brackets
/bɾaɡkets/from spelling rules
The English phrase "dental braces" is translated into Spanish as brackets.
The word refers to the medical appliance used to align and straighten teeth.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the loanword brackets in Spanish, it is treated as a masculine plural noun, such as in the phrase los brackets.
How do you pronounce it?
/bɾaɡkets/
Did you know?
- If you ask for brackets in a shop in Spain, they might give you punctuation marks used in writing, as the word is also used for those symbols.
- The term frenillos is also used in Spanish to refer to the leather straps used in horse riding, creating a linguistic link between equine gear and orthodontics.
- In Spain, it is quite common to hear the phrase ponerse ortodoncia when someone is talking about getting braces, treating the entire process as a single medical concept.
Examples in context
- Estoy hablando de los aparatos de ortodoncia metálicosI'm talking about the metallic orthodontic braces
- ¿Has visto mis aparatos de ortodoncia nuevos?Have you seen my new dental braces?
- Tiene que usar brackets para enderezar sus dientes.He has to wear brackets to straighten his teeth.
- Mis brackets me duelen un poco hoy.My brackets hurt a little today.
Example conversation
María and Mateo are talking about their recent dentist visits.
- María¿Te pusieron los brackets hoy, Mateo?Did they put the brackets on you today, Mateo?
- MateoSí, María, ya tengo mis brackets.Yes, María, I already have my brackets.
- MaríaNo te preocupes, te acostumbrarás pronto.Don't worry, you will get used to them soon.
- MateoEspero que sí, porque me incomodan.I hope so, because they are uncomfortable.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry brackets, 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.
