poliestireno extruido
/poljestiɾeno eɡstɾwido/from spelling rulesformal, masculine
Styrofoam is translated into Spanish as poliestireno extruido. Wiktionary also lists poliestireno expandido and telgopor.
Meaning: polymer (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| poliestireno extruido | /poljestiɾeno eɡstɾwido/ (from spelling rules) | formal, masculine |
| poliestireno expandido | /poljestiˌɾeno eɡspanˈdido/ | formal, masculine |
| telgopor | /telɡoˈpoɾ/ | Argentina, masculine |
| unicel | /uniθel/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /unisel/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
Mexico, masculine |
| plumavit | /plumabit/ (from spelling rules) | Chile, masculine |
| anime | /ˈanime/ /aniˈme/ |
Venezuela, masculine |
| extrusionado | /eɡstɾusjonado/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
| estereofón | /esteɾeoˈfon/ | Costa Rica, masculine |
| poliespán | /poljesˈpan/ | Spain, masculine |
Which one should you use?
Use poliestireno expandido or poliestireno extruido for technical or formal contexts, whereas the regional terms are used in everyday speech.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
poliestireno expandido and poliestireno extruido are formal terms.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Depending on where you are, different terms are common: unicel is used in Mexico, telgopor in Argentina, plumavit in Chile, anime in Venezuela, poliespán in Spain and estereofón in Costa Rica.
How does it change in a sentence?
All forms provided are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/poljestiɾeno eɡstɾwido/
Did you know?
- In Venezuela, the word for this material is anime, which is a homonym of the word for 'anime' or 'animation' used elsewhere. This can lead to humorous confusion if someone is discussing both Japanese cartoons and packaging materials.
- The Argentine term telgopor is actually a proprietary trademark that has become a generic name for the material. This is a linguistic phenomenon similar to how English speakers use 'Kleenex' to refer to any brand of facial tissue.
- The vast regional diversity of names for this substance means that a Mexican speaker using unicel might face complete confusion in Argentina. In such cases, sticking to the formal poliestireno is the safest way to ensure you are understood across borders.
Examples in context
- El poliestireno extruido es muy resistente.Extruded polystyrene is very resistant.
- Necesitamos comprar poliestireno extruido para el aislamiento.We need to buy extruded polystyrene for insulation.
- Este material es poliestireno extruido de alta densidad.This material is high-density extruded polystyrene.
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are discussing construction materials at a hardware store.
- Sofía¿Es este poliestireno extruido el que buscamos?Is this the extruded polystyrene we are looking for?
- MateoSí, Sofía, es perfecto para la pared.Yes, Sofía, it is perfect for the wall.
- SofíaParece que es de muy buena calidad.It looks like it is of very good quality.
- MateoEl poliestireno extruido siempre es una buena opción.Extruded polystyrene is always a good option.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “styrofoam” translations and entries poliestireno expandido, telgopor, unicel, anime, estereofón, poliespán, 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 telgopor, CC BY-SA 4.0.
