rompecabezas

Spanish

Etymology

Verb-object compound, composed of rompe (“to break”) +‎ cabezas (“heads”). Compare French casse-tête.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /rompekaˈbeθas/ [rõm.pe.kaˈβ̞e.θas] (Equatorial Guinea, Spain)
• IPA^(key): /rompekaˈbesas/ [rõm.pe.kaˈβ̞e.sas] (Latin America, Philippines)
• Rhymes: -eθas (Equatorial Guinea, Spain)
• Rhymes: -esas (Latin America, Philippines)
• Syllabification: rom‧pe‧ca‧be‧zas

Noun

rompecabezas m (plural rompecabezas)

1. a jigsaw puzzle

   Synonym: puzle

Further reading

• “rompecabezas”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025