Houston
/xjusˈton/
Houston is the Spanish name for the Texan city.
The word refers to the city of Houston or is used as part of a proper name, such as the singer Whitney Houston.
Meaning: Texan city (name)
How do you pronounce it?
/xjusˈton/
Did you know?
- Although the name is English, Spanish speakers often treat the initial 'H' as a silent letter because, in Spanish, an 'H' at the beginning of a word never carries a sound. This can lead some speakers to pronounce it more like 'u-ston' than 'Hus-ton'.
- In many Spanish-speaking regions, the English 'H' is replaced by the Spanish 'J' sound, which is a raspy, aspirated sound similar to the 'ch' in the Scottish 'loch'. This makes the city name sound much more guttural than the English version.
- Spanish speakers often associate Houston with the 'Space City' image, frequently using the word in contexts relating to NASA and aerospace rather than just geography.
Examples in context
- Houston es una ciudad grande, en expansión.Houston is a huge, sprawling city.Tatoeba #4311276 by Lisandro586, translation #4311273 by Lisandro586
- Tu cantante preferida es Whitney Houston, ¿verdad?Your favorite singer is Whitney Houston, right?Tatoeba #4492101 by rsarias, translation #4486243 by mervert1
- Houston, tenemos un problema.Houston, we have a problem.Tatoeba #12726268 by Adelpa, translation #3302536 by Hybrid
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía are talking about a trip to Texas.
- Javier¿Vas a viajar a Houston este año?Are you traveling to Houston this year?
- SofíaSí, tengo una reunión en Houston en mayo.Yes, I have a meeting in Houston in May.
- Javier¡Qué bien! Me encanta el clima de Houston.That's great! I love the weather in Houston.
- SofíaA mí también, es una ciudad muy bonita.Me too, it is a very beautiful city.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “houston” translations and entries Houston, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
