Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| temario | /teˈmaɾjo/ | masculine |
| syllabus | /ˈsilabus/ | masculine |
| plan docente | /plan doθente/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /plan dosente/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
masculine |
| sílabo | /ˈsilabo/ | masculine |
| balotario | /balotaɾjo/ (from spelling rules) | Peru, masculine |
The term 'syllabus' is translated into Spanish to describe a summary of topics.
Which one should you use?
While sílabo refers specifically to a course syllabus, temario is more commonly used to refer to the list of topics or the subject matter covered in an exam or a specific study program. For a more formal, administrative context in higher education, such as an official instructional design, you may use plan docente.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, Programa Académico may be used instead of programa de estudio to refer to a syllabus. In Peru, the word balotario is used to refer to a list of topics or a set of questions that will be included in an exam.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of temario is temarios.
How do you pronounce it?
/teˈmaɾjo/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers may mistakenly use sílabo to mean 'syllable' (the linguistic unit), but in a pedagogical context, sílabo is a valid term for a course syllabus.
Did you know?
- The word plan comes from the Latin plānus, which originally meant 'flat' or 'level'.
- While temario describes the content of a course, in many Spanish-speaking countries it is the official term for the strict list of topics used in government civil service exams.
- The term plan docente focuses on the 'docente' or the teacher, shifting the emphasis from the list of topics to the instructional design of the educator.
Examples in context
- ¿Dónde puedo encontrar el programa de estudio?Where can I find the syllabus?
- ¿Podría enviarme el plan de clase por correo electrónico?Could you email me the lesson plan?
- El temario del curso es muy extenso.The course syllabus is very extensive.
- ¿Me puedes pasar el temario de la clase?Can you send me the class syllabus?
- El temario incluye todos los temas de examen.The syllabus includes all the exam topics.
Example conversation
Two students are studying in the university library.
- DanielLucía, ¿tienes el temario de la asignatura?Lucía, do you have the syllabus for the subject?
- LucíaSí, Daniel, lo tengo en mi teléfono.Yes, Daniel, I have it on my phone.
- DanielGracias, necesito revisar los temas para estudiar.Thanks, I need to review the topics to study.
- LucíaNo hay problema, te lo envío ahora.No problem, I'll send it to you now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “syllabus” translations and entries temario, syllabus, sílabo, 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 docente, plan, syllabus, sílabo, temario, CC BY-SA 4.0.
