Spain Languages

Spain Wiki Topics

Spain Beginning Research

Getting Started Online Learning Record Finder Research Strategies

Record Types

Cemeteries Census Church Directories Church Records Civil Registration Compiled Genealogies Court Records Directories Emigration & Immigration Heraldry Jewish Records Military Records Newspapers Nobility Notarial Records Online Genealogy Records Religious Records

Spain Background

Church History For Further Reading Gazetteers Handwriting Historical Geography History Languages Maps Naming Customs Periodicals Social Life & Customs

Spain Genealogical Word Lists

Catalan Latin Spanish

Cultural Groups

Cultural Groups

Local Research Resources

Archives & Libraries Societies Local FamilySearch Center

In other languages: Español

Spain

Languages

Reading the Records

• You do not have to be fluent in Spanish to read your documents. Genealogical records usually contain a limited vocabulary.
• Use the Spanish Genealogical Word List, the Latin Genealogical Word List, and the Catalan Genealogical Word List to translate the important points in the document.
• Reading handwriting skills are taught in the BYU Spanish Script Tutorial.

• Online interactive slideshow lessons are available to help you learn to read these records:

• Reading Spanish Handwriting

• Detailed instructions for reading Spanish records, examples of common documents, and practice exercises for developing skills in translating them can be found in the Spanish Records Extraction Manual.
• The Spanish Documents Script Tutorial also provides lessons and examples.