teleoperador
/teleopeɾadoɾ/from spelling rulesmasculine
The English word telemarketer is teleoperador in Spanish. Wiktionary also lists teleoperadora and telefonista.
Meaning: someone who sells products or services by making unsolicited telephone calls (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| teleoperador | /teleopeɾadoɾ/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
| teleoperadora | /teleopeɾadoɾa/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
| telefonista | /telefoˈnista/ | feminine, masculine |
A telemarketer is someone who sells products or services by making unsolicited telephone calls.
Which one should you use?
The term operador de telemarketing is a more descriptive way to express the same concept as teleoperador. While teleoperador and teleoperadora are gender-specific, telefonista can be used for both masculine and feminine subjects.
How does it change in a sentence?
To refer to a group of telemarketers that includes both men and women, use the masculine plural form teleoperadores.
How do you pronounce it?
/teleopeɾadoɾ/
Did you know?
- Spain has a specific public registry called the Lista Robinson where citizens can sign up to legally forbid teleoperadores from calling them for marketing purposes.
- While teleoperador means 'telemarketer' in a sales context, in a technical or emergency context it refers to a 'dispatcher', such as someone working for the emergency services.
- While teleoperador is a standard term, in many Latin American offices, staff might simply be called asesores (advisors) to make their unsolicited calls sound more professional and less intrusive.
Examples in context
- El próximo seminario estará a cargo de un agente de ventas telefónicas.The next seminar will be led by a telemarketer.
- El teleoperador me llamó muy temprano.The telemarketer called me very early.
- No quiero hablar con ese teleoperador.I do not want to talk to that telemarketer.
- Ese teleoperador es muy persistente.That telemarketer is very persistent.
Example conversation
Sofía and Daniel are talking in their living room about annoying phone calls.
- Daniel¿Te han llamado mucho hoy?Have you been called much today?
- SofíaSí, un teleoperador me llamó tres veces.Yes, a telemarketer called me three times.
- DanielQué molestia, yo no contesto.How annoying, I don't answer.
- SofíaEs lo mejor para evitar problemas.It is the best way to avoid problems.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “telemarketer” translations and entries teleoperador, teleoperadora, telefonista, 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.
