podología
/podoloxia/from spelling rules
Podiatry in Spanish is podología.
podología refers to the medical care of the feet. In a clinical context, you might use related terms such as pie (foot), uña (nail) or dedo del pie (toe).
Meaning: podiatry, care of the feet (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is derived from the Greek roots podo- (foot) and -logía (study of).
Which one should you use?
You can refer to the practitioner using gendered forms: podólogo for a masculine podiatrist and podóloga for a feminine podiatrist.
Is it said differently in some regions?
podología is the term commonly used in Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela and Central America. In Spain and some other Latin American countries, you may also encounter the variation chiropodología.
How do you pronounce it?
/podoloxia/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, a podólogo is legally distinguished from a general doctor. While they perform medical procedures on the feet, they are often categorized as specialized technicians rather than general physicians.
- In various Latin American countries, the term podología is often used in beauty and spa contexts as well as medical ones. This can lead to a blur between a medical podólogo and a cosmetic foot care specialist.
- The word podólogo is a cognate of the English 'podiatrist', but it shares a closer linguistic pattern with psicólogo (psychologist) and biólogo (biologist) than it does with English medical titles.
Examples in context
- Me especializo en podiatría y puedo ayudarlo con cualquier problema que tenga en sus pies.I specialize in podiatry and can help you with any foot problems you may have.
- La chiropodología se ocupa del tratamiento y cuidado de los pies y las uñas.Chiropodology deals with the treatment and care of the feet and nails.
- Mi hermana estudia podología y sabe cómo resolver problemas en los pies.My sister studies podiatry and knows how to solve foot problems.
- Estudio podología en la universidad.I study podiatry at the university.
- Ella estudia podología en la universidad.She studies podiatry at the university.
- Necesito una clínica especializada en podología.I need a clinic specialized in podiatry.
- La podología es esencial para deportistas.Podiatry is essential for athletes.
Example conversation
Javier and María are discussing health appointments at home.
- Javier¿Tienes cita con el especialista en podología?Do you have an appointment with the podiatry specialist?
- MaríaSí, tengo una cita de podología mañana.Yes, I have a podiatry appointment tomorrow.
- JavierEspero que te ayude con el dolor.I hope it helps with the pain.
- MaríaMuchas gracias por preocuparte, Javier.Thank you very much for caring, Javier.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry podología, 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.
