About El or La
El or La is a no-ads Spanish game for children learning that every Spanish noun has a gender. A word appears with a picture — perro, a dog — and two buttons: el and la. Your child chooses the right article. Right answer? Star! Wrong answer? A gentle wobble, and the game shows them the correct one — el perro — so they learn it.
El or La is part of the Tadpole Games family. Where Spanish Words teaches Spanish vocabulary by ear, El or La teaches one of the first things a Spanish learner needs: which everyday words are masculine (el) and which are feminine (la). Its French twin, Le or La, does the same for French.
Why gender matters in Spanish
In Spanish, every noun is either masculine or feminine, and the word for “the” changes to match: el for masculine words, la for feminine ones. Word endings give a hint — many -o words are masculine and many -a words are feminine — but there are plenty of exceptions, and the reliable way to learn a Spanish noun is to learn it with its article. El or La turns that into a game.
Who El or La is for
- Children starting Spanish at school or at home — ages 5 and up.
- Bilingual or Spanish-heritage families who want a light, playful way to reinforce gender.
- Anyone learning beginner Spanish who wants to drill el vs la on everyday words until it feels automatic.
How it works
- A Spanish noun appears with a picture and its English meaning.
- Your child taps the word to hear it read aloud in Spanish (where the device has a Spanish voice).
- They choose el or la.
- Right answer? The word fills in — el perro — a star is added, and a new word starts.
- Wrong answer? A gentle wobble, and the correct article is shown and read aloud, so the lesson sticks. No losing, no timer.
- New, less common words unlock as your child earns stars.
How to play with your child
- Always say the article. Not “perro” but “el perro”. The article is part of the word.
- Listen together. Tap the word and repeat the Spanish out loud.
- Guess first. “Do you think it’s el or la?” Then tap and find out.
- Little and often. Five words a day, and the genders start to feel natural.
Frequently asked questions
Can my child fail?
No. There is no timer and no lives. A wrong tap gives a gentle wobble and then shows the correct answer — it’s a teaching moment, not a fail. Stars only go up.
Which words does El or La cover?
Around forty everyday nouns a child meets early — perro, gato, casa, coche, flor, pastel and so on — spread across five difficulty tiers that unlock as your child earns stars.
Does the ending always tell you the gender?
Often, but not always. Most -o words are masculine and most -a words feminine, but words like el día or la flor break the pattern. El or La mixes in the regular ones and a few exceptions, so your child learns the real thing, not just a rule of thumb.
More from Tadpole Games
- Le or La — the same game for French: is it le or la?
- Spanish Words — hear a Spanish word, tap the picture that matches.
- Spanish Sounds — listen and tap the photo that matches the Spanish word.
- Hispanic Flagle — the flags of the Spanish-speaking world.