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How to Say "miles" in Spanish

English → Spanish

millas

MEE-yahs/ˈmiʝas/

noun (plural)A1general
Use 'millas' when referring to the specific unit of distance known as a mile, particularly in contexts influenced by US customary units.
A simple illustration of a long, empty, winding road stretching far into the distance across a colorful, minimalist landscape, symbolizing distance.

Examples

Conducimos cien millas en total para llegar al concierto.

We drove one hundred miles total to get to the concert.

La velocidad máxima en esta carretera es de 70 millas por hora.

The maximum speed on this highway is 70 miles per hour.

Feminine Plural

Since the singular 'milla' is feminine, 'millas' is also feminine. Remember to use feminine adjectives and articles with it (e.g., 'muchas millas,' 'las millas').

Mixing Systems

Mistake: “El viaje fue de veinte kilómetros y media millas.”

Correction: El viaje fue de veinte kilómetros. (Stick to one system in a single statement, or convert.)

kilómetros

noun (plural)A1colloquial
Use 'kilómetros' when the context implies the metric unit of distance, often used colloquially when translating distances from metric countries to US English speakers.

Examples

La gasolinera está a diez kilómetros de aquí.

The gas station is ten kilometers from here.

Millas vs. Kilómetros

The most common mistake is using 'millas' when the context actually refers to kilometers. Remember that in most Spanish-speaking countries, distances are measured in kilometers, so 'kilómetros' is usually the default unless specifically discussing US customary units.

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