16.1 Spell-Change Yo Forms
The next spell-changing verbs we'll look at are neat because they illustrate some rules at the intersection of spelling and pronunciation in Spanish. Take a look at the table below, and note the spell change that takes place in the yo form.
Why do the yo forms change their spelling? In Spanish, the G and C are usually hard sounds, like the English words "go" or "cat." However, when G and C are followed by an E or I, their pronunciation becomes soft.
Pronounced with hard G sound
Sounds like English gate
Pronounced with Spanish J sound
Sounds like José, which is similar to the English H (as in hello)
Pronounced with hard C sound
Sounds like English carpet
Pronounced with Spanish S sound
In Latin America, sounds like S as in serpent; In Spain, sounds like TH as in theater
So, the preterite yo forms of llegar and buscar change in order to maintain the hard G and C sounds. With this new spelling the word on the page reflects the word as it is spoken so that we don't say "llejé" or "bus-sé" (or "bus-thé" in Spain).
Practice Time!
Master these verb conjugations from Lesson 16