This guide adapts rules and examples from Microsoft’s 54-page Style Guide for Spanish (United States) (originally written for software/UI localization). The underlying linguistic rules apply universally — to legal contracts, medical documents, marketing copy, and any English-to-US-Spanish translation work serving the US Hispanic market. Restructured and reformatted as a general translator reference by ChatsControl.

Spanish (United States) Translation Style Guide — Voice, Word Choice & Common Pitfalls (Legal, Medical, Marketing, IT)¶

TL;DR¶

• US Spanish (es-US) translation across all spheres (legal, medical, marketing, IT) targets the Latin-American lexicon — computadora not ordenador, la PC not el PC, mouse not ratón, video not vídeo — and rejects Iberian-Spanish forms that feel foreign to US Hispanic readers.
• Modern register is warm, conversational, and scannable — simple direct syntax, second-person tú, simple verb tenses; long compound tenses (haber + participle) replaced by simple present/future.
• Avoid false friends and Anglicisms — ignorar ≠ to ignore (use omitir / pasar por alto), ocurrencia ≠ occurrence (use repetición / caso), abortar ≠ to cancel (use anular).
• Master queísmo and dequeísmo — asegurarse de que… (with de) is correct; es posible que… (without de) is correct; mixing these is the single most visible grammatical error in es-US translation.
• Authoritative references: Diccionario panhispánico de dudas, DRAE (23ª ed.), Nueva gramática de la lengua española, Ortografía de la lengua española — all Real Academia Española / ASALE publications.

Register and tone for modern US Spanish translation¶

Register is the level of formality, warmth, and conversational ease the target text projects. The modern US Spanish register for consumer-facing content is warm, relaxed, and concise — not the formal, technical Spanish often produced when translators default to the most elevated forms. Long formal constructions should be avoided in favor of simpler, more direct syntax. Connecting phrases get replaced by simpler alternatives; compound verbal tenses sometimes get replaced by simple tenses.

Three principles define the modern register:

• Warm and relaxed. Less formal, more grounded in honest conversation — occasionally fun where the context allows. The text should sound like a real person speaking, not a bureaucratic notice.
• Crisp and clear. Written for scanning first, reading second. Short sentences that fit on a phone screen. Simplicity is the default.
• Ready to help. Anticipates what the reader needs and offers it at the right moment, rather than burying it under qualifications.

Why this matters: Formal Spanish register damages outcomes across spheres. In marketing copy for the US Hispanic market it reduces conversion — readers sense the foreign tone immediately and disengage. In patient-facing medical materials (clinic intake forms, drug leaflets, discharge instructions) it reduces comprehension and compliance — Spanish-speaking patients in the US often have limited formal education in Spanish, and bureaucratic register raises the literacy barrier. In software UI and IT documentation it creates friction at every interaction. In consumer-facing legal documents (terms of service, privacy notices, healthcare consent forms required by federal regulation) plain-language standards now apply.

Audience targeting: technical vs. consumer vocabulary¶

The same source text requires different vocabulary depending on who reads the translation. Use technical terms for technical audiences; for consumers use common words. A clinical drug monograph for prescribers uses precise pharmacological terminology; the patient leaflet for the same drug uses everyday Spanish. A software API reference uses developer jargon; the end-user help article uses plain Spanish.

This applies in every sphere. Legal translation for corporate counsel uses Latinisms and procedural shorthand; consumer-facing versions need plain-Spanish framing. Medical translation for clinicians keeps Greek/Latin nomenclature; for patients it switches to common terms (the difference between cefalea and dolor de cabeza). IT translation uses developer jargon in engineer-facing docs, natural Spanish in end-user help.

Flexibility: when to translate literally vs. when to rewrite¶

Flexibility is the translator’s discretion to depart from literal source structure when the literal rendering produces unnatural Spanish. The rule: understand the whole intention of the sentence, paragraph, or page, then rewrite as if composing it yourself for a US Spanish reader. Literal translation of English into Spanish frequently produces target text that is not relevant to customers — recasting around the intent and what the reader needs to know to complete the task produces materially better results.

When you are localizing source text written in a conversational style, feel free to choose words that aren’t standard translations if you think that’s the best way to stay true to the intent of the source.

Why this matters: Source-faithful translation produces translatorese — text that reads as translated. Required in sworn legal translation and certified document translation (birth certificates, court rulings, contested contracts) where literal accuracy is mandated. Harmful in marketing translation (lost conversion), patient-facing healthcare materials (lost clarity at exactly the moment compliance matters), and software UX (lost engagement). Knowing where the boundary sits is core translator judgment — the billable skill that distinguishes professional work from raw machine output.

Caveat for UI work: standard system messages and error strings should not be freely rephrased — they may be referenced in support docs and help pipelines that depend on exact wording. Outside that narrow category, flexibility is the norm.

Word choice: short forms, everyday words, and synonym variation¶

Short word forms and everyday words are preferred over long formal ones wherever both exist and the audience is non-specialist. Shorter words are friendlier, save screen space, and parse faster. Be careful with English-shortened forms that have no Spanish shortened equivalent — app and info should be rendered in full as aplicación and información, regardless of source.

Synonym variation for natural register¶

Word variety can convey a more natural, conversational tone — particularly in longer text and informal topics. Where the formal Spain-Spanish term feels stilted, US Spanish substitutes a more colloquial near-synonym. These swaps may be used freely except when quoting an already-localized UI element (where consistency overrides variation).

Why this matters: Terminology consistency is non-negotiable in legal translation (a defined term in a contract must render identically across all 200 pages — variant renderings create ambiguity opposing counsel will exploit), medical translation (drug names, dosage units, anatomical terms must be invariant — a synonym swap can produce a dispensing error), and IT/software translation (UI labels, menu items, error codes must match help documentation word-for-word or users can’t find what they need). Choosing short vs. formal forms is a separate decision from consistency — but once chosen, apply uniformly across the deliverable.

Words and phrases to avoid in modern US Spanish¶

Two distinct categories of vocabulary to avoid: overly formal connectors that survive in legal templates but feel alien in consumer-facing text, and Iberian-Spanish forms that feel foreign to US Hispanic readers (who are overwhelmingly of Latin-American origin).

Overly formal connectors and verbs¶

Why this matters: These formal forms appear in legal templates and government forms out of institutional habit but feel alien in modern consumer products, patient-facing medical materials, brand-led marketing, and user-friendly software. A privacy notice opening with “Asimismo, le suministramos…” signals bureaucratic indifference; “También te damos…” reads as the product talking to its user. A medical leaflet saying “Siempre y cuando se hayan presentado los síntomas…” lands differently than “Si tienes los síntomas…” — the second reduces missed reports and clinic callbacks. These substitutions are among the highest-leverage edits a translator can make.

GroupMe terminology note (illustrative case)¶

Do not use the noun “participante” to refer to users belonging to GroupMe groups. A GroupMe group is a persistent object, so a user belonging to a GroupMe group must be referred to as “miembro” of that group. The general principle: when a product has a defined community-membership construct, use the noun that signals durable belonging rather than transient participation.

Frequent errors and conflictive terms — Iberian vs. Latin-American lexicon¶

This is the highest-impact category for US Spanish translation. The US Hispanic population is overwhelmingly of Latin-American origin, so Iberian-Spanish (es-ES) lexical choices read as foreign and reduce trust. Avoid the following forms regardless of whether they appear in the source or in pre-existing es-ES translation memories.

Why this matters: In healthcare translation for US Hispanic patients, using ordenador / ratón / fallo in a clinic system explainer signals “this was translated for Spain, not for you” and erodes patient trust at the exact moment when accurate self-reporting matters. In legal translation for US-based Spanish-speaking clients (immigration filings, divorce papers, employment contracts), Iberian lexical choices can confuse — coger has vulgar connotations in most of Latin America and using it in a workflow instruction is jarring. In marketing copy the lexical mismatch reads as cultural inattention and depresses conversion. In software users searching help for “computadora” won’t find content that uses “ordenador”.

Easily confused word pairs¶

Comprobar vs. verificar¶

The distinction must be maintained. Verificar is used to check whether something is true or false, or whether a mathematical condition is met. Comprobar is used with the meaning of making sure of something (something suspected or alleged), or knowing something with absolute certainty. The standard rendering of English “to check” is comprobar.

Ignore — the false-friend trap¶

Translating “ignore” as ignorar is incorrect — it is a false friend. In Spanish, ignorar means “to be unaware of, not to know about.” For the English sense of “to disregard intentionally,” use omitir, pasar por alto, hacer caso omiso de, or prescindir de depending on context. Avoid bulk-translating every instance as omitir.

Occurrence¶

The standard translation is repetición or caso, not ocurrencia (which means “a witty remark” or “a flash of thought” in Spanish, not a recurring event).

• (–) Número de ocurrencias
• (+) Número de repeticiones

Why this matters: False-friend errors are among the most consequential mistakes in es-US translation. In medical translation, “ignore the warning” rendered as “ignorar la advertencia” reads as “be unaware of the warning” rather than “deliberately disregard it” — a clinically meaningful difference. In legal translation, an instruction to “ignore prior agreements” rendered with ignorar undermines the legal force of the disregard clause. In software, ocurrencia in a log-analysis tool reads as nonsensical to native Spanish speakers, signaling unreliable localization.

Ungrammatical or unnecessarily complex syntax¶

Avoid constructions that make phrase syntax unnecessarily complicated, formal, or wordy. The result should be brief yet complete and accurate.

General rules:

1. Prefer verbal constructions over nouns or verbal nouns. Heavy noun-clusters become much easier to understand when recast around verbs.
2. If you can rephrase the sentence — omitting unnecessary words with no harm to meaning — do so.
3. Use active voice, which emphasizes the actor. More direct and personal than passive, which can be confusing or formal.
4. Most importantly: do not copy English sentence structure.

Why this matters: In legal contracts noun-cluster syntax obscures actor responsibility — “la realización del pago” (verbal noun) hides who must pay, while “la parte debe pagar” (verb-based, active) makes the obligation unambiguous. In medical instructions it produces passive ambiguity — “la administración de la inyección” doesn’t say whether patient or clinician administers, while “el paciente se aplica la inyección” does. In software UI it produces labels that don’t tell the user what’s about to happen — “Realización de la eliminación del archivo” vs “Eliminar el archivo”. In marketing copy it creates distance where engagement is the goal. Verb-based constructions are denser, clearer, and almost always shorter.

Grammar and orthography essentials¶

Abbreviations and symbols¶

Abbreviations in UI may be needed for space-constrained buttons or option names. Rules:

• Order of letters in the abbreviation should match the source word (art. for “artículo”).
• A word should not be abbreviated by omitting only one letter; at least two characters omitted.
• Abbreviations formed by dropping the last syllables or letters should not end in a vowel (pról., not prólo., for “prólogo”).
• Abbreviations created by contraction (omitting middle syllables or letters) can end in a vowel (pdo. for “pasado”).
• Do not abbreviate in ways that coincide with established abbreviations for different words.

List of common Spanish abbreviations:

Symbols vs. abbreviations: Words like “metro” or “litro” are symbols (scientific/technical, made of letters or non-alphabetical characters representing units), not abbreviations — they do not end in a period.

Acronyms¶

Acronyms behave like nouns. If a gender is needed, it comes from the spelled-out form. For non-Spanish words, gender varies with usage.

Acronyms have no Spanish plural ending — no “-s” added at the end. Plurality is shown by the preceding determiner. The plural form PCs is incorrect; the correct plural is las PC. In US Spanish (and across Latin America), the acronym PC takes the gender from “computadora” (feminine) — la PC.

Localized acronyms. If a localized acronym is widely used it appears alone (without the spelled-out form). If it is not widely used or could be confused, spell out the term followed by the acronym in brackets on first use.

Unlocalized acronyms. When an acronym stays in English throughout a text:

• Widely understood acronyms appear alone without spelling out. Examples: ANSI, CD, DOS, DSL, DVD, ISO, IP.
• If the acronym is not widely used, on first occurrence write its full name in Spanish in normal font followed in parentheses by the English acronym. If the full English name also needs to appear for clarity, write the full name in Spanish followed by parentheses containing the acronym and its full English form in italics.

Adjectives¶

Spanish adjectives inflect for gender and number to match the noun they modify. They can precede or follow the noun. Adjectives of nationality are not capitalized in Spanish, unlike English.

Possessive adjectives — avoid English-style overuse¶

The frequent use of possessives is a feature of English. In Spanish this should be avoided — replace the possessive with the definite article unless using the article would make the meaning too vague. Exception: UI items that follow the convention “Mi PC”, “Mis documentos”, “Mis sitios de red”, “Mi música”.

Articles¶

Unlocalized feature names (Microsoft product names and non-translated features) take no definite or indefinite article, mirroring English.

Localized feature names:

• If the localized feature name can be treated as a proper noun, no article is used.
• If the localized feature name starts with a common noun (tool, wizard, etc.), the article is usually included.

Capitalization¶

Spanish capitalization differs significantly from English. Follow normative rules:

• Software interface elements: capitalize only the first letter of the first word in commands, dialog box titles, dialog box options, menus, buttons, and names of panes/views/windows.
• Key names: capitalize only the initial letter (tecla Control); if the key name is abbreviated (CTRL, ALT), match the source character formatting — all caps in source means all caps in Spanish, initial caps in source means initial caps in Spanish.
• Headings, captions, table/figure titles: initial capital only for the first word and for proper nouns / interface terms requiring it.

Items that are NOT capitalized in Spanish (but are in English):

Accented capital letters are mandatory in Spanish — use Á, É, Í, Ó, Ú, Ñ in all caps unless software incompatibility prevents it (e.g., programming language function names).

Compounds¶

Compounds should be understandable and clear. Avoid overly long or complex compounds — unintuitive compounds become an intelligibility and usability issue. Follow the approved term for any given compound in the terminology database.

Compounds in code variables and placeholders. When considering compounds in variables, user input, or programming language elements, first determine whether the term is localizable. If it is not, the term remains unchanged. If localizable:

Conjunctions¶

Starting a sentence with a conjunction (y, o, pero) was traditionally discouraged in formal Spanish but is now acceptable in modern conversational register — it conveys informal tone and personal voice.

Gender (for English loan words)¶

When integrating an English loan word into Spanish, consider:

• Motivation: Does the English word have formally motivated features that allow straightforward integration into the Spanish noun class system?
• Analogy: Is there an equivalent Spanish term whose article can be borrowed?
• Frequency: Is the term used in other technical documentation? If so, which article is most common?

Localizing colloquialisms, idioms, and metaphors¶

When the source text contains a colloquialism, idiom, or metaphor:

• Do not replace the source colloquialism with a Spanish one of similar meaning unless it is a perfect and natural fit for the context.
• Translate the intended meaning of the colloquialism (not literally) — but only if the meaning is essential to the text and can’t be omitted.
• If the colloquialism can be omitted without affecting meaning, omit it.

Numbers¶

The use of numerals vs. spelled-out numbers differs in US Spanish from English.

Non-technical writing rule: Spell out numbers of one word, two words, or two words joined by “y” (e.g., dieciocho, cuarenta y seis). Use figures for numbers requiring more words to spell out.

Technical/scientific/business writing: figures are preferred even when spelling would be brief. Always use figures for dates, addresses, percentages, fractions, decimals, scores, statistics, numerical results, pages, identification numbers, and times.

In software localization, follow source usage for simplicity and to avoid issues.

Prepositions¶

Many translators, influenced by English, omit prepositions or change word order in ways that produce ungrammatical Spanish. Two coordinated verbs each followed by different prepositions sharing a common complement is a frequent error:

Similarly, do not coordinate two verbs needing different prepositions, as in “correo enviado a y recibido de” — this is ungrammatical in Spanish.

Queísmo and dequeísmo¶

Queísmo is the omission of the preposition de in cases where it is required. Dequeísmo is the inclusion of de in cases where it is not necessary. Both are common errors and both are flagged as substandard in normative Spanish.

Rule of thumb: verbs and constructions that govern de require it before que (asegurarse de, acordarse de, darse cuenta de, depender de, tratarse de). Constructions that do not govern de must not have it (es posible que, es probable que, parece que, dice que).

Simpler prepositions over prepositional phrases¶

The modern voice can be conveyed through simpler prepositions instead of extended prepositional phrases.

Pronouns¶

Personal pronouns are a powerful way to express conversational voice. Address the user directly with first- and second-person pronouns (“you” → tú); avoid third-person references (“user” → el usuario) — they sound formal and impersonal.

General rule: use first person (yo, me, mi) when the customer tells the program or wizard what to do; use second person (tú, tu) when the program or wizard tells the customer what to do. When the user is telling the program what to do, the infinitive form is used.

For US Spanish, the informal second-person singular tú is the standard form of address.

Leísmo — avoid¶

Leísmo (using the indirect-object pronoun le instead of the masculine direct-object lo when the direct object refers to a male person) is largely Iberian. US Spanish uses lo.

Punctuation¶

Punctuation in Spanish follows largely the same rules as in English, with the notable exceptions of opening ¡ and ¿ for exclamations and questions. Follow normative rules.

Bulleted lists¶

Full-sentence bullets: start with initial caps and end with a period.

Cuando finalice la ejecución del programa de instalación de DoubleSpace:
• Tu PC tendrá una unidad sin comprimir.
• La unidad C estará comprimida y tendrá más espacio libre.

Bullets that form part of the same sentence: start with lowercase, use appropriate punctuation (commas or semicolons) and an ending period on the last item.

Estos conflictos surgen cuando:
• se deben ejecutar dos versiones de la misma aplicación al mismo tiempo,
• el departamento de finanzas migró a una versión más nueva del software de contabilidad o
• se requiere acceso a una versión antigua del software para cerrar el año fiscal.

Bullets that are not full sentences and not continuations: no ending period.

Tareas principales:
• Compatibilidad de las aplicaciones
• Virtualización del escritorio
• Seguridad y control

Dashes and hyphens¶

• Hyphen (-): divides words between syllables (line breaks), joins parts of compound terms (relación calidad-precio).
• En dash (–): used as a minus sign with spaces before and after (− 18 °C); used in number/page ranges without spaces (páginas 204–206).
• Em dash (—): used to emphasize an isolated element or introduce a non-essential element. In Spanish it is called raya.

Ellipses¶

• Remove all spaces before the ellipsis sign, even when source includes them. Example: “Estamos conectando, espera…” (no space before ellipsis).
• Command names in menus followed by ellipses (indicating that pressing opens a dialog) keep the ellipses in software UI but drop them in documentation/messages referring to the command.

Periods¶

Use a single space after a period — never two, even if source uses two.

Quotation marks¶

The normative recommendation is to use chevrons (« »). However, with the widespread use of English source text, curly/smart quotes (” “) are widely seen in Spanish printed material and are used in Microsoft Spanish documentation. Use comillas de apertura and comillas de cierre when referring to a set of quotation marks.

Do not use quotation marks with user input unless the marks are part of the input. In technical material, specify sencilla (‘) or doble (“) quotation marks when the user must type them.

Parentheses¶

No space between the parentheses and the text inside them (same as English).

Sentence fragments¶

Sentence fragments help convey a conversational tone — short and to the point. Spanish accepts sentence fragments in some contexts.

Subjunctive¶

The subjunctive is an important resource in Spanish — its absence impoverishes the text. When there is a choice between cantara and cantase (imperfect subjunctive), use cantara for US Spanish; cantase is less common in Latin America.

Symbols and non-breaking spaces¶

Use non-breaking spaces (Ctrl+Shift+Spacebar) between elements that should not separate onto different lines:

• Between “capítulo” or “apéndice” and its corresponding number or letter.
• Between a unit of measure or currency and its number (e.g., 50 km, $20).
• Between words of a product name that should not be divided (Microsoft Office, Microsoft).

Verbs and tenses¶

Simple tenses are preferred over compound tenses. Use simple present where possible — it is the easiest tense to understand. Use simple past for events that have already happened. Future tense is acceptable when describing something that will genuinely happen in the future or in conditional clauses where context requires it.

Error messages — Spanish style conventions¶

Error messages are messages sent by the system or a program informing the user of an error that must be corrected. They can prompt the user to take action or inform of an error requiring a reboot. Apply the conversational voice principles to make error messages natural, empathetic, and not robot-like.

Syntax and punctuation in error messages¶

An error message typically has two parts: the part identifying the problem, and the sentence describing the remediation steps or the consequences of the error. English source may separate these with a period, semicolon, or colon. For Spanish consistency, use the period as the separator. This makes each element clearly defined and more visible.

For a concise style, prefer noun-and-adjective phrases over full sentences.

English error messages often take exclamation marks. Do not transfer exclamation marks to the Spanish translation.

The impersonal form is preferred over excessive repetition of tú. However, when an error or cause is mentioned, including the subject (in 3rd person) is required. Only when the context is clear enough should the reference be removed.

Verbs ser and estar in error messages¶

Often the verb “to be” can be omitted without losing meaning. In short sentences, prefer the nominal form.

In longer sentences with multiple participles, the verbal structure is preferred.

Standard phrases in error messages¶

Error messages containing placeholders¶

When localizing error messages with placeholders, identify what will replace each placeholder so that the resulting sentence is grammatical. Placeholder letter conventions:

• %d, %ld, %u, %lu mean <number>
• %c means <letter>
• %s means <string>

Examples:

• "Checking Web %1!d! of %2!d!" means “Checking Web of “
• "INI file "%1!-.200s!" section" means INI file "<string>" section

Treat the placeholder as the appropriate noun/numeral and move it to the position required by Spanish syntax.

Keys, keyboard shortcuts, and shortcut conventions¶

Localized key names¶

In English and Spanish, references to key names (arrow keys, function keys, numeric keys) appear in normal text (not small caps).

Keyboard shortcut conventions¶

Terminology¶

Choosing shortcuts: pick the most significant letters (generally the first character) for the most important commands. Use characters near the beginning of a word where possible. Maintain consistency across products and product families — Office and Windows are the reference.

Standard shortcut keys¶

General Windows shortcut keys¶

File menu¶

Edit menu¶

Font format and paragraph format¶

Localization considerations¶

Accessibility¶

Accessibility options and programs are designed to make computers usable by people with cognitive, hearing, physical, or visual disabilities. The hardware and software components engage a flexible, customizable UI, alternative input/output methods, and greater exposure of screen elements. Some accessible products and services may not be available in Spanish-speaking markets — verify availability with the appropriate resources. General accessibility information: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility/.

Applications, products, and features¶

Application/product names are often trademarked (or may become trademarked) and are therefore rarely translated. Some feature names are also trademarked (e.g., IntelliSense™). Before translating any application, product, or feature name, verify it is translatable and not protected.

When a product name contains a preposition, translate the preposition unless trademark/copyright instructions prevent it.

Wizard names into Spanish follow the format: Asistente + para + noun or Asistente + para + infinitive + object.

Version numbers always contain a period (e.g., Version 4.2):

Trademarks¶

Trademarked names and “Microsoft Corporation” should not be localized unless local laws require translation and an approved translated form is available.

Voice and video considerations¶

A good voice video for US Spanish addresses one intent (one customer problem), is not too long, has high audio quality, has visuals that add information, and uses the right language variant/dialect/accent in voiceover.

Successful techniques for voicing video content¶

• Focus on the intent. Show the best way to achieve the most common task and stick to it.
• Show empathy. Understand and acknowledge the viewer’s situation.
• Use SEO. Include search phrases in title, description, and headers so the topic can be found.
• Talk to the customer as if they are next to you, watching you explain the content.
• Record a scratch audio file first. Check length, pace, and clarity.

English pronunciation in Spanish voiceover¶

English terms and product names left unlocalized should be pronounced the English way (with a slight Spanish accent acceptable). If a Spanish term has an established Spanish pronunciation (e.g., “server”), use the local pronunciation. Pronunciation can be adapted to the Spanish phonetic system if the original sounds awkward.

• Numbers in product names are pronounced in Spanish: “Windows 8” → “Windows ocho” /’u̯iN.dou̯s ‘o.tʃo/.
• “r” is always pronounced the Spanish way (rolling r — as in “rosa”).

Acronyms and abbreviations in voiceover¶

Acronyms pronounced as words, adapted to local pronunciation:

Other abbreviations pronounced letter by letter:

URLs in voiceover¶

• “http://” should be left out.
• “www” is pronounced “triple w” / ‘tɾi.ple ‘do.ble ‘u/.
• “dot” is omitted, but if read out must be pronounced as “punto”.

Tone in voiceover¶

Use a tone matching the target audience: more informal, playful, and inspiring for most Microsoft products and games; more formal, informative, and factual for technical content. Confirm tone and formality level with the project’s Microsoft Product Group contact.

Video voice checklist¶

Topic and script: - Apply principles: single intent, clarity, everyday language, friendliness, relatable context.

Title: - Includes the intent. - Includes keywords for search.

Intro (10 seconds to set up the issue): - Put the problem into a relatable context.

Action and sound: - Keep something happening, both visually and audibly — but maintain appropriate pace. - Synchronize visuals with voiceover. - Fine to alternate between first and second person (for second person, use “tú”). - Repetition of big points is fine.

Visuals: - Eye is guided through the procedure with smooth, easily trackable pointer motions and judicious callout use. - Appropriate use of motion graphics and branding-approved visuals.

Ending: - Recaps are unnecessary.

Bias-free language¶

Gender bias¶

Whether the product is targeted at individual consumers, businesses, or internet audiences, recognize the sensitivity of users to male and female stereotypes. Use neutral language. The neutral approach applies to scenarios, comparisons, examples, illustrations, and metaphors. Balance roles and functions across genders:

• Active vs. passive roles
• Leading vs. secondary roles
• Technical vs. non-technical professions

Avoid referring to a specific gender when the person’s gender isn’t known or relevant (e.g., the user, a site administrator). Rewrite the sentence to make the subject plural where possible. Avoid the slash or brackets to combine genders (“el/la usuario/a”, “el usuario(a)”) — products should sound natural and people don’t talk this way.

Ethnic and racial bias¶

Ethnic or racial slurs are easy to avoid; involuntary bias from expressions or names that the represented group considers inappropriate is harder. The group and its members should be represented as they want to be — use the names the group uses for itself. These names sometimes change as cultural awareness shifts; terms used in the past may no longer be acceptable. If in doubt, research current sources.

Reference materials — authoritative US Spanish references¶

These references are normative — deviation from them automatically fails a string in most cases. When more than one solution is possible, consult this style guide for guidance.

1. Diccionario panhispánico de dudas — Real Academia Española & Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española, Madrid, Ed. Santillana, 2005. Online: rae.es/dpd.
2. Diccionario de la lengua española (Vigésima tercera edición) — Real Academia Española, Madrid, Ed. Espasa-Calpe, 2014. Online: dle.rae.es.
3. Nueva gramática de la lengua española — Real Academia Española y Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española, Madrid, Ed. Espasa-Calpe, 2009.
4. Ortografía de la lengua española — Academias de la Lengua Española, Ed. Espasa, 2010.

Supplementary references:

1. Diccionario de uso del español — Moliner, M., Madrid, Ed. Gredos, 1991.
2. Diccionario de informática (2.ª ed.) — Oxford University Press, Ed. Díaz de Santos, 1992.
3. Diccionario comentado de terminología informática — Aguado de Cea, Ed. Paraninfo, 1996.
4. Microsoft Diccionario de Informática e Internet — McGraw-Hill Interamericana, Madrid, 2001.
5. El lenguaje de la informática e Internet y su traducción — Belda Medina, J.R., Publicaciones de la Universidad de Alicante, 2003.
6. Diccionario de Internet ATI — http://www.ati.es/novatica/glointv2.html.
7. Fundéu — http://www.fundeu.es/ (current usage guidance).
8. Wikilengua del español.

FAQ¶

What’s the modern register for US Spanish translation across professional contexts?¶

Warm, conversational, scannable. The tú-form (second-person singular informal) is the recommended address across software, marketing, and consumer-facing content. Formal usted is reserved for sworn legal correspondence and certain government communications. Even in technical material, simple tenses and direct syntax beat formal compound constructions.

How is US Spanish different from Spain Spanish (es-ES)?¶

Vocabulary differs heavily — computadora vs ordenador, mouse vs ratón, video vs vídeo, costo vs coste, marketing vs mercadeo, informe vs reporte. US Spanish follows broad Latin-American norms because the US Hispanic population is overwhelmingly of Latin-American origin (Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central/South American). Spain-specific forms feel foreign. Also: no leísmo (use lo not le for masculine direct object), no vosotros, prefer cantara over cantase in past subjunctive.

Which English-influenced errors should I avoid in US Spanish translation?¶

False friends: ignorar (use omitir / pasar por alto), ocurrencia (use repetición / caso), abortar (use anular), checar (use comprobar), remover (use extraer). Queísmo and dequeísmo: omitting de before que when required (Asegúrate que → Asegúrate de que) or adding it when not required (Es posible de que → Es posible que). Excessive possessives copied from English (your computer → la computadora, not tu computadora, unless ownership truly matters).

How should I address users in US Spanish translation?¶

Use tú (second-person singular informal). Avoid third-person references like “el usuario” / “los usuarios” — they sound formal and impersonal across consumer-facing translation (software, marketing, medical, legal-consumer). Use first person (yo / nosotros) when the customer is telling the program what to do; use second person (tú) when the program is talking to the customer.

What authoritative Spanish language references should I use for US Spanish?¶

Diccionario panhispánico de dudas (RAE & ASALE, 2005), Diccionario de la lengua española (DRAE 23ª ed., 2014, dle.rae.es), Nueva gramática de la lengua española (RAE & ASALE, 2009), Ortografía de la lengua española (Academias, 2010), plus Fundéu (fundeu.es) for current usage and Wikilengua del español. For IT terminology: Microsoft Diccionario de Informática e Internet, and the ATI Diccionario de Internet.

Should US Spanish translation use ustedes or vosotros for plural address?¶

Always ustedes. Vosotros is Iberian and not used in any Latin-American variant, including US Spanish. The corresponding verb conjugations (third-person plural) apply: ustedes pueden, not vosotros podéis.

How should acronyms be handled in US Spanish?¶

Acronyms behave like nouns and take the gender of the spelled-out form. Plural is shown by the determiner, not by adding -s — las PC (correct), not las PCs. PC takes feminine gender because computadora is feminine — la PC, not el PC. Same logic for API (la API), tableta (la tablet). Widely understood acronyms (CD, DVD, DSL, IP, ANSI) stay in English without expansion; less common ones are spelled out in Spanish on first use, followed by the English acronym in parentheses.

Sources¶

• Microsoft Localization Style Guide for Spanish (United States)
• Diccionario panhispánico de dudas (RAE & ASALE)
• Diccionario de la lengua española (DRAE 23ª ed.)
• Nueva gramática de la lengua española
• Ortografía de la lengua española
• Fundéu RAE — usage guidance