letra minúscula
/letɾa minuskula/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'lowercase letter' is translated into Spanish as letra minúscula.
In Spanish, letra minúscula refers to a letter of the alphabet written in a small size rather than as a capital. When you want to describe a text that is written using lowercase letters, you use the phrase en minúsculas.
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to lowercase letters in the plural, you must ensure that both the noun and the adjective agree in number, resulting in letras minúsculas.
Did you know?
- The term minúscula also refers to a specific style of handwriting developed in the 8th century known as 'Caroline minuscule', which standardized the lowercase letters we use today.
- While English uses the printing term 'lower case' to describe the physical tray for small letters, Spanish uses the adjective minúscula, which comes from the Latin word for 'very small'.
- The word letra shares an ancient ancestor with the Greek word for 'tablet', meaning that your letters are etymologically linked to the physical objects once used to write on them.
Examples in context
- La letra "a" minúscula se pronuncia como "ah".The lowercase letter "a" is pronounced as "ah".
- ¿Cómo se dice la "b" minúscula en español?How do you say the lowercase letter "b" in Spanish?
- Escribe cada letra minúscula con cuidado.Write every lowercase letter carefully.
- No confundas la mayúscula con la letra minúscula.Don't confuse the capital letter with the lowercase letter.
- Esta letra minúscula es difícil de leer.This lowercase letter is difficult to read.
Example conversation
Sofía and Alejandro are checking a student's handwriting.
- SofíaAlejandro, mira esta letra minúscula.Alejandro, look at this lowercase letter.
- AlejandroTienes razón, Sofía, está mal escrita.You are right, Sofía, it is poorly written.
- Sofía¿Debería corregir la letra minúscula?Should I correct the lowercase letter?
- AlejandroSí, por favor, hazlo ahora.Yes, please, do it now.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries letra, CC BY-SA 4.0.
