How to Say "lyrics" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “lyrics” is “letra” — use 'letra' when referring specifically to the words of a song, poem, or play, as opposed to the music or performance..

letra🔊A2

Use 'letra' when referring specifically to the words of a song, poem, or play, as opposed to the music or performance.

palabras🔊A1

Use 'palabras' when referring to the words of a song in a more general sense, or when the specific textual content of the lyrics isn't the main focus.

English → Spanish

letra

LEH-trah/ˈle.tɾa/

nounA2general

Use 'letra' when referring specifically to the words of a song, poem, or play, as opposed to the music or performance.

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

Examples

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

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

La letra de esta canción es muy emotiva.

The words of this song are very emotional.

Singular in Spanish

Mistake: “The lyrics are in Spanish. (Las letras están en español.)”

Correction: The correct way is to use 'la letra' (singular) to mean 'the lyrics' (plural in English): 'La letra está en español'.

See full entry for “letra” →

palabras

/pa-LA-bras//paˈlaβɾas/

nounA1general

Use 'palabras' when referring to the words of a song in a more general sense, or when the specific textual content of the lyrics isn't the main focus.

A friendly person speaking, with several brightly colored, distinct speech bubbles floating away from their mouth, representing individual words.

Examples

No entiendo estas palabras.

I don't understand these words.

Me faltan las palabras para expresar mi gratitud.

Words fail me to express my gratitude.

El presidente dio unas palabras de bienvenida.

The president gave a few words of welcome.

Always Plural for 'Words'

When you're talking about more than one word, you always use 'palabras'. It's simply the plural form of 'palabra' (word).

It's a Feminine Word

'Palabras' is a feminine word, so you use 'las' or 'unas' with it, like 'las palabras difíciles' (the difficult words).

Forgetting the Gender

Mistake: “Los palabras son importantes.”

Correction: Use 'las' because 'palabras' is feminine: 'Las palabras son importantes.' A good trick is that many words ending in '-a' are feminine.

See full entry for “palabras” →

Choosing between 'letra' and 'palabras'

Learners often confuse 'letra' and 'palabras' because both can mean 'words'. However, 'letra' is the specific term for song lyrics, while 'palabras' is a more general term for words that can apply to songs but also to any spoken or written text.

Related Translations

words→character→draft→handwriting→letter→script→speech→

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