crayón
/kɾaˈʝon/Argentina, Guatemala, Honduras, Uruguay, masculine
The English word "crayon" is translated into Spanish as crayón. Wiktionary also lists creyón and crayola.
Meaning: colored chalk or wax (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| crayón | /kɾaˈʝon/ | Argentina, Guatemala, Honduras, Uruguay, masculine |
| creyón | /kɾeˈʝon/ | Canary Islands, Colombia, Venezuela, masculine |
| crayola | /kɾaˈʝola/ | Cuba, Mexico, Peru, feminine |
| cera | /ˈθeɾa/ /ˈseɾa/ |
Spain, feminine |
| pintura de cera | /pintuɾa de θeɾa/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /pintuɾa de seɾa/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
Spain, feminine |
The term refers to colored chalk or wax.
Which one should you use?
The masculine forms crayón and creyón are used in different regions, while the feminine form crayola is common in several countries. In Spain, the feminine forms cera or pintura de cera are used.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, Guatemala, Honduras and Uruguay, use crayón. In Colombia, Venezuela and the Canary Islands, use creyón. In Cuba, Mexico and Peru, it is common to use the word crayola to refer to a single crayon, despite it being a brand name. In Cuba, you may also hear lápiz de cera. In Guatemala, the term gises de cera is used for wax chalks. In Spain, cera or pintura de cera are common.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural of crayón is los crayones.
How do you pronounce it?
/kɾaˈʝon/
Did you know?
- While English uses 'crayon' for wax, the ancestor word craie in French originally referred to 'chalk'.
Examples in context
- ¿Puedes pasarme el lápiz de cera?Can you pass me the crayon?
- Mi hermanito rompió todas las crayolasMy little brother broke all the crayons
- El crayón es de color azul.The crayon is blue.
- Necesito un crayón rojo para el dibujo.I need a red crayon for the drawing.
- ¿Dónde dejaste el crayón amarillo?Where did you leave the yellow crayon?
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are looking for art supplies for a school project.
- Sofía¿Tienes un crayón para mí, Mateo?Do you have a crayon for me, Mateo?
- MateoSí, aquí tienes un crayón verde.Yes, here is a green crayon.
- SofíaGracias, es el que necesitaba.Thanks, it is the one I needed.
- MateoDe nada, Sofía.You're welcome, Sofía.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “crayon” translations and entries crayón, creyón, crayola, cera, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cera, crayola, crayón, creyón, CC BY-SA 4.0.
