In Spanish, there are no aspirated, rounded or nasal consonants. In this respect, the Spanish consonants are similar to the Italian ones and are totally different from the English ones. While pronouncing these sounds, try not to move your tongue back and forth, avoid aspiration or nasal sounding.
The sound [m] is similar to the English [m]. It is represented by the letter M (eme).
The sound [p] is similar to the English [p], though it is not aspired. It is represented by the letter P (pe).
The sound [n] is represented by the letter N (ene). It is also similar to the English sound.
The sound [l] is represented by the letter L (ele). It is similar to the English sound, though it sound a slightly more forced: the tongue is placed against the roof of the mouth.
El and la are the definite articles of the masculine and feminine genders.