Tinnitus in Spanish Means | Say It Right, Get Understood

In Spanish, clinicians describe ringing or buzzing you hear with no external sound as acúfenos, and they may also use the word tinnitus.

If you’re trying to translate “tinnitus” into Spanish, you’ll see more than one “correct” option. That’s normal. Spanish has a formal medical term, a direct loanword, and plain everyday phrasing people use at home.

This guide clears up what each Spanish term means, when to use it, how it sounds, and which words are most likely to get you understood in a clinic, on a phone call, or in a pharmacy line.

What tinnitus means in Spanish for medical visits

In medical Spanish, the closest match to tinnitus is acúfenos (also written as acúfeno in singular). It refers to hearing a sound that isn’t coming from an outside source. Spanish dictionaries define acúfeno as an auditory sensation where the sound does not come from an external source, which lines up with the standard definition of tinnitus. You can see that definition in the RAE entry for “acúfeno”.

In many clinics, you’ll also hear tinnitus used directly, especially in written materials, test reports, and specialist settings. Major health sources in Spanish use both terms side by side, such as the NIDCD page in Spanish on tinnitus and the MSD Manuals overview on “zumbidos o pitidos en los oídos”.

Quick translation you can trust

If you want one phrase that works in most situations, use this:

• Acúfenos = the standard medical Spanish term for tinnitus
• Tinnitus = widely used loanword in Spanish medical settings
• Zumbido en los oídos = plain wording that’s easy for anyone to understand

Why you’ll see more than one Spanish term

Tinnitus is a symptom label, not a single disease. Spanish materials reflect that by pairing the clinical label with everyday language. One page might headline “Tinnitus” and then explain it as “zumbido” or “pitidos” to make the meaning clear to a wider audience. MedlinePlus, for instance, describes tinnitus as “un zumbido en los oídos” on its Spanish page about the condition: MedlinePlus en español: Tinnitus.

Tinnitus in Spanish means what, exactly, in real conversation?

In real conversation, people rarely say “acúfenos” unless they learned it from a clinician or a test report. Most people describe the sound they hear. That description still maps to tinnitus, and it’s often the fastest way to be understood.

Common everyday descriptions

These phrases communicate tinnitus clearly, even if the listener has never heard the word:

• Tengo un zumbido en el oído (I have a buzzing in my ear)
• Me pitan los oídos (My ears are ringing/whistling)
• Oigo un pitido (I hear a beep/whistle)
• Escucho un ruido constante (I hear a constant noise)

If you’re speaking to a clinician, you can pair the plain wording with the medical term: “Tengo un zumbido constante; me dijeron que son acúfenos.” That single sentence usually lands well.

What “acúfenos” includes

People use “ringing” as shorthand in English, but tinnitus can sound like many things. Spanish descriptions match that range: zumbido (buzzing), pitido (beeping/whistling), siseo (hissing), chasquido (clicking), rugido (roaring). The NIDCD notes this range in both its English and Spanish materials, describing tinnitus as ringing but also other sounds like buzzing or roaring.

How to pronounce the Spanish terms without stress

You don’t need a perfect accent to be understood, but clean pronunciation helps, especially over the phone.

Acúfenos

• Approximate sound: ah-KOO-feh-nos
• Stress: on the “KOO” syllable (the written accent mark signals the stress)
• Singular: acúfeno (ah-KOO-feh-no)

Tinnitus

Spanish speakers usually pronounce it close to “tee-NEE-toos,” though accents vary. If you say the English pronunciation, many clinicians will still understand you, since it’s a shared medical term.

Terms you’ll hear by region

Spanish varies by country, and health vocabulary varies too. The good news: you can speak plainly and still be clear.

Spain

You’re more likely to hear acúfenos in Spain in clinic settings, with everyday phrasing like zumbido or pitidos used outside the clinic.

Latin America

You may hear tinnitus used frequently in medical contexts, along with everyday phrases. Many people still default to describing the sound rather than naming the symptom.

US Spanish

Bilingual materials often use both: “tinnitus (zumbido en los oídos)” or “acúfenos (tinnitus).” This is common in patient education handouts and hospital pages.

When “ringing in the ears” is not the same thing

In English, people sometimes use “ringing in the ears” for any ear noise, even short-lived ringing after a loud concert. Spanish speakers do the same with “me pitan los oídos.” That phrase can refer to a brief episode or an ongoing pattern.

If you’re trying to communicate a persistent symptom, add one detail: time. It changes the meaning instantly.

Time phrases that clarify your meaning

• Desde hace semanas (for weeks)
• Desde hace meses (for months)
• Todo el día (all day)
• Por la noche se nota más (at night it’s more noticeable)
• Va y viene (it comes and goes)

How to describe your tinnitus in Spanish with the details clinicians ask for

When you describe tinnitus well, you save time. Most clinicians want the same core details, no matter the language.

Sound quality

• Es un pitido agudo (It’s a high-pitched whistle)
• Es como un zumbido grave (It’s like a low buzzing)
• Es un siseo (It’s a hiss)
• Late al ritmo del pulso (It beats with my pulse)

Where you hear it

• En el oído derecho (right ear)
• En el oído izquierdo (left ear)
• En ambos oídos (both ears)
• En la cabeza (in my head)

What changes it

• Empeora en silencio (worse in silence)
• Empeora con ruido fuerte (worse with loud noise)
• Me cuesta dormir (it makes sleep hard)
• Me cuesta concentrarme (it makes concentration hard)

Spanish terms you’ll see in articles, test results, and clinic notes

The same symptom may be labeled differently depending on the document. That can feel confusing when you’re translating for a family member or reading a report from an audiology visit.

Here’s a practical map of the most common terms and where they tend to show up.

Spanish term	Where you’ll see it	What it signals
Acúfenos	ENT visits, audiology reports	Formal clinical label for tinnitus
Acúfeno	Singular mention in notes	One tinnitus symptom described as a single item
Tinnitus	Handouts, diagnosis lists, specialist notes	Loanword used alongside Spanish terms
Zumbido en los oídos	General health pages, patient explanations	Plain-language meaning of tinnitus
Pitidos en los oídos	Everyday talk, symptom descriptions	Ringing/whistling sensation, may be brief or ongoing
Ruidos en el oído	General symptom summaries	Broad label; may include crackling or pressure sounds
Tinnitus pulsátil	Clinic notes when pulse-synced	Sound matches heartbeat; needs careful evaluation
Hipoacusia	Hearing test results	Hearing loss, often linked with tinnitus in adults
Otorrinolaringólogo	Referrals	ENT specialist (ear, nose, throat)

Red flags Spanish speakers use when seeking urgent care

Most tinnitus is not a medical emergency, but certain patterns deserve prompt evaluation. Public-facing medical references in Spanish flag warning signs such as sudden hearing loss, one-sided symptoms paired with new neurologic signs, or tinnitus that follows head injury. The MSD Manuals patient page walks through warning signs and how clinicians evaluate ear ringing and related symptoms.

If you’re translating for someone, these Spanish phrases can help communicate urgency clearly:

• Empezó de repente (It started suddenly)
• Perdí audición de golpe (I lost hearing suddenly)
• Tengo mareo intenso (I have intense dizziness)
• Tengo debilidad en la cara (I have facial weakness)
• Me pasó después de un golpe (It happened after a hit/injury)
• Es solo de un lado (It’s only on one side)

If any of these are true, it’s reasonable to seek medical evaluation quickly rather than waiting it out.

Useful Spanish phrases to describe tinnitus clearly

When you’re in a clinic, short phrases beat long explanations. Use one sentence for the sound, one for timing, and one for impact.

Spanish phrase	English meaning	Best time to use it
Tengo un zumbido constante	I have constant buzzing	When the sound is steady
Me pitan los oídos	My ears are ringing	When describing ringing/whistling
Lo oigo más por la noche	I hear it more at night	When quiet makes it stand out
Me empezó después de ruido fuerte	It started after loud noise	After concerts, tools, or workplace noise
Late con el pulso	It beats with my pulse	When the sound matches heartbeat
Me cuesta dormir	It makes sleep hard	When symptoms affect rest
También tengo pérdida de audición	I also have hearing loss	When hearing feels reduced or muffled
Quiero una prueba de audición	I want a hearing test	When requesting audiology evaluation

How Spanish-language health sites define tinnitus

If you’re checking your translation against trusted sources, look for the same core idea repeated across them: a perceived sound with no external sound present. MedlinePlus describes tinnitus as “un zumbido en los oídos,” while the NIDCD describes it as a ringing sound and also other sounds like buzzing or roaring. The MSD Manuals patient page frames it as “zumbidos o pitidos” and uses “acúfenos (tinnitus)” as the clinical label.

When multiple top-tier sources match on the meaning, you can trust your Spanish phrasing even if the exact word choice differs.

How to write it correctly in Spanish

Spelling matters when you’re searching for Spanish articles or filling out medical forms.

Acúfenos vs. acufenos

The accent mark in acúfenos is standard spelling. Many people omit accents when typing on an English keyboard, so you will still find “acufenos” in search results. If you can type the accent, use it.

Plural vs. singular

Spanish uses singular and plural in a way that can surprise English speakers:

• Acúfenos (plural) is commonly used as the condition label in Spanish
• Acúfeno (singular) can appear in definitions or when referring to one perceived sound

Simple Spanish you can use in one line

If you need a clean, one-line translation for a caption, message, or short note, these options work well:

• Tinnitus: “Tinnitus (acúfenos)”
• Plain language: “Zumbido en los oídos (acúfenos)”
• Everyday message: “Tengo un pitido en el oído desde hace meses”

If you’re translating for a parent or patient, use this mini script

Translation gets easier when you stick to a pattern. Here’s a short script you can reuse and adapt without sounding stiff:

• Sound: “Oigo un pitido / un zumbido.”
• Timing: “Desde hace ___ semanas/meses.”
• Place: “En el oído derecho/izquierdo/en ambos.”
• Impact: “Me cuesta dormir / concentrarme.”

That set of details matches what clinicians ask and keeps the conversation moving.