How to Say "words" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “words” is “palabras” — use 'palabras' when referring to the individual units of language that make up sentences or speech, or when you don't understand what someone is saying.
pa-LA-braspaˈlaβɾas
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.
LEH-trahˈle.tɾa
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'.
Palabras vs. Letra
The most common mistake is using 'palabras' when you mean the lyrics of a song. Remember that 'letra' is specifically for the text of songs or poems, while 'palabras' refers to words in general.
Related Translations
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