acrónimo
/aˈkɾonimo/masculine
The English word acronym can be translated into Spanish as acrónimo or sigla.
Meaning: word formed by initial letters (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| acrónimo | /aˈkɾonimo/ | masculine |
| sigla | /ˈsiɡla/ | feminine |
Both terms refer to words or sets of letters formed from the initial letters of a name or phrase. In everyday Spanish, the phrase las siglas is the more frequent way to refer to abbreviations made of initials, even if they technically function as acronyms.
Which one should you use?
There is a technical distinction between the two: acrónimo refers to an acronym that can be pronounced as a single word (such as UNESCO), while sigla is often used more broadly to refer to initialisms (such as FBI) that are pronounced letter by letter.
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to a specific set of letters representing a name or organization, the word sigla is most commonly used in its plural form, las siglas.
How do you pronounce it?
/aˈkɾonimo/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the gender of a sigla is usually determined by the gender of the main noun in the full phrase it abbreviates.
- The term sigla traces back to a Medieval Latin word that was originally a neuter plural, meaning 'signs' or 'marks'.
- The Spanish Royal Academy (RAE) recommends writing siglas in all capitals without periods between the letters, such as ONU instead of O.N.U.
Examples in context
- ¿Es "SPAM" una sigla?Is "SPAM" an acronym?This sentence is useful for asking if a specific term is a sigla.Tatoeba #13274229 by Eremon, translation #12302564 by Miktsoanit
- ¿Sabes qué significan las siglas PKO?Do you know what the acronym PKO stands for?This sentence is useful for asking about the meaning of sigla PKO.Tatoeba #13760913 by Eremon, translation #12548067 by rul
- ¿Sabes de dónde vienen las siglas "PDF"?Do you know where the acronym "PDF" comes from?This sentence is useful for asking about the origin of sigla PDF.Tatoeba #13760914 by Eremon, translation #4404069 by space_badger
- En el chat, utilizamos el acrónimo "LOL" para reírnos mucho.In chat, we use the acronym "LOL" to laugh a lot.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Lucía are studying for a linguistics exam.
- Javier¿Cuál es la definición de acrónimo?What is the definition of acronym?
- LucíaEs una palabra formada por letras iniciales.It is a word formed by initial letters.
- JavierEntonces, "ovni" es un acrónimo.So, "ovni" is an acronym.
- LucíaExacto, Javier, lo has entendido perfectamente.Exactly, Javier, you have understood it perfectly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “acronym” translations and entries acrónimo, sigla, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries acrónimo, sigla, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
