raya
/ˈraʝa/feminine
The English word 'dash' (as a typographic symbol) is translated into Spanish as raya. Wiktionary also lists guion largo.
Meaning: typographic symbol (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| raya | /ˈraʝa/ | feminine |
| guion largo | /ɡjon laɾɡo/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
In the context of punctuation, raya is the standard term for the em dash used to indicate dialogue or parenthetical statements.
Which one should you use?
Use guion specifically when you mean a hyphen. To be precise about a hyphen, you can use the term guion corto.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In certain Latin American countries, guion corto might be replaced by rayita.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The term raya is a feminine noun, whereas guion largo is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈraʝa/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Use guion for a hyphen and guion largo or raya for a dash.
Did you know?
- In Spanish literature, the raya is used uniquely to indicate a change in speaker during dialogue, often replacing the quotation marks used in English.
- The word raya can also refer to a stingray or a border between two countries, reflecting the word's primary meaning as a 'line'.
- The word raya is a cognate of the English word 'ray' and shares the same Latin ancestor, radius, meaning a spoke of a wheel or a line of light.
Examples in context
- Debes poner un guion entre las palabras para separarlas correctamente.You should use a dash between the words to separate them correctly.
- Añade una raya para dividir las dos secciones en tu informe.Add a dash to divide the two sections in your report.
- Me gusta cocinar platos clásicos, como paella un arroz valenciano—.I enjoy cooking classic dishes, such as paella, a Valencian rice dish.
- El libro se divide en dos partes: la primera contiene la introducción y la segunda la más extensa, desarrolla los temas principales.The book is divided into two parts: the first one contains the introduction, and the second one, the longest, develops the main topics.
- Dibuja una raya larga en el cuaderno.Draw a long dash in the notebook.
- Esa raya separa los dos párrafos.That dash separates the two paragraphs.
- La raya es demasiado corta para el texto.The dash is too short for the text.
Example conversation
Javier and María are editing a document together.
- JavierMaría, ¿está bien puesta esta raya aquí?María, is this dash placed correctly here?
- MaríaSí, Javier, la raya marca bien la pausa.Yes, Javier, the dash marks the pause well.
- JavierEntonces dejaré la raya en el texto.Then I will leave the dash in the text.
- MaríaPerfecto, así el párrafo queda más claro.Perfect, that way the paragraph is clearer.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dash” translations and entries raya, 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 guion, largo, raya, CC BY-SA 4.0.
