The word for penny in Spanish is centavo.
In many Spanish-speaking countries, the term centavo is used to refer to the smallest unit of currency, similar to how a penny is the smallest unit of currency in the United States. The centavo is typically worth one-hundredth of a peso or real, depending on the country.
For example, in Mexico, one peso is made up of 100 centavos. Thus, when discussing money, if you’re mentioning a penny, it would be appropriate to use the term centavo.
It’s good to note that while ‘centavo’ is widely understood, other terms might be used in regional dialects, so it’s always interesting to learn about local variations!