deletrear
/deletɾeˈaɾ/
To spell out in Spanish is deletrear.
Use deletrear when you want someone to say the individual letters of a word or name. If you mean to 'spell out' in the sense of explaining something very clearly or in great detail, Spanish speakers typically use explicar detalladamente instead.
How does it change in a sentence?
The gerund form (spelling out) of deletrear is deletreando.
How do you pronounce it?
/deletɾeˈaɾ/
Did you know?
- Unlike English, where 'spell' can mean to use magic, deletrear is exclusively about letters. To cast a spell, Spanish uses the word hechizar.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, people do not just say the letter name when deletreando but use a 'spelling alphabet' with city names or common objects to avoid confusion.
- The word letra can also refer to the 'lyrics' of a song, so deletrear la letra could technically mean 'to spell out the lyrics'.
Examples in context
- Por favor, ¿puede deletrear su nombre completo?Please, can you spell out your full name?
- Oye, ¿puedes deletrearlo para mí, por favor?Hey, can you spell it out for me, please?
- Solo para asegurarme, por favor, deletrea tu dirección de correo electrónico.Just to make sure, please spell out your email address.
- ¿Puedes deletrear tu apellido, por favor?Can you spell out your last name, please?
- Voy a deletrear la dirección para que la anotes.I am going to spell out the address so you can write it down.
- Él tiene que deletrear su nombre en el formulario.He has to spell out his name on the form.
Example conversation
Sofía is checking Mateo's information for a hotel reservation.
- SofíaMateo, ¿cómo se escribe tu correo electrónico?Mateo, how do you spell your email address?
- MateoEs m-a-t-e-o punto r-o-d-r-i-g-u-e-z.It is m-a-t-e-o dot r-o-d-r-i-g-u-e-z.
- Sofía¿Podrías deletrear la última parte más despacio?Could you spell out the last part more slowly?
- MateoClaro, es r-o-d-r-i-g-u-e-z.Sure, it is r-o-d-r-i-g-u-e-z.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry deletrear, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
