Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| escala | /esˈkala/ | feminine |
| envergadura | /embeɾɡaˈduɾa/ | feminine |
| magnitud | /maɡniˈtud/ | feminine |
| tamaño | /taˈmaɲo/ | masculine |
The phrase a gran escala is the standard idiomatic way to say 'on a large scale'. Note that if you are referring to a device used for weighing, you should use other terms like balanza or báscula instead of escala.
Which one should you use?
Use escala for mathematical scales (such as maps) or musical scales (escala musical). Use envergadura to describe the impressive scale, scope or breadth of an undertaking or a person's influence. Use magnitud to refer to the physical or metaphorical size or intensity of something, such as the magnitude of an earthquake or a problem. To refer to the physical size or dimensions of an object, you may use tamaño.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Latin American countries, such as Mexico, the word báscula is used to mean a weighing scale.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
escala and envergadura are feminine nouns, magnitud is a feminine noun and tamaño is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/esˈkala/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use escala when you mean the action of climbing. For the verb 'to climb' or 'to scale', use escalar.
Did you know?
- In an aviation context, a 'layover' or 'stopover' is called una escala, using the same word as a measurement scale.
- The Spanish word escala shares the same Latin root as the English word 'scale', but it is also a direct relative of the French word échelle, meaning 'ladder'.
- While escala refers to size or maps, the word envergadura specifically refers to the wingspan of a bird or the width of a ship's yardarm.
Examples in context
- Intenta tocar esta escala.Try playing this scale.This example shows how to use escala in a musical context.Tatoeba #1191739 by marcelostockle, translation #1191742 by marcelostockle
- ¿A qué escala está este mapa?What's the scale of this map?This example shows how to use escala regarding the ratio of a map.Tatoeba #2270158 by cueyayotl, translation #2270157 by _undertoad
- Estoy haciendo negocios a gran escala.I am doing business on a large scale.This example demonstrates the idiomatic use of escala to express doing something on a large scale.Tatoeba #3111916 by marcelostockle, translation #321838 by CM
- La escala musical tiene siete notas principales.The musical scale has seven main notes.
- En mi casa, la pesa está en la cocina.In my house, the scale is in the kitchen.
- La graduación del termómetro indica la temperatura ambiente.The scale on the thermometer indicates the room temperature.
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and María are discussing a new construction project.
- MateoEste proyecto es de una escala increíble.This project is of an incredible scale.
- MaríaSí, María piensa que es demasiado grande.Yes, María thinks it is too big.
- MateoNo creo que la escala sea un problema.I don't think the scale is a problem.
- MaríaSolo espero que tengamos el presupuesto necesario.I just hope we have the necessary budget.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “scale” translations and entries escala, envergadura, magnitud, tamaño, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries envergadura, escala, magnitud, tamaño, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
