orzuelo
/oɾˈθwelo/masculine
The Spanish word for stye is orzuelo. Wiktionary also lists urzuelo and ansuelo.
Meaning: bacterial infection of the eyelash or eyelid (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| orzuelo | /oɾˈθwelo/ /oɾˈswelo/ |
masculine |
| urzuelo | /uɾθwelo/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /uɾswelo/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
Latin America, masculine |
| ansuelo | /answelo/ (from spelling rules) | Latin America, masculine |
| xoy | /ɡsoi/ (from spelling rules) | Mexico, masculine |
| tutupiche | /tutupit͡ʃe/ (from spelling rules) | Mexico, masculine |
A stye is a bacterial infection of the eyelash or eyelid (noun).
Which one should you use?
While orzuelo is a common and widely recognized term, other variants like urzuelo and ansuelo exist in certain regions.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In various parts of Latin America, you may encounter the spelling urzuelo or the variant ansuelo. In Mexico, the regional terms xoy and tutupiche are used.
How does it change in a sentence?
All forms of this word are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/oɾˈθwelo/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, there is a folk belief that a stye appears if you 'look at something you should not' or 'peek' through a keyhole.
- While orzuelo is the standard term, the Mexican variant xoy is derived from indigenous Nahuatl roots rather than Latin.
- The word orzuelo is a diminutive of the Latin word for 'barley'. This is because the swelling on the eyelid resembles a grain of barley.
Examples in context
- El paciente presenta un orzuelo en el párpado inferior.The patient has a stye on the lower eyelid.
- Ayer me apareció una perrilla en el ojo, ¡me duele mucho!Yesterday, a stye appeared on my eye, it hurts a lot!
- Tengo un orzuelo en el ojo derecho.I have a stye in my right eye.
- Ese orzuelo parece muy doloroso.That stye looks very painful.
- ¿Cómo te salió ese orzuelo?How did you get that stye?
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are talking at home.
- LucíaDaniel, ¿por qué tienes el ojo rojo?Daniel, why is your eye red?
- DanielCreo que tengo un orzuelo.I think I have a stye.
- LucíaDeberías ponerte una compresa caliente.You should put on a warm compress.
- DanielSí, lo intentaré ahora mismo.Yes, I will try that right now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “stye” translations and entries orzuelo, 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 orzuelo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
