In 2026, the local and official name for the largest of the Balearic Islands is Mallorca. While English speakers traditionally use the spelling "Majorca" (often pronounced with a hard 'j'), Spaniards and locals on the island use the double 'l' spelling, which in Spanish is pronounced like a English 'y' (ma−YOR−ka). The name originates from the Latin Insula Maior, meaning "larger island," to distinguish it from its neighbor, Menorca (the "smaller one"). Interestingly, the capital city has undergone several official name changes in recent years; as of March 2026, the regional government has standardized its name to simply Palma, dropping the "de Mallorca" suffix to reflect the city's historical identity and separate it from the island's name as a whole. Whether you are speaking Spanish, Catalan, or the local dialect Mallorquín, "Mallorca" is the only correct spelling used within Spain, and using the 'j' version is often seen by locals as a sign of an uninformed tourist who hasn't quite grasped the phonetic rules of the Spanish language.