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deletrear

deh-leh-treh-AHRdeletreˈaɾ

“deletrear” means “to spell” in Spanish (naming letters one by one).

to spell

Also: to decipher
VerbA2regular ar
A child sitting on the floor, carefully arranging colorful wooden toy blocks in a straight line.
gerunddeletreando
past Participledeletreado
infinitivedeletrear

📝 In Action

¿Podría deletrear su apellido, por favor?

A1

Could you spell your last name, please?

Los niños están aprendiendo a deletrear palabras cortas en la escuela.

A2

The children are learning to spell short words at school.

Tuve que deletrear mi correo electrónico porque era muy complicado.

B1

I had to spell out my email because it was very complicated.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • silabear (to spell out by syllables)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • deletrear en voz alta – to spell out loud
  • deletrear palabra por palabra – to spell word by word

Subjunctive

Imperfect Subjunctive

yodeletreara
túdeletrearas
él/ella/usteddeletreara
nosotrosdeletreáramos
vosotrosdeletrearais
ellos/ellas/ustedesdeletrearan

Present Subjunctive

yodeletree
túdeletrees
él/ella/usteddeletree
nosotrosdeletreemos
vosotrosdeletreéis
ellos/ellas/ustedesdeletreen

Indicative

Preterite

yodeletreé
túdeletreaste
él/ella/usteddeletreó
nosotrosdeletreamos
vosotrosdeletreasteis
ellos/ellas/ustedesdeletraron

Imperfect

yodeletreaba
túdeletreabas
él/ella/usteddeletreaba
nosotrosdeletreábamos
vosotrosdeletreabais
ellos/ellas/ustedesdeletreaban

Present

yodeletreo
túdeletreas
él/ella/usteddeletrea
nosotrosdeletreamos
vosotrosdeletreáis
ellos/ellas/ustedesdeletrean
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "deletrear" in Spanish:

to decipher→to spell→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: deletrear

Question 1 of 3

How do you say 'to spell' in Spanish?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
deletreo(spelling / the act of spelling) — Noun
deletreador(speller) — Noun
deletreable(spellable) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From 'de-' (meaning out or from) and 'letra' (letter), literally meaning 'to pull out the letters'.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: soletrar

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'deletrear' an irregular verb?

No, it is a completely regular -ar verb, meaning it follows the standard conjugation rules.

Are there spelling bees in Spanish-speaking countries?

Yes, they are called 'concursos de deletreo,' although they are less common than in English because Spanish spelling is more straightforward.

What is the difference between 'escribir' and 'deletrear'?

'Escribir' is the general act of writing, while 'deletrear' specifically means naming or writing each individual letter of a word.