Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
Pillow in Spanish: Almohada, Cojín, and the Difference Between Them
Almohada · noun · ahl-moh-AH-dah
Pillow in Spanish is almohada — specifically the pillow you rest your head on in bed. For decorative cushions on a sofa, the word is cojín. In parts of South America, almohadón refers to a large, plush pillow.
Four syllables: ahl-moh-AH-dah. The stress lands on the third syllable. The h is silent, as it always is in Spanish.
Necesito una almohada más firme para dormir bien.
I need a firmer pillow to sleep well.
Pillow in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for pillow, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| almohada | pillow | ahl-moh-AH-dah | Default, widely understood |
| cojín | pillow | cushion or throw pillow (decorative) | |
| almohadón | pillow | large pillow or floor cushion (Argentina, Uruguay) |
How Native Speakers Use Almohada
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Talking about sleeping comfort
Me desperté con dolor de cuello porque mi almohada es muy baja.
I woke up with neck pain because my pillow is too flat.
Almohada is the standard word for a bed pillow everywhere in the Spanish-speaking world.
Decorating a living room
Compré cuatro cojines nuevos para el sofá.
I bought four new throw pillows for the couch.
Cojín is used for decorative or accent pillows, not the ones you sleep on.
Asking for an extra pillow at a hotel
Disculpe, ¿podría traerme otra almohada a la habitación?
Excuse me, could you bring me another pillow to the room?
Useful hotel phrase; almohada is universally understood across all Spanish-speaking countries.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Almohada
Using cojín for a sleeping pillow
Incorrect: Duermo sin cojín porque me gusta la cama plana.
Correct: Duermo sin almohada porque me gusta la cama plana.
Cojín refers to a small decorative cushion. The pillow you sleep on is always almohada.
Pronouncing the h in almohada
Incorrect: al-mo-HAH-dah (with an audible h)
Correct: ahl-moh-AH-dah (silent h)
Almohada has an h between the second and third vowels, but it produces no sound at all. Say ahl-moh-AH-dah as if the h were not written; adding an English-style aspiration breaks the natural rhythm of the word.
Lock in Pillow 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 Almohada used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using almohada in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Necesito una almohada más firme para dormir bien. 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 Pillow in Spanish
- How do you say pillow in Spanish?
- A bed pillow is almohada (ahl-moh-AH-dah). A decorative couch pillow is cojín (koh-HEEN). Both are masculine-article-free: la almohada, el cojín.
- What is the difference between almohada and cojín?
- Almohada is the pillow you sleep on. Cojín is a smaller cushion used for decoration or seating comfort, like a throw pillow on a sofa or a chair pad.
- Is almohada masculine or feminine?
- Almohada is feminine: la almohada. Even though it ends in -a (which typically signals feminine), the word derives from Arabic, which is common for Spanish words beginning with al-.