Nearly all nouns in Spanish are always masculine or always feminine. But there are a few nouns that can be of either gender.

In most cases, those are the nouns describing what people do for a living, and the gender varies with the person the word stands for. Thus, for example, el dentista refers to a male dentist, while la dentista refers to a female dentist. Un artista is a male artist, while una artista is a female artist. Most of the occupational words that follow this pattern end in -ista. One common exception is atleta: un atleta is a male athlete, while una atleta is a female athlete.

When Gender Affects Meaning

But there are a few nouns where the matter of gender is more complicated. Those are the nouns whose meanings vary depending on the gender of articles or adjectives used with them. Here is a list of the most common such words; only the basic or most usual meanings are included here.

batería: el batería = male drummer; la batería = battery, female drummer

el batería = male drummer; la batería = battery, female drummer busca: el busca = pager (electronic device); la busca = search

el busca = pager (electronic device); la busca = search cabeza: el cabeza = male in charge; la cabeza = head (body part), female in charge

el cabeza = male in charge; la cabeza = head (body part), female in charge calavera: el calavera = excessively hedonistic man; la calavera = skull

el calavera = excessively hedonistic man; la calavera = skull capital: el capital = investment; la capital = capital city, capital letter

el capital = investment; la capital = capital city, capital letter circular: el circular = pie chart; la circular = circular (printed notice)

el circular = pie chart; la circular = circular (printed notice) cólera: el cólera = cholera; la cólera = anger

el cólera = cholera; la cólera = anger coma: el coma = coma; la coma = comma

el coma = coma; la coma = comma cometa: el cometa = comet; la cometa = kite

el cometa = comet; la cometa = kite consonante: el consonante = rhyme; la consonante = consonant

el consonante = rhyme; la consonante = consonant contra: el contra = drawback or organ pedal; la contra = opposing attitude or an antidote

el contra = drawback or organ pedal; la contra = opposing attitude or an antidote corte: el corte = cut, blade; la corte = court (law)

el corte = cut, blade; la corte = court (law) cura: el cura = Catholic priest; la cura = cure

el cura = Catholic priest; la cura = cure delta: el delta = delta (of a river); la delta = delta (Greek letter)

el delta = delta (of a river); la delta = delta (Greek letter) doblez: el doblez = fold, crease; la doblez = double dealing

el doblez = fold, crease; la doblez = double dealing editorial: el editorial = editorial (opinion article); la editorial = publishing business

el editorial = editorial (opinion article); la editorial = publishing business escucha: el escucha = male sentry or guard; la escucha = female sentry or guard, the act of listening

el escucha = male sentry or guard; la escucha = female sentry or guard, the act of listening final: el final = end; la final = championship game in a tournament

el final = end; la final = championship game in a tournament frente: el frente = front; la frente = forehead

el frente = front; la frente = forehead guardia: el guardia = policeman; la guardia = protection, custody, guard, police force, policewoman

el guardia = policeman; la guardia = protection, custody, guard, police force, policewoman guía: el guía = male guide; la guía = guidebook, female guide

el guía = male guide; la guía = guidebook, female guide haz: el haz = bundle or light beam; la haz = face or surface (La haz is an exception to the rule about using el with feminine nouns beginning with a stressed a sound.)

el haz = bundle or light beam; la haz = face or surface (La haz is an exception to the rule about using el with feminine nouns beginning with a stressed a sound.) mañana: el mañana = future; la mañana = morning

el mañana = future; la mañana = morning margen: el margen = margin; la margen = bank (as of a river)

el margen = margin; la margen = bank (as of a river) moral: el moral = blackberry bush; la moral = morale, morality

el moral = blackberry bush; la moral = morale, morality orden: el orden = order (opposite of chaos); la orden = religious order

el orden = order (opposite of chaos); la orden = religious order ordenanza: el ordenanza = order (opposite of chaos); la ordenanza = orderly

el ordenanza = order (opposite of chaos); la ordenanza = orderly papa: el papa = pope; la papa = potato

el papa = pope; la papa = potato parte: el parte = document; la parte = portion

el parte = document; la parte = portion pendiente: el pendiente = earring; la pendiente = slope

el pendiente = earring; la pendiente = slope pez: el pez = fish; la pez = tar or pitch

el pez = fish; la pez = tar or pitch policía: el policía = policeman; la policía = police force, policewoman

el policía = policeman; la policía = police force, policewoman radio: el radio = radius, radium; la radio = radio (In some areas, radio is masculine in all uses.)

el radio = radius, radium; la radio = radio (In some areas, radio is masculine in all uses.) tema: el tema = subject; la tema = obsession (traditionally feminine for this meaning, although in modern usage tema is usually masculine for all uses)

el tema = subject; la tema = obsession (traditionally feminine for this meaning, although in modern usage tema is usually masculine for all uses) terminal: el terminal = electrical terminal; la terminal = shipping terminal

el terminal = electrical terminal; la terminal = shipping terminal trompeta: el trompeta = male trumpeter; la trompeta = trumpet, female trumpeter

el trompeta = male trumpeter; la trompeta = trumpet, female trumpeter vista: el vista = male customs officer; la vista = view, female customs officer

el vista = male customs officer; la vista = view, female customs officer vocal: el vocal = male committee member; la vocal = vowel, female committee member

Why Some Nouns Have Two Genders

The reasons some of the nouns in this list have two genders is lost in history, but in a few cases the dual gender is a matter of etymology: The masculine noun and feminine are separate words that only coincidentally have the same sound and spelling, making them homographs.

Among the homograph pairs on this list are: