¿EL o LA? Select the Correct Article in Spanish, Online Exercise

Learning the gender of nouns in Spanish can be quite a challenge. Although the basic rule tells us that words ending in “o” are masculine (el) and those ending in “a” are feminine (la), the language is full of important exceptions.

In this interactive online exercise, you’ll test your memory and knowledge with the most common “tricky words” in the vocabulary. Select the correct article in Spanish for each word. Don’t be fooled by appearances!

¿El o La?

Selecciona el artículo correcto para cada sustantivo.

problema
ciudad
mapa
mano
libro
canción
día
foto
idioma
moto
planeta
universidad
tema
radio
sofá

Tips for Mastering Spanish Gender

To make sure you never fall into these traps, memorize these three quick tips on exceptions in Spanish vocabulary:

  • Greek origins (-ma, -ta, -pa). Many words that end in “a” but are masculine come from Greek. That’s why we say el problema or el planeta.

  • Abbreviated words. Words like la foto or la radio end in “o,” but use the feminine article “la” because they’re actually short forms of longer feminine words (fotografía, radiodifusión).

  • The endings -ción and -dad. Any noun ending in these letters is always feminine, without exception. For example: la canción, la ciudad.

Spanish Noun Gender Online Exercise

If your goal is to learn Spanish from scratch, mastering the gender of nouns in Spanish is one of the first and most important steps.

In this Spanish noun gender online exercise, you will test your ability to differentiate between masculine and feminine words. It is an ideal practice for those taking basic Spanish classes, as it includes both regular vocabulary and the dreaded exceptions that confuse most students.

Sustantivos

Nouns

libro
casa
problema
mano
mapa
radio
día
foto
planeta
canción
ciudad
gato
idioma
televisión

Masculino

el / un

Femenino

la / una

How to complete this classification exercise?

To make the most of this resource and improve your grammar before taking a Spanish certification or exam, follow these steps in our interactive exercise:

  1. Analyze the nouns: look at the list of available words at the top (such as libro, casa, problema or canción).

  2. Drag and Drop: classify each word by placing it in the corresponding box: Masculine (el / un) or Feminine (la / una).

  3. Check your answers: once you have classified all the words, click the bottom button "Comprobar / Check" to see your correct answers and fix your mistakes instantly, if any.

Key rules and exceptions for gender in Spanish

Preparing through online Spanish courses or on your own requires knowing the tricks of the language well. This exercise is strategically designed with trick words. By solving it, you will review:

  • The general rule: nouns ending in -o are usually masculine (gato) and those ending in -a are usually feminine (casa).

  • Specific feminine endings: Words ending in -ción or -dad are always feminine, like canción and ciudad.

  • The big exceptions (be careful! ¡ten cuidado!): you will test words of Greek origin ending in -ma or -ta that are masculine (like el problema) and words ending in -o that are feminine because they are abbreviations (la fotografía).

Don't get discouraged if you fail on the first try. Review your answers and keep practicing with our Spanish grammar exercises to take your Spanish to the next level.

Classify nouns in Spanish 1

In the activity Classify nouns in Spanish 1, you will see a list of nouns, each accompanied by an article (e.g., el, la). Your task is to classify the nouns by dragging and dropping them into the correct column based on their gender (masculine or feminine). All of them are in singular.

This activity is helpful for beginners of different ages.

If you want to practice nouns in Spanish or you are a teacher or parent looking for resources related to this topic for your students or children, don't hesitate try this online activity.
 

Here are some tips:

  1. Pay attention to the ending of the word: words ending in -o are often masculine, and words ending in -a are often feminine, but there are exceptions.
  2. Use the definite article in singular (el, la) as a clue to help you identify the gender of each noun. The article will help you know for sure.

¡Vamos!

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Complete the sentences with nouns in Spanish

If you want to practice nouns in an easy way, try the online exercise 'Complete the sentences with nouns in Spanish'.

In this activity, you will see a sentence with a missing word. Your task is to drag and drop the correct noun from the options provided to complete the sentence. Pay close attention to the gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) of the noun so that it matches the rest of the sentence. 
If you click on the nouns, you can listen to them.

If the dragged words are correct, they will appear in green. If they are incorrect, they will appear in red.

This activity is helpful for beginners of different ages.

If you want to practice nouns in Spanish or you are a teacher or parent looking for additional resources for your students or children, don't hesitate try this activity.
 
¡Comenzamos!

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Complete the sentences with nouns in Spanish