dieciséis m sece
/djeθiseis m seθe/from spelling rulesarchaic, masculine
The Spanish word for sixteen is dieciséis m sece.
This term is used to represent the cardinal number 16.
Meaning: cardinal number 16 (num)
How do you pronounce it?
/djeθiseis m seθe/
Did you know?
- The word dieciséis is a more modern construction than its predecessor, the Old Spanish 'seze'. Language evolved to favor the 'ten and six' structure over the ancient, single-morpheme version.
- While the modern word is dieciséis, it is actually a compound of 'ten' and 'six'. This reflects an analytical shift in the language from a single word to a construction meaning 'ten and six'.
- In many dialects, the 'c' in dieciséis is pronounced as a 'th' sound, a phenomenon known as 'distinción'. This makes the word sound quite different than its spelling might suggest to an English speaker.
Examples in context
- Hoy cumplo dieciséis años.Today I turn sixteen.
- Mi hijo tiene dieciséis años.My son is sixteen years old.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sixteen” translations, 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 dieciséis, sece, CC BY-SA 4.0.
