Palabra Lexi · common words in Spanish
How to say "grandmother" in Spanish
"Grandmother" in Spanish is abuela, pronounced ah-BWEH-lah (stress on the syllable in capitals). It is a feminine noun (la abuela, plural las abuelas).
| Spanish | abuela |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | ah-BWEH-lah |
| Meaning | grandmother |
| Gender | feminine: la abuela |
| Plural | las abuelas |
| Frequency | #86 in the Palabra list of common Spanish words |
Pronunciation is spelled out in English, one syllable at a time, with the stressed syllable in capitals. The speaker button uses your browser's built-in Spanish voice. Gender and plural: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.
How to pronounce abuela
Abuela is pronounced ah-BWEH-lah, in IPA /aˈbwela/. Abuela has three syllables, ah-BWEH-lah, with the stress on the second. There is no written accent because the word follows the basic rule: words ending in a vowel, -n or -s are stressed on the second-to-last syllable.
Listen: normal and slow speed, in your browser's Spanish voice. IPA: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.
Is abuela masculine or feminine?
Abuela is feminine, so it takes la (the) and una (a): la abuela. The plural is las abuelas. That fits the usual pattern: most nouns ending in -a are feminine.
Example sentences
La abuela hace tartas
grandma makes cakes
Mi abuela duerme la siesta
My grandmother takes a nap
Amo a mi abuela.
I love my grandmother.
"Grandmother" in Spain and Latin America
Abuela and abuelita are not different people: abuelita is simply the warmer form. Many families say abuelita all their lives.
Other words you will hear
- abuelita — granny, very common and affectionate
- abue — informal, short for abuela or abuelo
- yaya — Spain, informal: granny
Regional words and roots: Diccionario de la lengua española (RAE). Spanish varies by region, so treat these as the most common patterns, not strict rules.
How to remember abuela
abuela [ah-BWEH-lah] sounds like the English “a-boo!-ella”. Picture this:
«A-boo!» — grandma plays peek-a-boo from behind a tower of pancakes.
A sound-alike plus a vivid scene is the keyword method, a well-studied way to learn vocabulary. How it works.
Practice abuela
Two quick games, right here: no sign-up, nothing is sent anywhere.