How to Spell ‘Pretty’ in Spanish | Words That Sound Natural

When you search for how to spell “pretty” in Spanish, you might expect one direct match. Spanish doesn’t work that way. The English word can point to looks, style, or even degree (“pretty good”). Each meaning lands on a different Spanish word, and each word has its own spelling rules.

This page gives you the spellings you’ll actually write, plus a simple way to choose the right one for your sentence. You’ll see the most common options, when they sound natural, and the small grammar choices that change the ending.

What “Pretty” Means In Your Sentence

Before you pick a Spanish spelling, pin down what “pretty” is doing. In English, the same word can act like two different parts of speech, and Spanish treats those jobs differently.

Pretty As An Adjective

When “pretty” describes a person, place, thing, outfit, voice, or idea, it’s an adjective. Spanish adjectives agree with the noun they describe, so you’ll often change the ending: bonito for masculine nouns, bonita for feminine nouns.

Pretty As A Degree Word

When “pretty” means “to a good degree” (as in “pretty tired” or “pretty sure”), Spanish usually uses a different word, such as bastante or algo. In this use, you’re not “spelling pretty” as a translated adjective; you’re choosing a Spanish intensifier with its own spelling.

Pretty As A Compliment Vs. Pretty As “Nice-Looking”

English speakers use “pretty” both as a gentle compliment and as a neutral description. Spanish has options for both. Some words lean romantic, some feel casual, and some fit objects better than people.

Spelling ‘Pretty’ In Spanish With Gender And Tone

Most of the time, the spelling you need is one of these adjective families. They’re all correct Spanish. The trick is matching the word to the noun and the vibe of the moment.

Bonito, Bonita, Bonitos, Bonitas

Bonito/bonita is a safe, everyday choice for “pretty” as “nice” or “pleasant-looking.” It’s common for objects, places, and comments that feel friendly.

• Feminine:una casa bonita (a pretty house)
• Masculine:un cuadro bonito (a pretty painting)
• Plural:flores bonitas, zapatos bonitos

Lindo, Linda, Lindos, Lindas

Lindo/linda often feels warm and affectionate. It can describe people, animals, and things, and it’s common in everyday speech in many regions.

• Tu hija es linda. (Your daughter is pretty.)
• Qué lindo color. (What a pretty color.)

Guapo, Guapa

Guapo/guapa points to attractive looks. It’s a normal compliment, but it can sound more direct than bonito. Use it when you mean “good-looking,” not just “nice.”

• Él es guapo. (He’s handsome.)
• Ella es guapa. (She’s pretty.)

Hermoso, Hermosa

Hermoso/hermosa is stronger and more poetic in tone. It fits big compliments, places, views, or moments where you’d say “beautiful” in English.

Bello, Bella

Bello/bella is also close to “beautiful,” and you’ll see it in writing, music, and formal descriptions. In daily speech, many people reach for bonito or lindo first.

Precioso, Preciosa

Precioso/preciosa can mean “gorgeous” or “lovely.” It’s common for objects and pets, and it can work for people too, depending on your relationship and tone.

Regional Words You May Hear

Spanish changes by region. You may hear mono/monа in Spain for “cute,” or chulo/chula for “cool” or “nice-looking.” These words are real Spanish, but they carry local flavor, so they can sound out of place outside that setting.

Heads-up: some words have other meanings in certain countries. If you’re writing for a broad audience, stick with the safer choices like bonito and lindo.

Spelling Details You Can Check In Seconds

Once you pick the right word, the spelling is usually straightforward. Still, a few patterns trip learners.

Match The Ending To The Noun

If the noun is feminine, the adjective usually ends in -a. If it’s masculine, it often ends in -o. Plurals add -s or -es.

• una falda bonita / unas faldas bonitas
• un vestido bonito / unos vestidos bonitos

Watch Capitalization And Quotes

In Spanish, adjectives like bonita are not capitalized mid-sentence. If you’re writing the English word “pretty” as a term, you can keep the quotes, but Spanish punctuation rules may use angled quotes in print.

Accent Marks: When You Need Them

Most “pretty” options don’t need accent marks: bonita, linda, guapa, hermosa, bella. Accents show up when you change the word into another form, like a superlative ending in -ísima, which is more advanced writing.

Common Spelling Traps

These are small errors that show up a lot in homework and captions. Fix them once, and your writing looks cleaner right away.

• Dropping the silent h: write hermosa, not ermosa.
• Mixing b and v: it’s bonita with b, not vonita.
• Swapping c and s: it’s preciosa with c, not presiosa.
• Forgetting the u in gua-: it’s guapa, not gapa.

If you’re unsure, write the word, then check it in a Spanish dictionary with audio. Say it once, write it once, and move on.

If you’re just learning, start with the base forms above. Get the gender and number right, and you’re in good shape.

Common Spanish Spellings For “Pretty” And When To Use Them

The table below pulls the main choices into one place. Use it when you’re stuck between two options and want a short gut-check.

Spanish Word	Best Fit	Tone Notes
bonito / bonita	Objects, places, friendly compliments	Everyday, safe, common
lindo / linda	People, kids, pets, warm descriptions	Affectionate, sweet
guapo / guapa	Attractive looks (people)	Direct compliment, not for objects
hermoso / hermosa	Views, events, strong praise	Big compliment, can feel poetic
bello / bella	Writing, art, formal descriptions	Literary feel in many places
precioso / preciosa	Objects, pets, sometimes people	Enthusiastic praise, warm
mono / mona	Cute (Spain)	Regional; check audience
chulo / chula	Cool, nice-looking (Spain)	Regional; can shift meaning
bonico / bonica	Pretty (parts of Spain)	Regional; not standard everywhere

How To Choose The Right Spelling By Context

Here’s a simple selection method you can run in your head. It works for school writing, captions, emails, and everyday chat.

When You Mean Attractive

If you’re describing a person’s looks, guapa (for women) and guapo (for men) are common picks. Linda can also work, and it often feels softer.

• Ella es guapa.
• Ella es linda.

When You Mean Nice-Looking Or Pleasant

If you’re talking about a dress, a room, handwriting, or a day in a city, bonito/bonita covers a lot of ground. It’s the “safe bet” word many learners lean on, and that’s fine.

• Tienes una letra bonita. (You have pretty handwriting.)
• Es un lugar bonito. (It’s a pretty place.)

When You Mean Cute

For babies, pets, and playful compliments, lindo/linda is common in many countries. In Spain, you may hear mono/monа for the same idea.

When You Want Strong Praise

If “pretty” feels too small in English and you’re closer to “beautiful,” use hermosa or preciosa. Use these when you mean it, since they land as higher praise than bonita.

When “Pretty” Means “More Than A Little”

English uses “pretty” as a degree word: “pretty tired,” “pretty sure,” “pretty close.” In Spanish, you usually won’t translate that with bonito or guapo. You’ll pick a word that shows degree.

Bastante is a common choice in many regions. In English, it often lines up with “pretty” as a degree word. Think of it as “to a solid degree.”

Algo means “a bit” or “some,” and it’s useful when you want to soften the sentence.

English Pattern	Spanish Match	Sample
pretty + adjective	bastante + adjective	Estoy bastante cansado.
pretty + adjective	algo + adjective	Estoy algo cansado.
pretty sure	estoy bastante seguro	Estoy bastante seguro.
pretty good	bastante bien	Me fue bastante bien.
pretty close	bastante cerca	Estamos bastante cerca.
pretty late	bastante tarde	Es bastante tarde.
pretty + verb (casual)	me + verb + bastante	Me gusta bastante.

Spelling And Pronunciation Notes That Prevent Mix-Ups

Spelling and sound reinforce each other. If you can say the word cleanly, you’re less likely to miss a letter when you write it.

Bonita And Lindo Stress

Bo-NI-ta and LIN-do stress the second-to-last syllable, which is the default pattern in Spanish when a word ends in a vowel, n, or s. No accent mark is needed.

Guapo And The “Gu” Pair

Guapo starts with gua-, like “gwah.” The u is written but it doesn’t stand alone as a vowel sound in this pair. When you see gua, you almost always write it with gu, not ga.

Hermosa And The Silent H

In Spanish, h is silent in most words. So hermosa begins with a silent h. Learners sometimes drop it in writing because they can’t hear it. Don’t.

Practice Drills: Write “Pretty” The Way You Mean It

These short drills help you lock in spelling and agreement. Try to translate each line on your own, then check the suggested Spanish.

People And Compliments

• She’s pretty. → Ella es guapa.
• Your friend is pretty. → Tu amiga es guapa.
• Your daughter is pretty. → Tu hija es linda.

Objects, Places, And Style

• A pretty dress. → Un vestido bonito.
• A pretty house. → Una casa bonita.
• Pretty flowers. → Flores bonitas.
• What a pretty photo. → Qué foto tan bonita.

Degree Uses

• I’m pretty tired. → Estoy bastante cansado.
• It’s pretty late. → Es bastante tarde.
• I’m pretty sure. → Estoy bastante seguro.

Mini Checklist Before You Submit School Work

If you’re writing for class, a test, or a graded assignment, run this quick check so your Spanish reads clean.

• Did you choose an adjective word (bonita, linda, guapa) or a degree word (bastante, algo) that matches your meaning?
• Does the adjective match the noun’s gender and number?
• Did you keep silent letters that Spanish still writes, like the h in hermosa?
• Did you avoid using guapo for objects, where bonito usually fits better?

Write a few lines daily, and the spellings will feel automatic in Spanish.

Once you decide which sense of “pretty” you mean, the Spanish spelling becomes easy: pick the right word family, match the ending, and write it the same way each time. Do that for a week of practice, and your brain will stop second-guessing it.