Comment by mejutoco
Any c+e/i (cena, cine) or z+a/o/u (zarza, zorro, zurrar) is a good heuristic.
c+a/o/u sounds like k (casa, cosa, cuchara) and z+e/i does not exist.
Any c+e/i (cena, cine) or z+a/o/u (zarza, zorro, zurrar) is a good heuristic.
c+a/o/u sounds like k (casa, cosa, cuchara) and z+e/i does not exist.
I stand corrected. All of those seem loanwords, but you are absolutely right.
My main point is that if you hear the sounds "th" (za) with e or i 99% it is cena or circo and will not be zena or zirco. It is an heuristic but very reliable.
P.S. Or pececín, as a random example :P
Z+e/i does exist, but it is not very common. A few examples:
- Words that are only written with Z: zepelín, zigurat, zigzag.
- Words that can be written with either Z or C: zénit, zinc, zirconio, azimut.