Skip to content

adn

DNA

noun ah-deh-EH-neh Rare

Origin: Acronym of ácido desoxirribonucleico (deoxyribonucleic acid).

Usage Note

ADN is the Spanish acronym for DNA (ácido desoxirribonucleico). It is masculine: el ADN. In speech, Spaniards and Latin Americans often just say the letters individually (ah-deh-EH-neh). The phrase prueba de ADN (DNA test) is common in both forensic and ancestry contexts. Unlike many Spanish initialisms, the letters are pronounced individually rather than as a syllable.

Examples

"La prueba de ADN confirmó su identidad."

Natural Translation

The DNA test confirmed his identity.

Free starter pack

Building your Spanish vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common Spanish words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Explore Spanish by topic