1 in Spanish = uno

The number 1 in Spanish is pronounced "OO-noh" (with stress on the first syllable), written as "uno", and spelled u-n-o.

Quick Answer

Pronunciation

Uno has two syllables: u-no

Step by step:

1. "U" - Say "OO" (like "oo" in "food")
2. "no" - Say "noh" (like "no" in English)
3. Put stress on the first syllable: OO-noh

Common mistakes:

• Saying "oo-NO" with stress on the second syllable—it should be U-no
• Pronouncing the "u" like English "you"—it should be a pure "oo" sound
• Making the "o" sound too much like English "oh"—it's shorter and crisper in Spanish

Regional pronunciation: The pronunciation of uno is consistent across all Spanish-speaking regions. The differences are minimal and mostly involve the crispness of the vowels.

The Word "Uno"

Spelling: u-n-o

• Masculine form: uno
• Feminine form: una
• Shortened form before masculine nouns: un
• Masculine noun: el uno
• No accent marks

Origin: From Latin "ūnus" meaning "one"

Uno vs Un vs Una

This is crucial for Spanish learners:

Uno - Used when counting or when "one" stands alone

• Counting: uno, dos, tres...
• "I have one" = "Tengo uno"
• "Number one" = "Número uno"

Un - Used before masculine nouns

• Un libro = one book / a book
• Un gato = one cat / a cat
• Un día = one day / a day

Una - Used before feminine nouns

• Una mesa = one table / a table
• Una casa = one house / a house
• Una vez = one time / once

Practical Usage

Counting: When counting: uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco...

Phone numbers: Each digit is pronounced separately:

• 1 = uno
• Example: 512-1234 = cinco-uno-dos, uno-dos-tres-cuatro

Prices:

• 1€ = un euro
• €1.50 = un euro cincuenta (céntimos)
• €21 = veintiún euros (note: veintiuno becomes veintiún before "euros")

Times:

• 1:00 = la una (feminine because "hora" is feminine)
• 1:15 = la una y cuarto
• 1:30 = la una y media
• Note: It's "la una" (singular), not "las una"

Dates:

• The 1st = el uno (el primero for the first day of the month)
• January 1st = el primero de enero (NOT el uno de enero)
• May 1st = el primero de mayo
• Learn about zero in Spanish for complete phone numbers

Ages:

• 1 year old = un año

Addresses:

• Room 1 = habitación uno
• Apartment 1 = apartamento uno
• Floor 1 = piso uno / primer piso

Compound Numbers with 1

11-19:

• 11 = once
• 21 = veintiuno
• 31 = treinta y uno
• 41 = cuarenta y uno

Before masculine nouns:

• 21 books = veintiún libros (veintiuno → veintiún)
• 31 days = treinta y un días (uno → un)

Before feminine nouns:

• 21 tables = veintiuna mesas (veintiuno → veintiuna)
• 31 nights = treinta y una noches (uno → una)

Regional Variations

Uno is pronounced consistently across all Spanish-speaking countries:

Spain: OO-noh Mexico: OO-noh Argentina: OO-noh Colombia: OO-noh All regions: OO-noh

The word and pronunciation are universal.

Common Phrases with 1

uno por uno: One by one

uno mismo/una misma: Oneself

• "Hacerlo uno mismo" = To do it oneself

de uno en uno: One at a time

uno a uno: One to one, one by one

ni uno: Not a single one

• "No tengo ni uno" = I don't have a single one

todo en uno: All in one

cada uno: Each one, everyone

• "Cada uno a lo suyo" = Each to his own

alguno: Some, someone (related to uno)

ninguno: None, no one (related to uno)

más de uno: More than one

Grammar Notes

Gender agreement:

• Uno changes to una before feminine nouns
• Uno shortens to un before masculine nouns

With "de":

• "One of them" = uno de ellos / una de ellas

Apocopation (shortening): When uno comes before a masculine noun, it becomes un:

• Uno libro ❌ → Un libro ✓
• Uno hombre ❌ → Un hombre ✓

This does NOT happen with feminine nouns:

• Una casa ✓ (stays "una")

Numbers ending in uno:

• 21, 31, 41, etc. follow the same rules
• Veintiún días (masculine)
• Veintiuna noches (feminine)

Ordinal vs Cardinal

Cardinal (counting): uno, dos, tres

• Used for quantities: "Tengo uno"

Ordinal (ordering): primero, segundo, tercero

• "First" = primero/a (not uno)
• The first day = el primer día
• Exception: For dates, only the 1st uses "primero"; others use cardinal numbers

Quick Takeaways

• 1 in Spanish is uno, pronounced "OO-noh" with stress on the first syllable
• Use uno when counting or when it stands alone
• Use un before masculine nouns, una before feminine nouns
• For times, use "la una" (feminine) because "hora" is feminine
• For the 1st of the month, use "el primero" not "el uno"
• Numbers ending in 1 (21, 31) also change: veintiún/veintiuna
• The pronunciation is consistent across all Spanish-speaking regions
• Comes from Latin "ūnus"

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If you're traveling in Spanish-speaking countries and need to hear numbers in context, TravelNum shows you exactly how any number is pronounced in Spanish.