gallo
/ˈɡaʝo/
The English phrase voice crack is translated into Spanish as gallo.
The term gallo refers to a sudden, involuntary change in pitch or a break in the voice, which often occurs during puberty. In many Spanish-speaking regions, you describe the act of a voice cracking by using the phrase dar un gallo.
What does it mean word for word?
The word gallo literally means rooster. This refers to the sudden, high-pitched sound a voice makes, which is similar to a rooster's crow.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɡaʝo/
Did you know?
- The term gallo is a direct descendant of the Latin gallus. This word was originally used by Romans to refer to the inhabitants of Gaul, the region that became modern France.
- The word gallo is used for a voice crack because of the rooster's crow, but in some Caribbean dialects, it can also be used as slang for someone who is a 'tough guy' or a 'boss'.
- In musical contexts, a singer who hits a wrong note or has a voice break may be said to have metido un gallo, meaning they 'put in' a rooster.
Examples in context
- Tuviste un quiebre de voz durante la presentaciónYou had a voice crack during the presentation
- Mientras interpretaba un papel en la obra escolar, el quiebre de voz de Miguel fue evidente cuando intentó alcanzar la nota alta.During the school play, Miguel's voice crack was noticeable when he attempted to hit the high note.
- Le dio un gallo mientras cantaba.His voice cracked while he was singing.
- Le salió un gallo al cantar.His voice cracked while singing.
- No te rías, me salió un gallo.Don't laugh, my voice cracked.
- A ese niño siempre le sale un gallo.That boy's voice always cracks.
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are joking about Alejandro's singing in the living room.
- Alejandro¡Escucha mi nueva canción!Listen to my new song!
- Lucía¡Uy, te salió un gallo al final!Oops, your voice cracked at the end!
- AlejandroEs que estoy muy nervioso.It's just that I am very nervous.
- LucíaNo pasa nada, Alejandro.It's okay, Alejandro.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry gallo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gallo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
