Spanish · Chapter 50 · Lesson 8 · Grammar primer
Spelling traps: b/v, g/j, silent h, c/s/z
The letters that sound the same but spell differently: b and v are identical (tubo vs tuvo), h is silent (haber vs a ver), g and j both /x/ before e/i (gente vs jefe), and r/rr is the one real sound contrast (pero vs perro).
The short version
Only r versus rr is a real sound difference
Five of the six classic traps are spelling only: your ear genuinely cannot separate b from v, g from j before e or i, the silent h, c from s from z under seseo, or ll from y. Tubo and tuvo are perfect homophones. The exception changes the word itself, so drill that one out loud until the two feel separate in your mouth.
pero, perro
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