cuello
/ˈkweʝo/
The Spanish word cuello means neck.
cuello refers to the anatomical neck of a person or animal, but it is also used for the neck of a bottle or a shirt. In a medical context, the phrase cuello uterino is used to refer to the cervix. Additionally, the word papada can be used specifically to mean double chin.
What does it mean word for word?
The word cuello literally means neck.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Latin American countries, the informal terms pescuezo or cogote are used for neck. In certain contexts, particularly in Spain, garganta is used as an alternative for cuello, although garganta primarily means throat.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkweʝo/
Did you know?
- The English word 'collar' is a distant cousin to cuello, as both words share the same ancient root describing a ring or a loop.
- The word cuello is used in various idiomatic expressions to describe the 'bottleneck' or narrow point of a process, similar to the neck of a bottle.
Examples in context
- María se puso una bufanda alrededor del cuello para abrigarse en el frío invierno.María put a scarf around her neck to keep warm in the cold winter.
- ¡Ay, me dolía el cuello después de dormir en una mala posición!Oh, my neck hurt after sleeping in a bad position!
- Martín tenía pescuezo largo y delgado, como el de una jirafa.Martín had a long and slender neck, like that of a giraffe.
- Me duele mucho el cuello.My neck hurts a lot.
- Ella lleva una bufanda en el cuello.She is wearing a scarf around her neck.
- El cuello de la camisa es azul.The collar of the shirt is blue.
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are discussing a new piece of clothing.
- MateoMira este suéter, pero el cuello es incómodo.Look at this sweater, but the collar is uncomfortable.
- ElenaTienes razón, Mateo, aprieta demasiado el cuello.You are right, Mateo, it squeezes the neck too much.
- Mateo¿Prefieres uno con el cuello más abierto?Do you prefer one with a more open collar?
- ElenaSí, Elena prefiere ese estilo.Yes, Elena prefers that style.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry cuello, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cuello, CC BY-SA 4.0.
