espiral
/espiˈɾal/feminine
The Spanish word for coil is espiral. Wiktionary also lists hélice.
Meaning: something wound (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| espiral | /espiˈɾal/ | feminine |
| hélice | /ˈeliθe/ /ˈelise/ |
feminine |
Both espiral and hélice can be used to describe something wound into a coil or a spiral shape. The related verb enrollar means to wind something into loops.
Which one should you use?
Use espiral when referring to a general shape that winds around a center point, such as a geometric spiral or a spiral staircase.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
espiral is a feminine noun that can also function as an adjective. Its plural form is espirales. The plural form of hélice is hélices.
How do you pronounce it?
/espiˈɾal/
Did you know?
- If you are describing a spiral staircase, you can use escalera de caracol, which literally translates to 'snail staircase'.
- While espiral describes the shape, the word hélice is used in Spanish to mean a 'propeller' on an airplane or boat, whereas in English 'helix' usually refers to a mathematical shape.
- In many Spanish-speaking technical contexts, if you are talking about a 'coil' of wire or a spring, you might use bobina instead of espiral.
Examples in context
- El cable eléctrico está enrollado en una espiral.The electrical cable is coiled in a spiral
- El transformador tiene una bobina interna.The transformer has an internal coil
- La espiral de metal es muy resistente.The metal coil is very resistant.
- Dibujé una espiral en la arena.I drew a coil in the sand.
- Esa espiral de cobre es pequeña.That copper coil is small.
Example conversation
Alejandro and María are looking at a piece of modern art in a gallery.
- Alejandro¿Viste esa espiral de acero allí?Did you see that steel coil over there?
- MaríaSí, la espiral es muy elegante.Yes, the coil is very elegant.
- AlejandroParece que gira sin fin.It looks like it spins endlessly.
- MaríaEs una pieza muy interesante.It is a very interesting piece.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “coil” translations and entries espiral, hélice, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
