Spanish question words: qué, cuál, dónde and practice

The Spanish question words to learn first are qué, cuál, quién, cuánto, dónde, adónde, cuándo, cómo and por qué, and the best Spanish question words practice makes you produce them, not just recognize them in a list. If you have a quiz this week or an oral test where you must ask the questions yourself, fill in the 18 sentences below, then check the key: every answer names its rule.

Which Spanish question words do you need, and what do they mean?

Nine question words, plus their plural and feminine forms, cover the questions a beginner asks. The Instituto Cervantes curriculum already lists qué, quién, cuántos, dónde and cuándo at level A1, with examples such as ¿Cuántos años tienes? and ¿Dónde vives? (checked October 2026). Three of them change form; the rest never do.

Verdict: memorize which three words agree with a noun (cuál, quién, cuánto), because that is where most points get lost on a test. The Spanish guides hub has the other grammar topics.

Qué or cuál: which Spanish question word means "what"?

Cuál asks you to pick one item from a set, or to give a characteristic such as a name, a number or a capital. Qué asks for a definition or an explanation. The RAE's grammar glossary gives ¿Cuál prefieres? and ¿Cuál es la capital de Nicaragua? for the first case, and ¿Qué es la soriasis? for the second (checked October 2026).

So ¿Qué es un adverbio? asks for a definition, while ¿Cuál es tu número de teléfono? asks for one specific answer. English says "what" in both cases, which is why the choice feels random at first.

Before a noun, the rule changes. Write qué: ¿Qué libro lees? The RAE notes that cuál + noun (¿Cuál libro?) is only common today in some countries, so in a classroom or on an exam, qué + noun is the safe choice.

Spanish question words practice: 18 sentences to fill in

Write the missing question word before you look at the key. Each sentence has an English gloss so you know what is being asked; the job is to find the right Spanish form, accent included. Sentences 1 to 8 are A1, 9 to 15 add qué vs cuál and prepositions, and 16 to 18 are traps.

Level A1

1. ¿___ te llamas? (What's your name?)
2. ¿___ vives? (Where do you live?)
3. ¿___ años tienes? (How old are you?)
4. ¿___ es esa chica? (Who is that girl?)
5. ¿___ empieza la clase? (When does class start?)
6. ¿___ estudias español? (Why are you studying Spanish?)
7. ¿___ hora es? (What time is it?)
8. ¿___ hermanas tienes? (How many sisters do you have?)

Level A2-B1

9. ¿___ es tu número de teléfono? (What's your phone number?)
10. ¿___ es un adverbio? (What is an adverb?)
11. Tengo dos mochilas. ¿___ prefieres? (I have two backpacks. Which one do you prefer?)
12. ¿Con ___ vas al cine? (Who are you going to the movies with?)
13. ¿De ___ eres? (Where are you from?)
14. ¿___ vas este verano? (Where are you going this summer?)
15. No sé ___ llegan mis primos. (I don't know when my cousins arrive.)

Traps

16. ¿___ son tus clases favoritas? (What are your favorite classes?)
17. ¿___ son ellos? (Who are they?)
18. ¿___ sirve esto? (What is this for?)

Spanish question words answer key: which one, and why?

Give yourself one point per answer, and only count it if the accent is there. Fifteen or more means the core is solid. Under ten, reread the first table and redo sentences 1 to 8 tomorrow, out loud this time.

Verdict: if you missed 12, 13 or 18, the problem is word order, not vocabulary. English leaves the preposition at the end ("Who are you going with?"); Spanish moves it to the front, one of the rules in our guide to Spanish word order, step by step. The same reflex helps with por and para drills, since por qué and para qué split along the same line.

Why do Spanish question words keep their accent in indirect questions?

Spanish question words keep their written accent in indirect questions because they still ask something, even inside a longer sentence. The RAE's Diccionario panhispánico de dudas says interrogative qué takes the accent in both direct and indirect questions (checked October 2026). So ¿Dónde vive? and No sé dónde vive both need it.

Remove the accent and the word stops asking. Compare:

• No sé dónde vive. (I don't know where she lives: a hidden question.)
• La casa donde vive es azul. (The house where she lives is blue: no question.)
• ¿Por qué no vienes? / No vengo porque estoy cansado.
• Pregúntale cuánto cuesta. (Ask him how much it costs.)

Adónde has one more option. The same dictionary accepts both adónde and a dónde, with the meaning "to which place". Use it only with movement: ¿Adónde vas?, but ¿Dónde estás?

How do you practice Spanish question words out loud?

You practice Spanish question words out loud by asking real questions, not by answering them. Most classroom drills train answers, but an oral exam or a conversation also needs you to ask. Take the 18 sentences, cover the English, and say each question to a partner, a recording app or a mirror.

Then build your own: ten questions you would ask a new classmate, using each word once. When those come easily, add ¿Qué harías si…? questions, which bring in the conditional; our Spanish conditional practice set has 18 sentences for it. Our guide to speaking practice when you study alone has timed drills that fit this. Not sure where you stand? The level quiz takes a few minutes.

A tutor helps when your oral test is close and nobody checks your questions as you say them. My own lessons are in English, not Spanish, but what made me progress was speaking for most of every lesson. Our page for students with an exam date and the guide on how to pick an online Spanish tutor cover prices and how to test one.

Skip paid lessons if question words are your only gap: redo the 18 sentences in two days and again in a week, for free.