Whether you are setting up a new laptop in Madrid, joining a video call with colleagues in Mexico, or just trying to connect to the wifi in a café, digital vocabulary is now essential Spanish. The tricky part is that this is one of the areas where Spain and Latin America differ the most, so it pays to learn both versions of the key words.

Here is a practical, up-to-date guide to the computer and internet words you will actually use every day.

Devices and hardware

The single biggest regional split is the word for "computer" itself. In Spain people say el ordenador; across most of Latin America it is la computadora (sometimes el computador). Both are correct — just match your audience.

  • Computer (Spain): el ordenador — computer
  • Computer (Latin America): la computadora — computer
  • Laptop: el portátil (Spain) / la laptop (Latin America) — laptop
  • Mouse: el ratón — mouse
  • Keyboard: el teclado — keyboard
  • Screen: la pantalla — screen
  • Mobile phone: el móvil (Spain) / el celular (Latin America) — mobile phone

Internet and online basics

Once you are connected, this is the core set of words for browsing, downloading, and staying safe online.

  • The internet / the net: la red — the network/internet
  • Password: la contraseña — password
  • Browser: el navegador — browser
  • To download: descargar — to download
  • To upload: subir — to upload
  • Email: el correo electrónico — email
  • The cloud: la nube — the cloud
  • File: el archivo — file

Social media and communication

Social platforms have generated their own everyday verbs, and most work the same way across the Spanish-speaking world.

  • Social media: las redes sociales — social networks
  • To post: publicar — to post/publish
  • To follow: seguir — to follow
  • Link: el enlace — link
  • Online / connected: en línea / conectado — online
  • To share: compartir — to share
  • To send a message: enviar un mensaje — to send a message

Useful everyday phrases

These are the sentences you will hear and need most often when technology gets involved:

  • No connection: No tengo internet. — I don't have internet.
  • It froze: Se ha colgado el ordenador. — The computer has frozen/crashed.
  • Asking for wifi: ¿Cuál es la contraseña del wifi? — What is the wifi password?
  • Restart it: Tienes que reiniciar el ordenador. — You have to restart the computer.
  • It won't load: La página no carga. — The page won't load.

False friends and common mistakes

Tech vocabulary is full of traps for English speakers, partly because so many words look familiar but behave differently.

  • Ordenador ≠ orderer: el ordenador means "computer" in Spain, not someone who orders things. Think of it as the machine that "orders" information.
  • El ratón is literal: the word for a computer mouse is the same as the animal, el ratón. There is no separate tech term.
  • Subir vs. descargar: learners often mix these up. Subir is to upload (send up to the cloud) and descargar is to download (bring down to your device).
  • Correo, not email in formal use: while many people say un email, the standard term is el correo electrónico, often shortened to el correo.
  • Gender matters: it is la red, la contraseña, and la nube, but el enlace and el archivo. Learn each word with its article.

👉 Read also: 100 most common Spanish words and Basic Spanish phrases.

Frequently asked questions

Should I say ordenador or computadora?

Both are correct. Use ordenador if you are speaking with people from Spain and computadora for most of Latin America. Everyone will understand either word, so pick the one that matches your audience.

How do I say "the wifi isn't working" in Spanish?

You can say El wifi no funciona (the wifi isn't working) or No tengo internet (I don't have internet). To ask for the password, use ¿Cuál es la contraseña del wifi?

Is "email" a real Spanish word?

In casual speech many people say un email or un mail, and it is widely understood. The standard term, however, is el correo electrónico, frequently shortened to el correo in everyday conversation.