be sure to check out our round-up of the best language exchange sites.

how to learn Spanish Quickly

Tip 5: Listen to (and sing!) Spanish music

Listening to music can be such a fun way to learn a language, and Spanish is no exception. Most Spanish-speaking nations have a rich musical cultural heritage, and music is an integral part of daily life. For this reason, you’ll find no shortage of Spanish singers and musicians to listen to.

We’ve put together a list of the best songs to learn Spanish (with lyrics) to help you get started.

Listening to music is a great way to “passively” learn Spanish, although you’ll make more progress if you spend some time actively listening to songs, trying to figure out what they’re saying (first without and then with lyrics), and making notes of any new words or expressions.

Tip 6: Get organized!

Our last tip is absolutely essential to learning Spanish quickly: get and stay organized. This may not be as exciting a tip as finding language partners or learning Spanish on YouTube, but it’s important nonetheless.

You’ll want to start by creating a routine, but one that focuses on fun activities that you enjoy and that will help keep you motivated. Here’s an example of a schedule you might adopt:

  • Monday: learn vocabulary for 10 minutes
  • Tuesday: watch the Spanish news and note the new words heard on MosaLingua cards (and learn them ideally)
  • Wednesday: revise a little!
  • Thursday: chat with your Spanish speaking correspondent, and learn the new words learned through MosaLingua
  • Friday: watch the latest YouTube videos in Spanish, and learn some new words
  • Saturday: revise a little
  • Sunday: watch a movie or a series… in Spanish of course! Check out our lists of the best Spanish movies with subtitles, best Spanish movies on Netflix, and best Spanish TV shows on Netflix for learning Spanish.

Of course, this is just an example. If you want to learn Spanish more quickly, you could have longer or more intense sessions, but be careful not to get burned out. The best progress comes from being regular, which means staying motivated and being organized.

MosaLingua’s Resources to Learn Spanish Quickly


There are a ton of resources available to help you quickly learn Spanish for free. We’ve grouped our favorites together in one article so you can find everything you need with ease. Here’s what you’ll find:

  • Techniques and apps for learning words and phrases
  • Online dictionaries
  • Techniques for improving listening skills
  • Radio and podcasts
  • Spanish movies and TV
  • YouTube channels and videos
  • Online speaking courses
  • Language exchange websites
  • Guides and tools for conversation and pronunciation
  • Newspapers and other media
  • Grammar

Click here to get started: Free Resources for Learning Spanish

How to Quickly Learn Spanish

MosaLingua Apps for learning Spanish

application mosalingua apprendre espagnolOf course, we could hardly talk about important resources for learning Spanish quickly without mentioning our apps and web platform. MosaLingua Premium (Web & Mobile) will help you make rapid progress in Spanish.

It includes over 3,600 flashcards with the most useful and common words and phrases in Spanish. This enables you to focus on learning words you are likely to use frequently, which means reaching an intermediate or advanced level more quickly. To help you learn Spanish fast, our application makes use of the spaced repetition system, whose effectiveness has been scientifically proven.

If you’re looking to work in Spanish, either at home or abroad, be sure to check out our Business Spanish app.

MosaSeries: El Hombre sin Nombre

MosaSeries: Learn Spanish Fast

We spoke about our audio series above, but it’s worth mentioning again. We’re really proud of it, and happy to present this MosaLingua course for improving your listening comprehension in Spanish. MosaSeries: El Hombre sin Nombre was entirely written in Spanish, with an engaging story divided into 27 episodes. It’s recommended for complete beginners (A1) up to low-intermediate learners (B1).

The series will help you:

  • Enrich your Spanish vocabulary
  • Learn new rules of grammar, conjugation, and syntax
  • Familiarize your ear with the accent, pronunciation, and rhythm of the Spanish language.

In 3 to 6 months, after having followed the series in its entirety, you’ll be able to better understand conversation with native speakers, talking at a natural pace, or watch a Spanish series or film, even without the subtitles. It’s a powerful, efficient, and totally addictive new way to make quick progress in Spanish.

Our YouTube videos with tips and hacks for learning Spanish

How to Learn Spanish in No Time

In this video, Luca goes over some of the best tips for quickly learning Spanish. There are sites to discover, apps to download, and some good old-fashioned everyday advice for making steady progress.

Roll your R’s like a Native Speaker

The Spanish rolled Rrrrr can be one of the more difficult sounds for language learners to master. In this video, our Spanish teacher Mirari gives you some tips on how to get it right (with regular practice, of course!).

10 Spanish Words You Might Be Pronouncing Incorrectly

We take a look at 10 of the most commonly mispronounced words in Spanish. How many of them are you guilty of? Be sure to watch this video to avoid messing up these tricky words.

The Spanish Language in Different Accents

We take a look at some of the most popular Spanish accents around the world. Spanish is spoken in Spain, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Cuba, Chile, Argentina, and others—which accent is right for you?

10 Popular Spanish Slang Words to Speak like a Spaniard

Finally, we take a look at 10 popular Spanish slang words that will help you sound like a native speaker (and follow along in conversations more easily).