el
/el/
el is the Spanish name for the letter L and is also used as the masculine singular definite article for "the".
As a noun, el refers to the letter L. As a definite article, it is used before masculine singular nouns to mean "the".
Meaning: name of the letter L, l (noun)
Which one should you use?
There is a grammatical distinction between el and él: the word el (without an accent) refers to the letter L, whereas él (with an accent) is the pronoun for "he".
How do you pronounce it?
/el/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using de el when the article is part of a prepositional phrase. Instead, you must use the mandatory contraction del.
Did you know?
- The word el is used before some feminine nouns that start with a stressed 'a' sound, such as el agua, to prevent the vowels from blending together.
- The word el is actually a distant relative of the English word 'that', as both trace back to the Latin 'ille' which was used for pointing things out.
- Using el before a proper name, such as saying el Juan, is common in some regions to indicate familiarity or a specific social relationship.
Examples in context
- Ella había nacido en el Toboso.She was born in El Toboso.This sentence shows how el is used in a proper noun for a location.Tatoeba #5947103 by arh, translation #7633828 by kaesekaiser
- En español, «del» es una contracción que resulta de fusionar las palabras «de» y «el».In Spanish "del" is a contraction that comes from the fusion of the words "de" and "el".This sentence explains that del is a contraction formed by fusing de and el.Tatoeba #4364334 by umano, translation #12895857 by araneo
- "El Chavo del 8" es una serie mexicana transmitida en Brasil por el Sistema Brasilero de Televisión (SBT)."El Chavo del 8" is a Mexican series transmitted in Brazil by the Brazilian Television System (BTS).This sentence demonstrates the use of el within the title of a Mexican series.Tatoeba #1632580 by hayastan, translation #11217773 by DJ_Saidez
- El cocheThe car
- El libroThe book
- El edificioThe building
- Juan es muy simpático, a él le gusta el fútbol.Juan is very friendly, he likes soccer.
- María quiere invitar a Miguel, pero él no está disponible.María wants to invite Miguel, but he is not available.
Example conversation
Javier is helping Lucía spell a word.
- Javier¿Cómo se escribe esa palabra?How do you spell that word?
- LucíaLleva una el al final.It has an L at the end.
- Javier¿Solo una el?Just one L?
- LucíaSí, solo una el.Yes, just one L.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry el, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries el, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
