What is the difference between "pelo and cabello"?

Question

Please explain the difference between the words pelo and cabello.

:) - ian-hill, Jun 24, 2014

Answer 1

This question is asked a lot, and if you search the forum you'll find many anwers. Here is one example. There is a difference.

Answer 2

Pelo is any kind of hair. Cabello is only the hair on the head.

So you can say: Mi pelo es muy largo (I have very long hair), but you cannot say: el cabello de sus brazos es muy suave . It must be: "el pelo de sus brazos es muy suave" (the hair in his /her arms is very soft).

Also, there are animals that have "pelo", but no animal has "cabello", so cabello is kind of human :) - cogumela, Jan 26, 2012

@Cogumela: true, true. Only human head hair. :-) Funny that, huh? - Gekkosan, Jan 26, 2012

Answer 3

It seems that "cabello" is used specifically for hair on your head. "Pelo" is can be used for the hair on your head, animal fur/coat, the fuzzy stuff on peaches, the downy feathers on a bird, and much more. See this link.

Wow, it seems I'm a bit too late. Missed it by a "hair"...lol ok ok, corny. I know :P - Goldie_Miel, Jan 26, 2012

that was pretty cool, lol - rac1, Jan 26, 2012

haha, thanks. - Goldie_Miel, Jan 26, 2012

Answer 4

cabello = on head

pelo = anywhere on body

Thanks for further clarification on this interesting issue. - Sassette, Sep 1, 2015

Answer 5

Cabello also means gentleman and it also is the type of fish that we in English call a mackerel. Oh and it is a horse as well.

Caballero*? - Goldie_Miel, Jan 26, 2012

Caballo* for horse - Goldie_Miel, Jan 26, 2012

Granted, they *do* sound alike, but as Goldie says: gentleman= caballero; mackerel= caballa;horse= caballo, cavalry= caballería, descabellado= haywire,and qué bello= how pretty. :) - Gekkosan, Jan 26, 2012

Thank you both for that. - kenwilliams, Jan 26, 2012

Answer 6

I believe they are the same thing but if you find that I am wrong please tell me.

No, they are not....pelo is like a single hair or "me voy a lavar el pelo" and cabello is like "head of hair" - rac1, Jan 27, 2012

Answer 7

"Cabello" is on "cabeza." That's the way I will remember this.

Answer 8

I don´t understand how this thread is here currently since there have been no comments made for a very long time, however:

It must be: "el pelo de sus brazos es muy suave" (the hair in his /her arms is very soft).

I agree with this, but in this case it´s more common, at least in Mexico, to say los vellos.

Answer 9

Cabella = mackerel

??? - rac1, Aug 31, 2015

It does but that was not the question. - ian-hill, Sep 1, 2015