Balón vs. bola vs. pelota
In Spanish, the words 'balón', 'bola', and 'pelota' all can be translated as 'ball', but they are used in different contexts. Each term has a specific nuance and is associated with certain types of balls and sports.
Balón
The word 'balón' typically refers to larger, inflated balls used in sports like soccer, basketball, or volleyball.
El jugador pateó el balón hacia la portería.
(The player kicked the ball towards the goal.)
Nos divertimos jugando con el balón de baloncesto en el parque.
(We had fun playing with the basketball in the park.)
Bola
'Bola' usually describes spherical objects that are not necessarily used for sports or have a generic shape of a ball. It can also refer to smaller or non-specific balls.
El niño rodó una bola de nieve por la colina.
(The child rolled a snowball down the hill.)
En la fiesta, había una bola gigante de discoteca en el techo.
(At the party, there was a giant disco ball on the ceiling.)
Pelota
'Pelota' is often used for smaller balls that are solid or slightly hollow and are used in games like tennis, baseball, or handball.
La niña lanzó la pelota de tenis por encima de la red.
(The girl threw the tennis ball over the net.)
Jugamos con una pelota de béisbol en el campo.
(We played with a baseball on the field.)
Summary
While 'balón' refers to larger inflated sports balls, 'bola' denotes generic spherical objects or non-specific sports balls, and 'pelota' is used for smaller solid or slightly hollow game-specific balls.