Spanish Sports Vocabulary — Words for Games & Fitness
Few things connect the Spanish-speaking world like sport, so this vocabulary opens a lot of doors — in conversation, in the stands, and on the screen. Here you'll find the Spanish words for games, fitness and competition: el fútbol (football), el equipo (team), la pelota (ball), correr (to run), each paired with its English meaning and a button to hear it. Two helpful notes for English speakers. First, Spanish spelling is nearly phonetic, so these words say themselves once you know the vowels — and the vowels stay constant, unlike English. Second, gender is everywhere: el for masculine nouns, la for feminine, learned together with the word. You'll also spot familiar borrowings like el tenis, close to English but pronounced cleanly in Spanish. Tap any 🔊 to hear a native voice. Read through the table once, then take these words into the game below, where a sports word you've only seen becomes one you can actually shout.
Key words explained
- sport deporte Swimming is my favourite sport in the summer.
- game juego The whole town came out to watch the game.
- team equipo Our team trained hard all season.
- player jugador That player scored twice in the final.
- ball pelota He kicked the ball straight into the net.
- goal gol The crowd roared when she scored the winning goal.
- win ganar They needed one more point to win the match.
- lose perder No one likes to lose, but it teaches you a lot.
All 90 Spanish sports words
| English | Pronunciation | Spanish | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| sport | /spɔːrt/ | deporte | |
| game | /ɡeɪm/ | juego | |
| team | /tiːm/ | equipo | |
| player | /ˈpleɪər/ | jugador | |
| ball | /bɔːl/ | pelota | |
| goal | /ɡoʊl/ | gol | |
| win | /wɪn/ | ganar | |
| lose | /luːz/ | perder | |
| run | /rʌn/ | correr | |
| swim | /swɪm/ | nadar | |
| football | /ˈfʊtbɔːl/ | fútbol | |
| basketball | /ˈbæskɪtbɔːl/ | baloncesto | |
| tennis | /ˈtɛnɪs/ | tenis | |
| swimming | /ˈswɪmɪŋ/ | natación | |
| running | /ˈrʌnɪŋ/ | carrera | |
| race | /reɪs/ | carrera | |
| match | /mætʃ/ | partido | |
| train | /treɪn/ | entrenar | |
| exercise | /ˈɛksərsaɪz/ | ejercicio | |
| hobby | /ˈhɑːbi/ | pasatiempo | |
| coach | /koʊtʃ/ | entrenador | |
| champion | /ˈtʃæmpiən/ | campeón | |
| medal | /ˈmɛdəl/ | medalla | |
| stadium | /ˈsteɪdiəm/ | estadio | |
| field | /fiːld/ | campo | |
| court | /kɔːrt/ | cancha | |
| cycling | /ˈsaɪklɪŋ/ | ciclismo | |
| hiking | /ˈhaɪkɪŋ/ | senderismo | |
| camping | /ˈkæmpɪŋ/ | camping | |
| fishing | /ˈfɪʃɪŋ/ | pesca | |
| volleyball | /ˈvɑːlibɔːl/ | voleibol | |
| baseball | /ˈbeɪsbɔːl/ | béisbol | |
| boxing | /ˈbɑːksɪŋ/ | boxeo | |
| golf | /ɡɑːlf/ | golf | |
| skiing | /ˈskiːɪŋ/ | esquí | |
| yoga | /ˈjoʊɡə/ | yoga | |
| fitness | /ˈfɪtnɪs/ | fitness | |
| throw | /θroʊ/ | lanzar | |
| catch | /kætʃ/ | atrapar | |
| hit | /hɪt/ | golpear | |
| score | /skɔːr/ | marcador | |
| trophy | /ˈtroʊfi/ | trofeo | |
| tournament | /ˈtɜːrnəmənt/ | torneo | |
| league | /liːɡ/ | liga | |
| referee | /ˌrɛfəˈriː/ | árbitro | |
| athlete | /ˈæθliːt/ | atleta | |
| Olympic | /əˈlɪmpɪk/ | olímpico | |
| guitar | /ɡɪˈtɑːr/ | guitarra | |
| piano | /piˈænoʊ/ | piano | |
| painting | /ˈpeɪntɪŋ/ | pintura | |
| reading | /ˈriːdɪŋ/ | lectura | |
| photography | /fəˈtɑːɡrəfi/ | fotografía | |
| travel | /ˈtrævəl/ | viajar | |
| pool | /puːl/ | piscina | |
| racket | /ˈrækɪt/ | raqueta | |
| net | /nɛt/ | red | |
| glove | /ɡlʌv/ | guante | |
| helmet | /ˈhɛlmɪt/ | casco | |
| uniform | /ˈjuːnɪfɔːrm/ | uniforme | |
| compete | /kəmˈpiːt/ | competir | |
| athletics | /æθˈlɛtɪks/ | atletismo | |
| gymnastics | /dʒɪmˈnæstɪks/ | gimnasia | |
| wrestling | /ˈrɛslɪŋ/ | lucha libre | |
| martial arts | /ˈmɑːrʃəl ɑːrts/ | artes marciales | |
| skating | /ˈskeɪtɪŋ/ | patinaje | |
| surfing | /ˈsɜːrfɪŋ/ | surf | |
| climbing | /ˈklaɪmɪŋ/ | escalada | |
| rowing | /ˈroʊɪŋ/ | remo | |
| archery | /ˈɑːrtʃəri/ | tiro con arco | |
| fencing | /ˈfɛnsɪŋ/ | esgrima | |
| badminton | /ˈbædmɪntən/ | bádminton | |
| squash | /skwɑːʃ/ | squash | |
| bowling | /ˈboʊlɪŋ/ | bolos | |
| snooker | /ˈsnuːkər/ | billar inglés | |
| darts | /dɑːrts/ | dardos | |
| polo | /ˈpoʊloʊ/ | polo | |
| judo | /ˈdʒuːdoʊ/ | judo | |
| karate | /kəˈrɑːti/ | karate | |
| cricket | /ˈkrɪkɪt/ | críquet | |
| rugby | /ˈrʌɡbi/ | rugby | |
| handball | /ˈhændbɔːl/ | balonmano | |
| sprint | /sprɪnt/ | sprint | |
| marathon | /ˈmærəθɑːn/ | maratón | |
| diving | /ˈdaɪvɪŋ/ | buceo | |
| weightlifting | /ˈweɪtlɪftɪŋ/ | halterofilia | |
| triathlon | /traɪˈæθlɑːn/ | triatlón | |
| umpire | /ˈʌmpaɪər/ | árbitro | |
| foul | /faʊl/ | falta | |
| offside | /ˈɔːfsaɪd/ | fuera de juego | |
| qualifier | /ˈkwɑːlɪfaɪər/ | clasificatorio |
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