How to Say "heel" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “heel” is “tacón” — use 'tacón' when referring to the heel of any type of shoe, especially when it's a general part of the footwear.
English → Spanish
tacón
nounA2general
Use 'tacón' when referring to the heel of any type of shoe, especially when it's a general part of the footwear.
Examples
Se me rompió el tacón del zapato mientras caminaba.
The heel of my shoe broke while I was walking.
talón
nounA2general
Use 'talón' exclusively for the anatomical part of the human foot at the very back.
Examples
Me duele mucho el talón después de correr.
My heel hurts a lot after running.
taco
tah-kohˈtako
nounB2specific
Use 'taco' specifically for the block or cleat-like heel found on certain types of shoes, like sports shoes or sometimes dress shoes.
Examples
Necesito un taco nuevo para jugar al billar.
I need a new cue to play pool.
Para colgar el cuadro, pon primero el taco en la pared.
To hang the picture, put the wall plug in the wall first.
Confusing Shoe Heels
The most common mistake is using 'talón' for a shoe heel. Remember, 'talón' is only for the body part. For shoes, 'tacón' is the general term, while 'taco' refers to a specific, often blocky or cleated, heel type.
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