How do you say fennel in Spanish?

Fennel in Spanish is hinojo, pronounced ee-NOH-hoh. It's a masculine noun (el hinojo) and covers the bulb, fronds, and seeds of the fennel plant. At a market, ask for bulbo de hinojo for the vegetable or semillas de hinojo for the seeds.

Is the h in hinojo silent?

The h is always silent in standard Spanish, so hinojo is pronounced ee-NOH-hoh, not hee-NOH-hoh. Think of it like the h in hora (hour) — it appears in spelling but is never voiced.

Is fennel common in Spanish-speaking countries?

Fennel is widely used in Spain, especially in Mediterranean dishes and salads. In Latin America it's less common as a vegetable but well known as a tea—infusión de hinojo—used as a digestive aid. Fennel seeds also appear in some traditional sausages and baked goods.

Spanish vocabulary · Beginner

Fennel in Spanish: How to Say Hinojo and Use It in the Kitchen

Written by Sofia Ramirez, Lead Spanish Curriculum Editor · Reviewed May 2026

Hinojo · noun · ee-NOH-hoh

Fennel in Spanish is hinojo, a masculine noun (el hinojo) that refers to the entire plant—bulb, feathery fronds, and aromatic seeds alike. Whether you are ordering at a market in Spain or browsing a recipe from Argentina, hinojo is the one word you need.

Say ee-NOH-hoh. The h is silent in Spanish, so you jump straight to the i. Stress falls on the second syllable: no. The j sounds like a soft English h.

El hinojo le da un sabor anisado a la ensalada.

Fennel gives the salad an anise-like flavor.

Fennel in Spanish: Quick Reference

Below are the most common Spanish words for fennel, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.

Spanish	English	Pronunciation	Region / Register
hinojo	fennel	ee-NOH-hoh	Default, widely understood
bulbo de hinojo	fennel		fennel bulb, the vegetable form
semillas de hinojo	fennel		fennel seeds, used in cooking and teas

How Native Speakers Use Hinojo

Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.

Buying fennel at a market

¿Me da dos bulbos de hinojo, por favor?

Can I have two fennel bulbs, please?

Bulbo de hinojo specifies the vegetable portion you buy at a produce stand.

Describing fennel's flavor

El hinojo tiene un sabor parecido al anís.

Fennel has a flavor similar to anise.

Comparing hinojo to anís is the most natural way to describe its taste to someone unfamiliar with it.

Making herbal tea

Mi abuela prepara una infusión de semillas de hinojo para la digestión.

My grandmother makes a fennel seed tea for digestion.

Fennel seed tea (infusión de hinojo) is a traditional digestive remedy across the Spanish-speaking world.

Avoid These Mistakes When Using Hinojo

Pronouncing the h in hinojo

Incorrect: hee-NOH-hoh (with an audible h at the start)

Correct: ee-NOH-hoh (silent h)

The letter h is always silent in standard Spanish. Pronouncing it makes the word sound English-influenced and can confuse native speakers.

Confusing hinojo with enojo (anger)

Incorrect: Le puse enojo a la sopa. (I put anger in the soup.)

Correct: Le puse hinojo a la sopa. (I put fennel in the soup.)

Hinojo (fennel) and enojo (anger/annoyance) sound similar to English ears, but they are completely different words. Remember: hinojo starts with hi- and refers to the plant.

Lock in Fennel Vocabulary with the Parrot Method

Why word lists alone don't stick

Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.

See Hinojo used by native speakers

Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using hinojo in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear El hinojo le da un sabor anisado a la ensalada. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.

Save, review, repeat, stay consistent

Tap any word to save it. Parrot's spaced-repetition system surfaces it right before you'd forget, no manual flashcard creation. The watch, parrot back, save, review cycle turns recognition into fluency at 2.7x the speed of traditional study.

Common Questions About Fennel in Spanish

How do you say fennel in Spanish?: Fennel in Spanish is hinojo, pronounced ee-NOH-hoh. It's a masculine noun (el hinojo) and covers the bulb, fronds, and seeds of the fennel plant. At a market, ask for bulbo de hinojo for the vegetable or semillas de hinojo for the seeds.
Is the h in hinojo silent?: The h is always silent in standard Spanish, so hinojo is pronounced ee-NOH-hoh, not hee-NOH-hoh. Think of it like the h in hora (hour) — it appears in spelling but is never voiced.
Is fennel common in Spanish-speaking countries?: Fennel is widely used in Spain, especially in Mediterranean dishes and salads. In Latin America it's less common as a vegetable but well known as a tea—infusión de hinojo—used as a digestive aid. Fennel seeds also appear in some traditional sausages and baked goods.