Inklingo
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letra

LEH-trahˈle.tɾa

letter

Also: character
NounfA1
A single, brightly colored, geometric shape floating against a plain background, representing an abstract alphabet symbol.

📝 In Action

La primera letra del abecedario es la 'A'.

A1

The first letter of the alphabet is 'A'.

¿Cuántas letras tiene la palabra 'paraguas'?

A1

How many letters does the word 'umbrella' have?

Escribí mi nombre en letras mayúsculas.

A2

I wrote my name in capital letters.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • carácter (character)

Common Collocations

  • letra mayúscula – capital letter
  • letra minúscula – lowercase letter

lyrics

Also: words
NounfA2
A vintage microphone standing on a stage, surrounded by swirling, colorful musical notation symbols.

📝 In Action

Me encanta la melodía, pero no conozco la letra de esa canción.

A2

I love the melody, but I don’t know the lyrics of that song.

La letra de esta canción es muy emotiva.

B1

The words of this song are very emotional.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • aprender la letra – to learn the lyrics
  • letra y música – words and music

handwriting

Also: script
NounfB1
A close-up of a hand holding a wooden dip pen, creating decorative, unique, non-readable swirling ink lines on a piece of parchment.

📝 In Action

Tiene una letra muy bonita y legible.

B1

She has very pretty and legible handwriting.

No pude entender lo que escribió porque su letra es terrible.

B1

I couldn't understand what he wrote because his writing is terrible.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • letra cursiva – cursive handwriting
  • letra de molde – block letters/print

bill of exchange

Also: draft
NounfC1formal
Two cartoon hands formally exchanging a large, sealed, official-looking paper scroll, symbolizing a financial document transfer.

📝 In Action

El banco descontó una letra a 90 días.

C1

The bank discounted a 90-day bill of exchange.

Tuvimos que pagar la letra del coche este mes.

B2

We had to pay the car installment/payment this month.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • pagaré (promissory note)
  • giro (draft/money order)

Common Collocations

  • aceptar una letra – to accept a bill of exchange
  • vencimiento de la letra – maturity of the bill

Translate to Spanish

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: letra

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'letra' to mean 'lyrics'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
letrado(literate/lawyer) — Adjective / Noun
iletrado(illiterate) — Adjective
letrero(sign/placard) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
metrapetra
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin word *littera*, which meant both 'a letter of the alphabet' and 'epistle' (a written message). This explains why the Spanish word covers both the basic symbol and the larger text (lyrics).

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Italian: letteraFrench: lettre

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'letra' and 'carta'?

'Letra' is one single character of the alphabet (A, B, C, etc.). 'Carta' means a written letter that you send in the mail, like a message to a friend.

How do I say 'capital letters' in Spanish?

You use the phrase 'letras mayúsculas' (literally 'bigger letters'). For lowercase, you say 'letras minúsculas'.