Spanish Words Starting with L

There are 3,827 Spanish words starting with L, and A and I between them take six of every ten second positions.

What Follows the Opening L

A leads at about thirty two percent and I at twenty eight. E takes thirteen, U ten, and a second L eight.

The Doubled L Is Its Own Letter

LL was treated as a separate letter of the Spanish alphabet until 1994, and it still behaves as a single sound. LLUVIA, LLAMAR and LLEGAR all belong to it.

That eight percent share is therefore not a spelling accident but a distinct group with its own pronunciation.

Common L Words for Learners

LIBRO, LUGAR, LECHE, LETRA and LUNES are among the most frequent entries here, and none of them shares a second letter with another on that list.

• Libro
• Lugar
• Leche
• Letra
• Lunes

If you are working through this list for vocabulary, splitting it by second letter is more useful than reading alphabetically, because LA and LI behave very differently from LL.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is LL still a letter of the Spanish alphabet

Not since 1994, when the Royal Spanish Academy stopped listing it separately. Words spelled with LL are now alphabetised under L.

How is LL pronounced

In most of the Spanish speaking world it sounds close to the Y in yes. In parts of Argentina and Uruguay it is closer to the S in measure.

Which L words are most useful to learn first

LIBRO, LUGAR and LECHE appear constantly in everyday speech, and all three are short enough to be worth memorising early.