Spanish Vocabulary: Introduction

Browse the categories on the left to learn new words in Spanish and expand your vocabulary.

Regional differences in Vocabulary

You may have noticed that regional differences exist in the English language. An American visiting London might be asked, "If you are going to the store, could you please pick up a new dummy and some nappies?" and wonder what is meant by dummy (pacifier) and nappies (diapers).

As you might imagine, similar differences exist between Spanish speakers in Spain, Mexico, Cuba, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, and other countries. To cut down on confusion and to keep things simple, WebWorkbooks attempts to use the most universal term.

Consider two examples:

computer: un ordenador (Spain); una computadora (most of the Americas)

skirt: una pollera (Argentina); una falda (most of the Americas and Spain)

As with most Spanish to English dictionaries, WebWorkbooks includes una computadora and una falda, since they are the most widely used terms.