Spider in Spanish: How to Say Araña and Talk About Spiders
Spider in Spanish is la araña, plural las arañas. Pronunciation of the ñ, arácnido, telaraña, common species names, and phrases for reporting spiders.
Quick Answer
Spider in Spanish is la araña (feminine), plural las arañas, pronounced a-RA-nya. A spider web is la telaraña.
Spotted something eight-legged on the bedroom wall and need the word fast? It’s la araña. Feminine noun, and one of the few pest words with a letter English simply doesn’t have: the ñ.
| Term | Gender | Plural | Pronunciation | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spider | Feminine | las arañas | a-RA-nya | Nationwide |
| Spider web | Feminine | las telarañas | teh-la-RA-nya | Nationwide |
| Arachnid | Masculine | los arácnidos | a-RAK-nee-do | Technical/medical |
| Tarantula | Feminine | las tarántulas | ta-RAN-too-la | Central/south Spain |
Pronunciation: Mastering the Ñ
The letter ñ in araña is not “n” plus “y” — it’s a single, distinct consonant sound, the same one in “jalapeño” or “piñata.” Say a-RA-nya with the stress on the middle syllable, letting the ñ blend smoothly rather than pausing between the “n” and “y” sounds. Get it slightly wrong and Spaniards will still understand you fine; the word is unmistakable in context. The plural, arañas, keeps the same stress pattern with an added -s.
Arácnido, Telaraña and Related Words
Spanish has a small but useful family of words built around araña. Arácnido (arachnid) is the scientific umbrella term covering spiders, scorpions, and ticks — you’ll see it on pest control company websites and in medical contexts, but rarely in casual conversation. Telaraña (spider web or cobweb) combines tela (cloth) and araña, literally “spider’s cloth” — a wonderfully direct description. “There are cobwebs in the corner” is hay telarañas en la esquina. A spider bite is una picadura de araña (not mordedura, which is reserved for animals with teeth, like dogs).
Species Names Spanish People Use
Most Spaniards don’t sort spiders by Latin name — they use a handful of common terms. Araña de casa or araña doméstica covers ordinary indoor house spiders. Araña de rincón (“corner spider”) is a colloquial term for the daddy-long-legs types that build sparse webs in ceiling corners. Tarántula is used loosely for any large, hairy, ground-dwelling spider — technically it refers to Lycosa tarantula, the Mediterranean tarantula, native to dry open ground in central and southern Spain. The two species that genuinely warrant caution — the Mediterranean recluse and the Mediterranean black widow — are known as araña reclusa parda and viuda negra respectively; the black widow is also called araña de los trece puntos (thirteen-spot spider) for the red markings on its abdomen. Full identification detail is in our spiders in Spain guide.
Phrases for Reporting Spiders
- We have a lot of spiders in the house — Tenemos muchas arañas en casa
- There are cobwebs everywhere — Hay telarañas por todas partes
- I think it’s a venomous spider — Creo que es una araña venenosa
- I’ve been bitten by a spider — Me ha picado una araña
- Can you seal the gaps around the windows? — ¿Puede sellar los huecos de las ventanas?
- Do you have a spray for spiders? — ¿Tiene un spray para arañas?
For most house spiders, the practical answer is prevention, not treatment: seal entry points and reduce the insects they feed on, since spiders follow their prey.
What to Buy
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Spanish word for spider?
What is a spider web called in Spanish?
Is arácnido the same as araña in Spanish?
How do I tell a Spanish pest controller I have a spider problem?
Written by James Thornton
Founder & Lead Writer
British expat living in Málaga since 2019. Researched 200+ pest control cases across 16 Spanish regions.
Reviewed by Carlos Ruiz Martín
ROESBA-certified (Spain's Official Pest Control Registry). DDD specialist. Member of ANECPLA.