Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| billón | /biˈʝon/ | masculine |
| trillón | /tɾiˈʝon/ | US, masculine |
The term refers to a million million (10^12). In Latin American countries, the phrase un millón de millones is frequently used to express this value.
Which one should you use?
In standard Spanish, trillón refers to a much larger number: one million million million (10^18). However, the word trillón is sometimes used as a nonstandard anglicism to mean the English 'trillion' (10^12).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The term trillón is considered a nonstandard anglicism used primarily in US-influenced contexts to match the English scale.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the US, trillón is used. In Latin American countries, un millón de millones is a frequent way to express this amount.
How do you pronounce it?
/biˈʝon/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the Spanish word trillón to mean 10^12. In Spanish, the value 10^12 is actually a billón.
Did you know?
- The Spanish naming system for large numbers follows the long scale, whereas the modern US system uses the short scale.
- The word billón is a linguistic traveler that entered Spanish from the French word billion.
- The Spanish word billón actually refers to a value one million times larger than the English 'billion'.
Examples in context
- El PIB de ese país alcanzó un billón de dólares el año pasado.The GDP of that country reached a trillion dollars last year.
- Hace falta un millón de millones para solucionar esa crisis económica.We need a trillion to solve that economic crisis.
- El presidente anunció que invertirá un billón americano en infraestructuras.The president announced he will invest a trillion dollars in infrastructure.
- Ese proyecto costará un billón de dólares.That project will cost a trillion dollars.
- Hay un billón de estrellas en la galaxia.There are a trillion stars in the galaxy.
- El gobierno gastó un billón en la crisis.The government spent a trillion on the crisis.
Example conversation
Daniel and Sofía are discussing scientific statistics.
- DanielEse número es un billón, ¿verdad?That number is a trillion, right?
- SofíaSí, es un billón de células.Yes, it is a trillion cells.
- DanielEs una cantidad enorme.It is an enormous amount.
- SofíaAbsolutamente, Daniel.Absolutely, Daniel.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “trillion” translations and entries billón, trillón, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries billón, CC BY-SA 4.0.
