deletrear
/deletɾeˈaɾ/
To spell it out in Spanish is deletrear.
The phrase deletrear is used when you want to name or write the letters of a word one by one in the correct order.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to say 'spell it out' in reference to a specific object, you attach a pronoun to the end of the infinitive deletrear. Use deletrearlo to refer to a masculine object, such as el nombre (the name) and use deletrearla to refer to a feminine object, such as la palabra (the word). If you are describing a continuous action, such as 'I am spelling it out', use the gerund form deletreando.
How do you pronounce it?
/deletɾeˈaɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using escribir (to write) if you specifically mean the act of naming individual letters. While escribir means to write, deletrear is the correct term for the process of spelling.
Did you know?
- While deletrear is used for letters, if you want to 'spell out' a plan or an idea in the sense of explaining it in detail, a Spaniard would more likely use explicar detalladamente.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, people rarely use deletrear in casual conversation. Instead, they say ¿Cómo se escribe? or Dímelo letra por letra.
- While English speakers use a standardized NATO alphabet for spelling, Spanish speakers often improvise their own associations, such as A de Alicante or A de avión, depending on the region.
Examples in context
- ¿Puedes deletrearlo?Can you spell it out?This sentence demonstrates how to ask someone to spell something out using deletrear.Tatoeba #10734217 by megamanenm, translation #10734206 by megamanenm
- Deletrea tu apellido, por favor.Spell out your last name, please.
- Debes deletrear la dirección claramente.You must spell out the address clearly.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier is giving his email address to Lucía.
- JavierMi correo es javier@correo.com.My email is javier@correo.com.
- LucíaPerdón, ¿puedes deletrear tu nombre?Sorry, can you spell your name?
- JavierSí, es J-A-V-I-E-R.Yes, it is J-A-V-I-E-R.
- LucíaGracias, Lucía lo anotó correctamente.Thanks, Lucía wrote it down correctly.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry deletrear, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
