Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| piruleta | /piɾuˈleta/ | feminine |
| chupachús | /t͡ʃupat͡ʃus/ (from spelling rules) | Spain, masculine, alternative form |
| chupeta | /t͡ʃuˈpeta/ | Colombia, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, feminine |
| chupete | /t͡ʃuˈpete/ | Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, Peru, masculine |
| chupetín | /t͡ʃupeˈtin/ | Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, masculine |
| cóyac | /ˈkoʝak/ | Chile, masculine |
| paleta de caramelo | /paleta de kaɾamelo/ (from spelling rules) | Argentina, Bolivia, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, feminine |
| pirulí | /piɾuˈli/ | Spain, masculine |
| popi | /popi/ (from spelling rules) | Costa Rica, masculine |
| chupachup | /t͡ʃupat͡ʃup/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
| chupachups | /t͡ʃupat͡ʃubs/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
A lollipop is a piece of confectionery on a stick. Depending on where you are in the Spanish-speaking world, many different words are used to describe this sweet.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase paleta de caramelo literally translates to 'candy stick' or 'candy palette'.
Which one should you use?
While piruleta is the default, you may encounter several other terms. In Spain, the brand name chupachups is often used generically to refer to any lollipop, though the alternative spelling chupachús also appears. In some regions, you might use pirulí instead of piruleta. In many parts of Latin America, long phrases like paleta de caramelo are common.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Regional variations are extensive: chupeta (feminine) is used in Colombia, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela. chupete (masculine) is used in Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala and Peru. chupetín (masculine) is used in Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay. cóyac (masculine) is used in Chile. paleta de caramelo (feminine) is used in Argentina, Bolivia, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Puerto Rico and Uruguay. pirulí (masculine) is used in Spain. popi (masculine) is used in Costa Rica. chupachús (masculine) is used in Spain.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word piruleta is a feminine noun. chupachups and chupachup are masculine nouns. chupete and chupetín are masculine nouns. chupeta and paleta de caramelo are feminine nouns. pirulí and popi are masculine nouns. cóyac is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/piɾuˈleta/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful when using chupete in several Latin American countries. This word is the same as the word for a baby's pacifier, which can cause confusion.
Did you know?
- The global brand Chupa Chups chose its name because it is an onomatopoeic play on the verb chupar, which means 'to suck'.
- The term paleta is used for both lollipops and traditional popsicles in many Latin American countries, often distinguished only by whether they are 'de caramelo' or 'de agua'.
- The word piruleta shares its ending with a series of linguistic ancestors including the French suffix -ette and the Italian -etto.
Examples in context
- Tom estaba inclinado contra un árbol, chupando una piruleta.Tom was leaning against a tree, sucking on a lollipop.This sentence shows the use of piruleta in a descriptive context.Tatoeba #5000601 by albrusgher, translation #2639818 by CK
- El médico le ofreció una piruleta al niño. Lo que no se esperaba es que el niño le dijera que prefería quedarse sin piruleta y sin vacuna a con vacuna y con piruleta.The doctor offered the child a lollipop. Against expectation the child said he preferred no lollipop and no jab to getting the immunisation and lollipop.This sentence illustrates how piruleta is used when offering a sweet to a child.Tatoeba #979261 by Shishir, translation #2725687 by catcher
- Ayer compré un delicioso chupa-chups en la tienda.Yesterday, I bought a delicious chupa-chups at the store.
- Me encantan las chupetasI love lollipops.
- Prefiero los chupa-chupsI prefer Chupa-Chups.
- Compré una piruleta de fresa en la tienda.I bought a strawberry lollipop at the store.
Example conversation
Two friends are at a candy shop.
- Elena¿Quieres una piruleta roja, Mateo?Do you want a red lollipop, Mateo?
- MateoNo, gracias, prefiero un chocolate.No, thanks, I prefer a chocolate.
- ElenaEstá bien, yo me comeré esta piruleta.That's fine, I will eat this lollipop.
- Mateo¡Qué envidia, Elena!I'm so jealous, Elena!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lollipop” translations and entries piruleta, chupachús, chupeta, chupete, chupetín, cóyac, pirulí, chupachups, 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 chupeta, chupete, piruleta, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
