What is the correct pronunciation of the name "Esquivel", as in Juan García Esquivel, the famous band leader, pianist and composer?
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Anonymous
ANSWERS: 3
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Es-ki-vel. Emphasis on the first syllable. I posed this question to my friend, Jose Esquivel, who I've known for the past ten years. This is what he told me, scubaduba. I live in Santa Barbara, CA, where a LOT of Hispanic people live. Prior to that, I lived in San Diego, another place where many Hispanic people, some with the last name Esquivel, live. I've lived in California for the past twenty years. I've heard the name Esquivel said a million times. Perhaps people in Indiana pronounce it differently, LOL.
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Es-ki-bell, the emphasis actually falls on the penultimate syllable in all Spanish words that do not have an accent make indicating that the syllable should fall in another place. "V" and "B" are both pronounced as "B" in Spanish.
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Here's a third way. Es-kee-bel, with the stress placed on the last syllable. Spanish words ending with n, s or any vowel have the stress placed on the penultimate syllable, otherwise the stress is on the last syllable. An accent is placed on the letter to be stressed if this rule isn't followed, as in the case of the place name Mérida. As has already been mentioned the letters b and v have the same sound in Spanish, somewhere in between our pronunciation of the two.
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