U is the twenty-second letter of the Spanish alphabet and the last of the five vowels. It is a medium-frequency letter in Spanish.
Mi hijo estudia en la universidad.
My son studies in the university.¿Puedes mandarme tu ubicación?
Can you send me your location?
The letter U may appear in initial, middle, or final position in the word:
- Words starting with U: uno (one), uña (nail), usted (you).
- Words with U in them: cuerpo (body), escuela (school), puente (bridge).
- Words ending in U: espíritu (spirit), menú (menu), bambú (bamboo).
Pronunciation tip: The letter U is one of the two closed vowels in Spanish (the other one being I). To pronounce it, the jaw is half-closed, the lips are rounded and pushing forward, and the back of the tongue is high. Unlike its English counterpart, U never represents a diphthong but a single sound, always with the same pronunciation regardless of adjacent sounds or position in the word:
- See also: Spanish alphabet
Spanish nouns that start with U
| uva grape | Urano Uranus | usurpación usurpation |
| uña nail | urticaria rash | usurero moneylender |
| unidad unit, unity | utopía utopia | urólogo urologist |
| usuario user | utilería props | ultimátum ultimatum |
| utensilio utensil | unanimidad unanimity | úlcera ulcer |
| uso use | ultrasonido ultrasound | Ucrania Ukraine |
| uniforme uniform | Uruguay Uruguay | útero uterus |
| urgencia urgency | unión union | urbe major city |
| urraca magpie | urbanismo urban planning | utilidad utility |
| usina large factory | ukelele ukelele | ultratumba beyond the grave |
Tengo una uña rota.
I have a broken nail.La urraca es un animal muy inteligente.
The magpie is a very intelligent animal.La unión hace la fuerza.
There is strength in numbers.María toca el ukelele.
María plays the ukelele.
- See also: Spanish nouns
Spanish adjectives that start with U
| uno one | universitario university | umbilical umbilical |
| último last | ultravioleta ultraviolet | unicelular unicellular |
| único unique, only | undécimo eleventh | unidimensional one-dimensional |
| útil useful | unilateral unilateral | unipersonal unipersonal |
| urgente urgent | unitario unit | ucraniano Ukrainian |
| usual usual | untable spreadable | untuoso oily |
| universal universal | urbano urban | urinario urinary |
| unánime unanimous | usado used, worn out | uruguayo Uruguayan |
| utópico utopian | utilizable usable | ultrasónico ultrasonic |
| uniforme uniform | ugandés Ugandan | unido united |
Tu consejo fue muy útil.
Your advice was very useful.Si surge algo urgente, avísame.
If something urgent comes up, let me know.Este es el último libro de la saga.
This is the last book of the series.Esta situación no es usual.
This situation is not usual.
Adjectives starting with U to describe a person
| único unique | universalista universalist | ultraconservador ultraconservative |
| ubicado centered | ufano conceited | ultraizquierdista left-wing extremist |
| utópico utopian | ubicuo ubiquitous, omnipresent |
Él es un idealista utópico.
He is a utopian idealist.Darío es ultraconservador, con ideas anticuadas.
Darío is ultraconservative, with old ideas.
- See also: Spanish adjectives
Spanish verbs that start with U
| usar to use | urgir to urge | ultimar to finalize, kill |
| unir to unite, join | urdir to warp | ulular to hoot, howl |
| utilizar to use | ungir to anoint | ultrajar to outrage |
| untar to spread | urbanizar to urbanize, develop | ufanarse to boast |
| ubicar to place, locate | usufructuar to have the usufruct of | ulcerar to ulcerate |
| unificar to unify | usurpar to usurp | uniformar to standardize |
¿Sabes usar la lavadora?
Do you know how to use the washing machine?La manteca está muy fría para untar en el pan.
The butter is too cold to spread on the bread.Están urbanizando la zona.
The area is being developed.La lechuza ululaba en la noche.
The owl hooted in the night.
- See also: Spanish verbs
Spanish adverbs that start with U
| únicamente only | unánimemente unanimously | unilateralmente unilaterally |
| usualmente usually | últimamente lately | universalmente universally |
| urgentemente urgently | uniformemente uniformly | ulteriormente subsequently |
Necesitamos solucionar el problema urgentemente.
We need to solve the problem urgently.El jurado condenó unánimemente al delincuente.
The jury convicted the criminal unanimously.Las ventas han caído últimamente.
Sales have fallen lately.Usualmente, no bebo alcohol.
I usually don’t drink alcohol.
- See also: Spanish adverbs
More everyday Spanish words that start with U
Some more everyday Spanish words that start with U include:
un
a
una
a (feminine form)
¡Uh!
Ah!
¡Uy!
Ouch!
¡Uf!
Phew!
Fui a la fiesta con un amigo.
I went to the party with a friend.
¡Uf! ¡Qué alivio!
Phew! What a relief!
Alquilamos una casa frente al mar.
We rented a house by the sea.
¡Uh! ¡Qué lástima que no puedas venir!
Ah! What a shame you can’t come!
Words with Ü
| bilingüe bilingual | ambigüedad ambiguity | averigüé figured out |
| antigüedad antiquity, antique | cigüeña stork | nicaragüense Nicaraguan |
| vergüenza embarrassment | contigüidad contiguity | paragüero umbrella stand |
| pingüino penguin | lengüeta tongue (of a shoe) | paragüitas little umbrella |
| piragüista canoeist | lengüetazo big lick | pedigüeño mooching |
| ungüento ointment | lingüística linguistics | plurilingüe multilingual |
| degüello slaughter | lingüista linguist | yegüita little mare |
| desagüe waste pipe | amortigüé buffered | zarigüeya opossum |
Mercedes está estudiando lingüística en Londres.
Mercedes is studying linguistics in London.La Patagonia es famosa por los pingüinos.
Patagonia is famous for penguins.Mi amiga es bilingüe; habla inglés y español.
My friend is bilingual; she speaks English and Spanish.¡Qué vergüenza cuando me caí de mi bicicleta!
What a shame when I fell off my bike!
You may also like:
Practice: Spanish words with U
References
- Wordreference.com, “uf,” accessed October 17, 2024, https://www.wordreference.com/
- Oxford Spanish Dictionary, 3rd edition on CD-ROM, Oxford University Press.
- Merriam-Webster Dictionary, accessed October 17, 2024, under “ah,” https://www.merriam-webster.com/
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