All TYPES of HIATOS in Spanish

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Know what a hiatus and the types of hiatuses that exist in the Spanish language is essential to have an excellent spelling when writing different types of texts. Hiatuses are among the most common causes of spelling errors, so knowing how to distinguish them is absolutely necessary.

That is why in this lesson from UNPROFESOR.com we are going to learn much more about the different types of hiatuses in Spanish, as well as what is a hiatus and how we can classify them. Your spelling will be excellent from now on thanks to the grammar explanation that we are going to see below.

Index

1. What is a hiatus: simple definition
2. Types of hiatuses in the Spanish language
3. What are hiatuses for?
4. Hiatuses with intermediate H
5. Examples of hiatuses

In order to classify the types of hiatuses, the first thing we must know is their correct definition. What is a hiatus? The word hiatus derives from latin

For example:

• Country: country
• Bay: ba-h-a
• Root: root
• Paradise: pa-ra-í-so

In all these cases, the vowels placed consecutively are not pronounced on the same syllable. Likewise, it is important to be clear about the classification of vowels in the Spanish language to better understand the formation of a hiatus:

• Open vowels: they are A, E and O.
• Closed vowels: they are U and I.

The combination of the vowels, both open and closed, produces the hiatus.

To know what type of hiatus we are facing, we must take into account the classification as a result of the type of vowel that is joined in a specific word. Considering this, we will find ourselves facing one type of hiatus or another. What are those types of hiatuses in Spanish? Here they are!

Hiatus with open and closed vowel or vice versa with accent on the closed vowel

The first type of hiatus that we know occurs when in a word we find an open vowel and another closed (a-u, as in trunk) or when we come across a closed vowel and an open vowel (u-o, as in owl). It should be borne in mind that in this type of hiatus, the word classification rules are not taken into account.

These hiatuses are also known as accent hiatus.

Examples:

• Raúl: ra-úl
• Vehicle: go-he-cu-lo
• Crossing: tra-ve-si-a
• I accent: a-cen-tú-o
• River river
• Shady: shady-o
• Fluorine: fluorine
• Caffeine: ca-fe-í-na

Hiatus with two open vowels

The hiatus with two open vowels occurs, as its name indicates, when two open vowels (a, e, o) are followed in the same word (a-o, as chaos). In this case, the word classification rules are followed.

We know this phenomenon as simple hiatus.

Examples:

• Poet: po-e-ta
• Poem: po-e-ma
• Theater: te-a-tro
• Fight fight
• Village: al-de-a
• Wind: e-ó-li-co
• Mahogany: ca-o-ba
• Rodent: ro-e-dor

Hiatus with two equal vowels

In these cases of hiatus, the vowels that join are the same (e-e, like reading). The word classification rules are also followed. They can be either two open vowels or two closed vowels.

Examples:

• Zoologist: zo-ó-lo-go
• Believe: believe
• Isaac: I-sa-ac
• Read: le-er
• Cooperate: co-o-pe-rar
• Microwave: mi-cro-on-das
• Provider: pro-ve-e-dor
• Reedit: re-e-di-tar
• Anti-inflammatory: an-ti-in-fla-ma-to-rio

Image: Classrooms | Uruguay Educa

The main function of the hiatus is to separate the vowels. If the hiatuses did not exist, then we would always find ourselves before a diphthong.

What do we call diphthong?

The term diphthong refers to the union of two vowels that are expressed in the same syllable, that is, that are pronounced in the same voice, unlike the hiatus. In addition, it must be taken into account that for a diphthong to exist, one of the vowels must be weak (u, i). In this way, the diphthong can be formed by two weak vowels or by a strong vowel and a weak vowel that, of course, is not a tonic. In case of being tonic, we are facing a hiatus.

Examples of diphthongs:

• Careful
• Day
• Stone
• Easter
• Scenery
• Dance
• Air
• Highway
• Flow
• I hear
• Violence
• Well
• Body

As in the case of the hiatus, it is important to know the definition of diphthong well in order to have an impeccable spelling.

One of the most common doubts that exist is whether the spelling H influences the formation of diphthongs, triphthongs or hiatuses. And the truth is that no. In no case does H influence the formation of these phenomena. Therefore, we can find words with intermediate H that attend to the hiatus phenomenon.

Examples:

• Alcohol
• Cohibits
• Carrot
• Rocket
• Save money
• Basil
• Saver
• I forbid
• Hanged
• I refuse
• Smoke
• Orange blossom
• Pillow
• Redo

Image: wikiHow

Next we will learn more hiatus examples so that you have even clearer when the hiatus phenomenon occurs.

Examples of hiatuses with two open vowels

• Skull
• Atheist
• Osseous
• Wafer
• Sideways
• Bow
• Oil
• Ocean
• Neon
• Paella
• Spontaneous
• Gnaw
• Pulley
• Toll
• Cereal
• Towel
• Arrow
• Hero
• Line
• Cocoa

Examples of hiatuses with the same vowel

• Replace
• Mold
• Hostage
• Understand
• Shiite
• Counterargument
• Reissue
• Microwave

Examples of hiatuses with a closed vowel (i, u) and an open vowel (a, e, o)

• I accent
• Somber
• Fry
• I effect
• Fantasy
• Philosophy
• You misplace
• Breed
• Period
• Crane
• Cockatoo
• Spike
• I rate
• Locksmith
• Watermelon
• Crossing

Examples of hiatuses with an open vowel and a closed vowel

• Removable
• Coffin
• Lute
• Howl
• Caffeine
• Protein
• Credible
• Passerby
• Rainbow
• Hearing
• Hear
• Cocaine
• Shelving
• Cain
• Drop
• Isolate

As you can see, knowing how to identify a hiatus immediately is a matter of practice. So do not forget to review and leave any type of comment if you need more help. We also recommend that you consult other sections of orthography from UNPROFESOR.com to keep up to date and write texts with perfect and enviable grammar.

If you want to read more articles similar to Types of hiatuses in Spanish, we recommend that you enter our category of Grammar and Linguistics.

Royal Spanish Academy and the Association of Academies of the Spanish Language. Spelling of the Spanish language. Madrid. Espasa (2010).