Inklingo

How to Say "to spell" in Spanish

English → Spanish

deletrear

deh-leh-treh-AHRdeletreˈaɾ

verbA2general
Use 'deletrear' when you specifically want to ask or talk about naming the letters of a word one by one, as in saying 'S-M-I-T-H'.
A child sitting on the floor, carefully arranging colorful wooden toy blocks in a straight line.

Examples

¿Podría deletrear su apellido, por favor?

Could you spell your last name, please?

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

The children are learning to spell short words at school.

Tuve que deletrear mi correo electrónico porque era muy complicado.

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

Spanish is Phonetic

Unlike English, Spanish is usually written exactly as it sounds. You will only need 'deletrear' for names, foreign words, or email addresses.

Predictable Pattern

This verb is completely regular. It follows the same pattern as 'hablar,' so once you know the basic endings, you can use it in any situation.

Spell vs. Write

Mistake: “Asking '¿Cómo escribes tu nombre?' when you want them to name the letters.”

Correction: Say '¿Cómo se deletrea?' if you want them to say A-N-A. Use 'escribir' only if you are talking about the physical act of writing.

escribir

es-kree-BEEReskɾiˈβiɾ

verbA1general
Use 'escribir' when the action is simply about writing down the letters that form a word, without necessarily emphasizing the order or naming of individual letters.
A close-up view of a hand holding a blue pen, actively sketching simple, curved lines on a clean sheet of white paper in a notebook.

Examples

¿Puedes escribir tu nombre aquí?

Can you write your name here?

Estoy escribiendo un correo a mi jefe.

I'm writing an email to my boss.

Ayer escribí una lista de la compra.

Yesterday I wrote a shopping list.

A Regular -ir Verb

In most tenses, 'escribir' follows the standard pattern for verbs ending in '-ir'. For example, in the present tense, 'yo vivo' (I live) becomes 'yo escribo' (I write).

The Past Form 'escrito'

Mistake: “He *escribido* una carta.”

Correction: He **escrito** una carta. (I have written a letter). The form of a verb used after 'have' or 'has' is special for 'escribir'. It's always 'escrito', never 'escribido'.

Confusing 'deletrear' and 'escribir'

Learners often confuse 'deletrear' and 'escribir' because both involve letters. Remember that 'deletrear' is about the specific act of naming letters in sequence, like spelling out a word phonetically. 'Escribir' is the general action of writing.

Related Translations

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