Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
How to Say Ten in Spanish: Diez
Diez · number / noun (masculine) · dee-EHS
Ten is diez in Spanish, a single invariable word that does not change for gender or number. It serves as the foundation for the teens (dieciséis, diecisiete, dieciocho, diecinueve) and the tens (veinte, treinta, cuarenta...). In school grading systems across Latin America, un diez (a ten) is a perfect score — equivalent to an A+.
Diez is dee-EHS, essentially one syllable blending into two. The ie is a diphthong (pronounced together quickly). The z is pronounced as s in Latin America and th (like 'teeth') in most of Spain.
Tengo diez minutos antes de mi próxima clase.
I have ten minutes before my next class.
How Native Speakers Use Diez
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Counting
Cuenta hasta diez antes de abrir los ojos.
Count to ten before opening your eyes.
Contar hasta diez is a common phrase in games and calming exercises. Hasta means 'up to' or 'until.'
Telling time
Son las diez de la mañana y ya hace calor.
It's ten in the morning and it's already hot.
Las diez uses the feminine article las because hora (hour) is feminine. Son is plural because diez is more than one.
Perfect grade
Saqué un diez en el examen de matemáticas.
I got a ten (perfect score) on the math exam.
Sacar un diez means to get a perfect score. Many Latin American countries use a 1–10 grading scale, where diez is the best possible grade.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Diez
Trying to make diez agree in gender
Incorrect: Tengo dieza manzanas.
Correct: Tengo diez manzanas.
Numbers in Spanish do not change for gender (except uno/una and numbers containing uno). Diez is always diez regardless of the noun it modifies.
Pronouncing the z as English z
Incorrect: dee-EHZ (buzzing z sound)
Correct: dee-EHS (s sound in Latin America) or dee-EHTH (th sound in Spain)
Spanish z is never pronounced as the buzzing English z. In Latin America it sounds like s; in most of Spain it sounds like the th in 'think.'
Lock in Ten 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 Diez used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using diez in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Tengo diez minutos antes de mi próxima clase. 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 Ten in Spanish
- How do I count from ten to twenty in Spanish?
- Diez (10), once (11), doce (12), trece (13), catorce (14), quince (15), dieciséis (16), diecisiete (17), dieciocho (18), diecinueve (19), veinte (20). Numbers 16–19 are single compound words built on diez.
- What does 'un diez' mean in school?
- A perfect score. In many Spanish-speaking countries, the grading scale runs from 0 or 1 to 10. Sacar un diez (to get a ten) means acing the test. It is the equivalent of an A+ in the American system.
- Is diez masculine or feminine?
- When used as a noun (el diez), it is masculine. As a number modifying a noun, it is invariable — it does not have gender: diez hombres, diez mujeres.