Teach Me Spanish: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

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Benny, teach me Spanish!

So you want to learn how to speak Spanish? Let’s get started.

Spanish spelling is comparatively regular. Once you learn its main letter-sound patterns, you can make a reasonable attempt at many unfamiliar words. You will still meet stress rules, regional pronunciation differences and exceptions, so use this beginner Spanish guide as a starting point rather than a promise that every word is obvious.

Spanish is also one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, so you will have plenty of people and media to learn from.

Spanish has a special place in my heart because it was the first foreign language I became fluent in.

But where should you begin?

Starting a new language can feel daunting, especially if this is your first time learning outside a classroom. This plan gives you a practical sequence, from your first useful phrases to regular review and supported conversations.

If you want a clear structure for putting your Spanish into practice, take a look at the Fluent in 3 Months Bootcamp. It’s a 90-day programme with weekly coaching calls, a private community and a focus on speaking from day one.

Here’s what we’ll talk about:

Here is what to do in your first hour, first day, first week and first month of learning Spanish. Treat the timings as a template and adjust them to fit your life.

Teach Me Spanish: Equipment and Time

You can begin with three simple tools:

• A notepad or digital notes app
• A pen or keyboard
• A phone, computer or tablet with an internet connection and audio

Optional extras:

• Spanish phrasebook
• A small budget for a tutor, if you want paid feedback

If you want a starting schedule, try 30–45 minutes on most weekdays and one longer session at the weekend. Scale that up or down. A plan you can repeat is more useful than an ambitious timetable you abandon.

Starting at the weekend can give you extra room for the first-day activities, but any day that works for you is fine.

Here is where to start.

Teach Me Spanish: Your First Hour

Your first step is to create a personalised Spanish phrasebook.

Why? My approach focuses on the Spanish that is relevant to you, your life and your reason for learning.

Take a fresh notebook or open a notes file and call it “My Spanish Phrasebook”.

This is where you will collect the Spanish phrases that you want to use, rather than relying only on a one-size-fits-all course.

Start with this guide to basic Spanish phrases, and write down the Spanish for:

• Hello
• Good morning
• Good afternoon
• Good evening
• Good night
• Goodbye

These greetings give you a small, useful set to practise straight away.

Find audio from a reliable dictionary or speaker, listen to one phrase and record yourself saying it. Compare the two, adjust one sound at a time and try again.

As you write each phrase, notice its parts. Which word means “good”? Which means “morning”? Make a tentative guess, then check it against a reliable explanation or ask a proficient speaker. That turns pattern-spotting into a useful habit without making you invent a rule.

For more options, use these guides to Spanish greetings and Spanish goodbyes.

Teach Me Spanish: Your First Day

Turn your first day of Spanish into a scavenger hunt for words and phrases.

Your aim is to collect a small set of phrases about you and your life.

By the end of the day, aim to draft a 30–60 second introduction that answers these questions:

• What’s your name?
• Where are you from?
• What do you do for fun?
• What’s your job?
• Where do you work?

Keep your answers simple. You can make them more detailed as your Spanish grows.

Look for the words and phrases that let you answer. When you find a useful one, add it to your personalised phrasebook.

Where should you look? Start with the Fluent in 3 Months Spanish hub, especially if your job or hobby is not in a typical phrasebook. In my case, I need ways to say that I’m a travel writer, author and conference speaker.

A reliable phrasebook can help too, especially if it includes pronunciation guidance. A paperback also lets you study without notifications competing for your attention.

If you know someone who speaks Spanish proficiently, ask whether they would check one or two of your sentences.

Do not collect every phrase you discover. Choose the ones you expect to use in a first conversation and leave the rest for later.

Rehearse a few phrases as you write them down. Look away, try to say each one from memory, then check and repeat.

Do not try to master all of Spanish grammar today. Learn a useful pattern when it helps you say what you mean, then return to it as you meet more examples.

I think of language learning a little like learning to drive. You can study the inner workings of an engine and read about the principles of driving, yet still need practical experience behind the wheel.

You learn to drive by driving. In the same way, you develop Spanish by using it, alongside study and feedback.

Teach Me Spanish: Week 1

On your first day, you created a personalised Spanish phrasebook. Now start using it.

You’ll use it in several ways:

First, revisit your phrasebook regularly. Cover the Spanish, retrieve a phrase from memory, say it aloud and then check it. Repeated retrieval can make familiar responses easier to access in conversation.

Second, add a few words or phrases that are relevant to your life. Five a day is one possible target, not a requirement. If you are not sure what to add, start here:

• Numbers
• Days of the week
• Months of the year
• Greetings and pleasantries (such as “How are you?” and “Pleased to meet you”)

Finally, use your phrasebook to prepare for a first short Spanish conversation.

If you want private, low-pressure rehearsal, Teacher AI is a Fluent in 3 Months product. You can practise your introduction with an AI version of me, Benny Lewis, before trying it with another person.

If you feel ready by the end of the week, try a brief, supported conversation with a tutor, proficient speaker or exchange partner. It is valuable practice, but treat it as one learning tool rather than a test.

For paid lessons, you can search Preply and read our Preply review. Preply is an affiliate partner, so Fluent in 3 Months may earn a commission if you buy through our link, at no extra cost to you. Tutor prices and availability vary. For a no-cost option, use our language-exchange guide.

If a live conversation feels like too much this week, rehearse with a recording or AI first, then schedule a shorter exchange when you are ready.

A tutor can be a helpful first partner because you are paying for focused time and feedback. Look for someone who welcomes beginners, and tell them the phrases and situation you want to practise before the lesson.

Language exchanges are often free, but they are a two-way agreement rather than a lesson. Set boundaries in advance and split the time fairly between both languages.

Ask your partner to keep most of the session in Spanish while allowing brief clarification when you genuinely need it. Bring your introduction and phrasebook so the conversation has a clear starting point.

Using your phrases with another person gives you a memorable context and shows you which ones still need work.

Afterwards, write down one correction and one phrase you wanted but could not recall. Those two notes give you a focused task for the next practice session.

Teach Me Spanish: Week 2

This week, review the language you have already collected and add a little reading to your routine.

Your personalised phrasebook is useful for collecting words and phrases, but a flashcard tool can make retrieval practice easier to organise. That is where Anki can help.

Anki lets you create flashcards for the words and phrases you want to retrieve. It uses a spaced-repetition system that schedules reviews from your responses. This can help you revisit difficult material more often and familiar material less often.

A portable flashcard deck also makes short reviews easy. You might practise a few cards in a lift or while waiting in a queue. Those small sessions still count as study time, and they can help you memorise a manageable set without scheduling one long block.

Start reading a little Spanish this week too. My list of Spanish reading resources has beginner-friendly places to start.

Do not expect to understand everything. Pick a short text, look for a few familiar words and use a Spanish-English dictionary when a word blocks the main idea.

When you find a phrase you genuinely want to use, add it to your phrasebook and, if helpful, your flashcard deck.

Keep speaking too. If two short conversations fit your week, try them. Otherwise, rehearse your introduction, record it and ask one trusted person for a correction.

Teach Me Spanish: Week 3

By now, you may have a useful set of personal phrases for a short conversation about one or two topics that interest you.

If you are not there yet, nothing has gone wrong. Use this week to adjust the plan.

You may have had motivated days and other days when life left no room for Spanish. That is normal.

If you feel stalled, choose the smallest routine you can restart today.

I’ve done many language missions over the years, and I find shorter, recurring sessions easier to sustain than saving everything for one long session. Regular contact also means I spend less of each session trying to remember where I left off.

Aim for contact with Spanish on most days, even if some sessions last only a few minutes. Your phrasebook or flashcards can make those short sessions easy to start.

Your main task this week is to create a study schedule that fits your actual time and energy.

In those sessions, review your phrasebook and add only the cards you have a reason to use.

You can put individual words or complete phrases on a flashcard. I often find a short, checked phrase more helpful because it shows the word in context. Keep the card simple enough that you can retrieve one clear answer.

If conversation practice fits your week, schedule one to three short sessions in person or by video. A tutor, proficient speaker or exchange partner can all help. If nobody is available, record a two-minute monologue and note where you pause; that still gives you a concrete next step.

Teach Me Spanish: Week 4

This week is about testing the study habits you set up last week. Follow your schedule, then notice what actually works.

If the plan was too ambitious, shrink it. Regular practice matters more than a perfect streak, and a missed day does not erase the work you have already done.

Here’s what to focus on this week:

• Keep reviewing your personalised Spanish phrasebook and flashcard deck, adding only useful material
• Listen to a short Spanish podcast or radio segment using these Spanish listening resources. Notice a few words or sounds rather than trying to understand every line.
• Find a Spanish song you enjoy and use this guide to learn a song in another language, one short section at a time.

For speaking practice, choose a target that stretches you without taking over your week. One well-prepared conversation may be more useful than four rushed ones.

If your goal is to speak Spanish, keep speaking near the top of your list, while using listening, reading and writing to support it.

Teach Me Spanish: Month 2 and Beyond

After the first month, keep the parts of the schedule that helped and change the parts that did not. Supported conversations can build confidence, especially when you prepare a topic and ask for focused feedback.

Keep that confidence, but drop any pressure to perform perfectly.

High-frequency words appear often, but they become more useful when you meet them in context. Use these common Spanish words to expand the phrases and topics you already practise.

Your next goal might be to speak for longer on a familiar topic, follow a short piece of audio or recover when a word is missing. Pick one outcome you can observe.

Whatever route you take, keep cycling through the same four actions: notice useful Spanish, retrieve it, use it and get a correction when you need one. Then adjust the routine until it works for you.