pencil – el lápiz
(Pronounced lah-peeth)
To remember that pencil is pronounced lah-peeth (lápiz) in European Spanish, use the following mnemonic:
Using a pencil, she sketched a lapdog with vicious looking teeth (lápiz).

Lápiz is masculine so it's el lápiz. Imagine an elephant using a pencil.

Examples of lápiz (pencil) in a sentence
Tengo un lápiz rojo en mi mochila.
(I have a red pencil in my backpack.)
¿Me puedes prestar tu lápiz?
(Can you lend me your pencil?)
El niño dibujó un árbol con su lápiz.
(The boy drew a tree with his pencil.)