Learn How to Pronounce Los | YouPronounce.it
How to Pronounce Los
(Listen to the audio below for the stress and intonation)
Meaning and Context
Los is a fundamental Spanish definite article, the masculine plural form of 'el,' translating directly to 'the' in English, as used in phrases like los niños (the children) or los libros (the books). Beyond its primary grammatical role, it also functions as a masculine plural direct object pronoun, meaning 'them,' as in Yo los vi (I saw them). This linguistic cornerstone is essential for learning Spanish and achieving Spanish fluency, forming the bedrock of basic Spanish grammar. Its utility extends far beyond language, however, as "LOS" is a prevalent acronym and abbreviation across multiple fields. In American football, LOS universally denotes the line of scrimmage, the critical imaginary line where play begins. In healthcare administration and hospital management, it stands for length of stay, a key medical metric for patient care and resource planning. The term is also indelibly linked to global culture through proper names such as Los Angeles, California (The Angels), the influential British indie rock band Los Campesinos!, and the mythological figure Los, the eternal prophet and creator in William Blake's prophetic books.
Common Mistakes and Alternative Spellings
As a Spanish word, "los" is phonetically straightforward and rarely misspelled in isolation, though common errors arise from confusion with other articles and pronouns. Learners often mix up the direct object pronouns los (them, masculine) and las (them, feminine), leading to grammatical gender errors. A frequent typo, especially in English-language contexts, is the accidental capitalization of the entire word as "LOS" when intending to write the Spanish article in lowercase. When used as an acronym, it is correctly styled in all capital letters (LOS) without periods, though the variant "L.O.S." is occasionally seen. In references to the city, a common mistake is omitting the article altogether and writing "Angeles" instead of Los Angeles. For the line of scrimmage, a rare but notable error is the misspelling "line of scrimage," which could incorrectly lead to an acronym like "LOS" being misinterpreted.
Example Sentences
To master basic Spanish conversation, one must correctly use articles like los before plural masculine nouns.
The hospital's new software tracks the average LOS to improve patient turnover and bed availability.
On the critical third-down play, the defensive end jumped offsides, crossing the LOS before the snap.
We spent our vacation exploring the diverse neighborhoods of Los Angeles, from downtown to the beaches.
In his epic poem The Four Zoas, William Blake portrays Los as a divine blacksmith forging the sun and moon.
The coach reminded the players that the battle in the trenches starts right at the line of scrimmage (LOS).
Los vi ayer en el parque, pero no me reconocieron (I saw them yesterday in the park, but they didn't recognize me).
A shorter length of stay (LOS) is often correlated with successful outpatient follow-up care.
The indie playlist featured energetic tracks by Los Campesinos! and other guitar-driven bands.