List Of Spanglish Words

Spanglish is a living reflection of bilingual life, blending English and Spanish into playful, practical, and often ingenious expressions. If you’ve heard someone say voy a textear or nos vemos en el parking, you’ve already encountered Spanglish words in action. This dynamic mix shows up at home, at work, online, and on the street from Miami to Los Angeles, from New York to San Juan. Below is a clear, organized list of Spanglish words, examples, and usage tips to help you understand how bilingual speakers build meaning through code-switching, calques, and creative borrowings.

Table of Contents

What Is Spanglish?

Spanglish is not a single language; it’s a continuum of bilingual practices used by Spanish-English speakers. It includes:

Code-switching: moving between English and Spanish within a sentence or conversation.
Borrowings: adopting English words into Spanish with Spanish pronunciation and grammar.
Calques: literal translations of English expressions into Spanish.

Because Spanglish is community-based and fluid, words vary by region. A Spanglish word common in Puerto Rico might differ from what’s heard in Texas, California, or New York.

Core List of Spanglish Words (With Meanings)

Everyday Verbs Built from English Roots

Textearto text (Te texteo mÃ¡s tarde).
Postearto post online (Voy a postear la foto).
Googlearto google (Googlea la direcciÃ³n).
Chequearto check (Chequea el correo).
Clic(k)ear / cliquearto click (Cliquea el enlace).
Like(ar)to like a post (Le di like).
Streamearto stream (Estamos streameando el juego).
Resetearto reset (Resetea el router).
Forwardearto forward an email (Te lo forwardeo ahora).
Printear / printearto print (Printea el formulario).
Frizarto freeze (often PR; Se frizÃ³ la compu).
Backupearto back up files (Backupea el disco).

Nouns and Everyday Items

El lonche / el lunchlunch (Traje lonche).
La trocatruck (border/US Southwest) (LlegÃ³ en su troca).
La yardayard (Corta la yarda).
El ruferoroofer (Llamamos a un rufero).
La marquetamarket/grocery (Voy a la marqueta).
Los bilesbills (Pagué todos los biles).
El parkingparking lot (Nos vemos en el parking).
El wÃper / los wiperswindshield wiper (Cambia los wipers).
El boilaboiler / water heater (Se daÃ±Ã³ el boila).
El ticketticket (fine or entry) (Me dieron un ticket).

Popular Regional Spanglish Verbs

Parquearto park (Parquéate aquÃ).
Janguear(PR) to hang out (Vamos a janguear).
Rentarto rent (widely used in LatAm/US) (Rentar un depa).
Mopearto mop (informal; alongsidetrapear) (Voy a mopear la cocina).
Taipiarto type (Taipia tu contraseÃ±a).
Faxearto fax (Â¿Puedes faxear el contrato?).

Calques: Literal Translations from English

Te llamo para atrÃ¡sI’ll call you back (calque; standard: Te devuelvo la llamada).
Hacer sentidoto make sense (standard: Tener sentido).
Aplicar para un trabajoapply for a job (increasingly acceptable; traditional: postularse / solicitar).
Correr para alcalderun for mayor (standard: postularse a alcalde).
Mudar para arribamove up (career) (standard: ascender / progresar).

Mini Phrasebook: Spanglish in Context

Te texteocuando llegue. I’ll text you when I arrive.
Vamos ajangueardespués del trabajo. Let’s hang out after work.
Â¿Puedeschequearsi llegÃ³ elemail? Can you check if the email arrived?
No tengo cash para losbiles. I don’t have cash for the bills.
Lo voy apostearen mis stories. I’m going to post it in my stories.
Se frizÃ³ la pantalla; trata deresetear. The screen froze; try to reset.
Nos vemos en elparkingatrÃ¡s. See you in the back parking lot.

Regional Notes and Variation

Spanglish words often reflect local history and contact with English:

Puerto Rico: janguear, frizar; widespread tech verbs (textear, postear).
US Southwest / Chicano Spanish: troca, yarda, biles, rufero, marqueta, raite(dar un raite = give a ride).
Miami / Cuban-American: similar tech verbs; strong English loan influence in business and media contexts.
New York / Dominican: parkear(variant ofparquear), tech/social-media verbs, English nouns with Spanish topics.

Remember that acceptance varies: what sounds natural in one community can feel marked or humorous in another.

How Spanglish Words Are Built

Common Patterns

Verb endings: English root +-ear(postear, textear, googlear) or less often-iar(taipiar).
Noun gender: English nouns usually take Spanish topics: elparking,latroca,losbiles.
Plural: add Spanish-s/-es(likesâlikes pronounced Spanish-style;bilesfrom bills).
Stress & spelling: adapted to Spanish phonology; accents may appear in writing (wÃper) to show stress.

Spanglish vs. Standard Spanish: When to Use Which

Context determines what’s appropriate:

Informal / community settings: Spanglish words can feel natural and authentic.
Professional / academic writing: prefer standard Spanish equivalents (imprimiroverprintear,estacionaroverparquear,solicitaroveraplicarfor a job, depending on region).
Digital spaces: tech verbs likepostear, textear, googlearare widely understood and increasingly common.

Calques to Watch (and Preferred Alternatives)

Hacer sentidoâ better: tener sentido.
Te llamo para atrÃ¡sâ better: te devuelvo la llamada.
Correr para presidenteâ better: postularse a presidente.
Aplicar para un trabajoâ many communities accept it; traditional: solicitar / postularse.

Growing List: More Spanglish You’ll Hear

Upgradearto upgrade (Hay que upgradear el plan).
Deletearto delete (Deletea el archivo).
Mute(ar)to mute (Mutea el micrÃ³fono).
Screenshotearto take a screenshot (Screenshotéalo).
Forward(as noun/verb in Spanish frame) Hazme un forward.
El brunchbrunch (Tenemos brunch el domingo).
El deliverydelivery service (Hacemos delivery).
El shoppingshopping trip or mall (Vamos de shopping).
El managermanager (Habla con el manager).
El deadlinedeadline (El deadline es maÃ±ana).

Tips for Using Spanglish Naturally

Read the room: match your audience’s comfort level with Spanglish.
Stay consistent: if you start a professional email in standard Spanish, avoid abrupt Spanglish shifts.
Prefer clarity: choose the word your listener will understand fastest, whether standard Spanish or Spanglish.
Respect variation: don’t assume your regional terms are universal; ask if unsure.

Why Spanglish Words Matter

Spanglish words are more than trendy slang. They index identity, heritage, and belonging. For many bilinguals, saying janguear, troca, or textear signals community ties and comfort. In digital life, Spanglish keeps pace with fast-changing tech creating quick, memorable verbs and nouns that standard dictionaries may take years to adopt.

This list of Spanglish words highlights how bilingual speakers build a flexible, expressive vocabulary for modern life. Fromtextearandposteartotroca,biles, and everyday calques, Spanglish thrives where English and Spanish meet. Use these examples to understand conversations, craft relatable content, or simply celebrate the creativity of bilingual communities. As with any living speech, the best guide is real usage listen closely, learn the local flavor, and enjoy how Spanglish words make communication fast, friendly, and unmistakably authentic.

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