muelle
/ˈmweʝe/
The Spanish word for boat dock is muelle.
muelle refers to a structure built along a shoreline where boats can be tied up or loaded and unloaded.
Which one should you use?
While muelle is the general term for a dock or pier, it specifically refers to the structure used for mooring or loading, whereas embarcadero often refers to a more formal landing stage or wharf.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some coastal regions of Mexico, locals may refer to a boat dock as muelle de lanchas.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of muelle is muelles.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈmweʝe/
Did you know?
- The word muelle has two distinct origins: one meaning 'jetty' comes from the Latin 'moles' and another meaning 'soft' comes from the Latin 'mollem'.
- If you are describing a structure that is particularly soft or flexible, you might be surprised to find that the word muelle is also the Spanish word for a 'spring' in a mattress or a mechanical spring.
Examples in context
- Disculpe, ¿dónde está el muelle para embarcaciones?Excuse me, where is the boat dock?
- El barco está junto al muelle.The boat is next to the dock.
- Necesitamos un muelle más largo.We need a longer dock.
- Hay mucha gente en el muelle.There are many people on the dock.
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía are standing by the sea watching the boats.
- Mateo¿Dónde dejamos el bote, Sofía?Where do we leave the boat, Sofía?
- SofíaPodemos amarrarlo en aquel muelle.We can tie it up at that dock.
- MateoEse muelle parece muy seguro.That dock looks very safe.
- SofíaSí, vamos hacia allá.Yes, let's go over there.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry muelle, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries muelle, CC BY-SA 4.0.
