Reading and pronouncing regional place names and street signs

Key rules

• Place names: Use the local official form in the region, such as Girona, A Coruña or Donostia.
• Galicia: Only the Galician form is official there, so write A Coruña.
• Basque Country: Both Donostia and San Sebastián are official, and either is understood.
• Valencia: Write València in Valencian and Valencia in Spanish and English.
• Sounds: In Catalan, Galician and Basque, x is usually "sh" and Basque tx is "ch".

Which form should you use?

Use the local official form when you are in the region. Write Girona, A Coruña, Donostia and Ourense. Signs, timetables and maps use these forms, so they are the ones you will see and need to search for.

In Spanish, the older forms (Gerona, La Coruña, San Sebastián) are still understood. Locals generally welcome the local form. In English, the local form is now standard (Girona, A Coruña). Older English forms such as Corunna are dated.

Who decides the official name?

Each region sets its own names, so the rules differ by region.

• Catalonia: the Catalan form is official. In the Aran Valley it is the Aranese form.
• Galicia: only the Galician form is official. A Coruña is the name, not La Coruña.
• Basque Country: Basque and Spanish forms both have official status. Both Donostia and San Sebastián are used. Euskaltzaindia, the Basque Academy, decides the Basque forms. Some areas are Basque-only and some are bilingual.
• Navarre: names follow the Basque-speaking, mixed and non-Basque zones.
• Valencia and the Balearics: in the Valencian Community, the regional government sets Valencian, Spanish or both, depending on the municipality. The Balearics use Catalan forms. For Valencia, write València in Valencian and Valencia in Spanish and English.

Some municipalities have a special status. For a particular place, check its form with the town hall.

How to say the tricky letters

These are close English matches, not exact sounds.

Catalan

• x is usually "sh": xocolata, caixa. In a few learned words it is "ks", as in taxi.
• ig at the end of a word after a vowel is "tch": Puig, Roig, maig.
• ny is like Spanish ñ.
• ll is a soft "ly" sound, as in Italian "gli". Many speakers say "y".
• l·l (with a raised dot) is a long, plain l, not a soft one: col·legi.

Galician

• x is "sh": Xunta, xente.
• ll is a soft "ly" sound, and many speakers say "y".
• nh is the "ng" of "sing": unha.
• gu before e or i is a hard g (guerra). qu before e or i is "k" (que).

Basque

• tx is "ch": txakoli. x is "sh": etxe.
• tz is a sharp "ts", as in cats. ts is similar but softer.
• z is a thick "s", not the Spanish "th" sound. s is thinner.
• h is silent in most areas.
• j varies. It is like Spanish j in Biscayan and like "y" elsewhere.

Reading surnames

Surnames follow the same spelling rules, and patterns help you read them.

• Catalan: Puig, Roig, Ferrer, Vilanova. The same x and ig sounds apply.
• Galician: common endings are -eiro, -eira and -ez. Examples are Seoane, Souto and Fernández.
• Basque: long names break into parts. Etxe means house, zabal means wide, eta marks a place and ola means forge. So Etxeberria and Mendizabal are made of readable pieces. Say every vowel clearly. Stress usually falls on the second syllable.

The guide and FAQ below list where to learn more, including courses for adult learners.

Pronunciation guide to regional letters and common names

• Institut d'Estudis Catalans and the Generalitat's Optimot language service: For Catalan, x is usually like English sh (caixa), ig at the end of a word is like tch (Puig, Roig), ny is like Spanish ñ, and ll is a soft palatal l (cavall). Written l·l is a long l, as in col·legi. Look up spelling and sound questions here.

• Real Academia Galega: For Galician, x is like English sh (Xunta, xente), nh is like ng in sing (unha), and ñ is like Spanish ñ. Gu before e or i is a hard g (guitarra), and qu is k (que). Use the academy's dictionary and spelling rules to check a name.

• Euskaltzaindia, the Basque Academy: For Basque, tx is like English ch (txakoli), x is like sh (etxe), z is a thick s (zazpi), and h is silent in most areas. Say each vowel clearly. The academy's spelling rules and its dictionary are the places to check a word.

• The academies above, for surname patterns: Use endings to read surnames. Basque -etxe means house, -eta a place, -ola a forge and -zabal wide (Etxeberria, Mendizabal). Catalan names often start with Vila, Mas or Pla (Vilanova). Galician names often end in -eiro or -eira.

• Courses for adult learners: CPNL for Catalan, HABE for Basque: Use their course material to hear and practise the sounds if you want to learn them properly.

Frequently asked questions

How do I write Valencia: València or Valencia?

Write València when you use Valencian and Valencia when you use Spanish or English. The same split applies to the other places in the region, where the official name can be Valencian, Spanish or both depending on the municipality.

How do I say the letter x in Catalan, Galician and Basque names?

In all three languages x is usually said like English sh, as in Xunta, etxe or caixa. A few learned Catalan words use ks instead, such as taxi.

How is the ending ig said in Catalan surnames like Puig and Roig?

The ending ig after a vowel is said like English tch, so Roig sounds close to "rotch". Maig, the word for May, follows the same pattern.

How can I read a long Basque surname like Etxeberria or Mendizabal?

Split it into its parts and say each vowel clearly. Etxe means house, zabal means wide and eta marks a place. Stress usually falls on the second syllable, tx is ch, and z is an s sound, so Mendizabal has no English z.