Breakdown of Cada letra tiene un sonido diferente.
tener
to have
cada
each, every
diferente
different
el sonido
the sound
la letra
the letter
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Questions & Answers about Cada letra tiene un sonido diferente.
What does cada mean and why is letra singular?
Cada means each or every. In Spanish, when you use cada, the noun that follows must be in the singular form. So cada letra literally means each letter, not letters.
Why is there an un before sonido? Do we always need an article there?
Yes. In Spanish, countable nouns generally require an article. Since sonido is singular and countable, you say un sonido (a sound). Omitting the article (tiene sonido) would sound unnatural.
What is tiene and why not tienen?
Tiene is the third‐person singular present form of the verb tener (to have). The subject cada letra is singular, so we use tiene. If the subject were plural (for example, las letras), you would say tienen.
Why is diferente placed after sonido? Can I say diferente sonido?
Descriptive adjectives in Spanish typically follow the noun, so sonido diferente is the most natural order. Putting the adjective before the noun (diferente sonido) is grammatically possible but sounds literary or marked, and it can shift the emphasis.
Can I use distinto instead of diferente?
Yes. Distinto and diferente are synonyms here. You could perfectly say Cada letra tiene un sonido distinto without changing the meaning.
Could I say Cada letra suena diferente instead?
Absolutely. Suena is the third‐person singular of sonar (to sound).
- Cada letra tiene un sonido diferente describes the property (“each letter has a different sound”).
- Cada letra suena diferente focuses on the action (“each letter sounds different”).
Both convey the same basic idea.
What’s the difference between cada letra tiene un sonido diferente and todas las letras tienen sonidos diferentes?
- Cada letra… (“each letter…”) treats letters one by one.
- Todas las letras… (“all the letters…”) refers to the group as a whole.
In practice they mean very much the same thing, but cada emphasizes individual items, while todas highlights the entire set.