tirar la toalla

[t̪iˈɾaɾ la t̪oˈaʝa]

/[t̪iˈɾaɾ la t̪oˈaʝa]/ phrase

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“tirar la toalla” is outside the top-ranked Spanish vocabulary, used as a phrase - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency Spanish
15
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Rendirse, dejar de luchar o esforzarse.

Key facts for tirar la toalla
PropertyValue
Headwordtirar la toalla
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechPhrase
IPA[t̪iˈɾaɾ la t̪oˈaʝa]
Letters15
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “tirar la toalla” sits in Spanish frequency

tirar la toalla falls outside the top-100,000 ranked Spanish words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The Spanish entry for tirar la toalla is 15 letters long, classified as a phrase, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [t̪iˈɾaɾ la t̪oˈaʝa]. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Rendirse, dejar de luchar o esforzarse.".

No generated misspelling entries exist for tirar la toalla in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct Spanish form is tirar la toalla, spelled T-I-R-A-R- -L-A- -T-O-A-L-L-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    Rendirse, dejar de luchar o esforzarse.

This word in other languages

throw in the towel(English)das Handtuch werfen(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "tirar la toalla"?
"tirar la toalla" is spelled T-I-R-A-R- -L-A- -T-O-A-L-L-A. The IPA pronunciation is [t̪iˈɾaɾ la t̪oˈaʝa].
What does "tirar la toalla" mean?
As a phrase, "tirar la toalla" means: Rendirse, dejar de luchar o esforzarse.
How do you pronounce "tirar la toalla"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tirar la toalla" is [t̪iˈɾaɾ la t̪oˈaʝa]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "tirar la toalla" come from?
"tirar la toalla" is a Spanish word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “tirar la toalla”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is T-I-R-A-R- -L-A- -T-O-A-L-L-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [t̪iˈɾaɾ la t̪oˈaʝa] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more Spanish words and confusable pairs in the same reference. Spanish words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list