diff --git a/app/services/lyrics_language.py b/app/services/lyrics_language.py
index 77dfdc90..d823587b 100644
--- a/app/services/lyrics_language.py
+++ b/app/services/lyrics_language.py
@@ -64,11 +64,16 @@ def _folded(value: str) -> str:
 
 def canonical_lyrics_language(value: str) -> str:
     key = _folded(value)
-    if key.startswith("es") or "spanish" in key or "espanol" in key or "castellano" in key:
-        return "es"
-    if key.startswith("en") or "english" in key or "ingles" in key:
-        return "en"
-    return LANGUAGE_ALIASES.get(key) or LANGUAGE_ALIASES.get(key.split("-")[0], "")
+    exact = LANGUAGE_ALIASES.get(key) or LANGUAGE_ALIASES.get(key.split("-")[0], "")
+    if exact:
+        return exact
+    # Story Lab names such as "Español de España" are not exact aliases.
+    # Skip 2-letter tokens so "en español" does not become English.
+    for token in re.findall(r"[a-z]+", key):
+        mapped = LANGUAGE_ALIASES.get(token)
+        if mapped and len(token) > 2:
+            return mapped
+    return ""
 
 
 def _protected_texts(segments: Sequence[Mapping[str, Any]] | None) -> list[str]:
diff --git a/docs/development/LYRICS_LANGUAGE.md b/docs/development/LYRICS_LANGUAGE.md
index d5ec9a62..a806f373 100644
--- a/docs/development/LYRICS_LANGUAGE.md
+++ b/docs/development/LYRICS_LANGUAGE.md
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 # Lyrics language contract
 
-Status: library only (2026-09-04). Not yet wired into write-song or generate
-endpoints; those files are reserved by MiniMax-Music3 (#135).
+Status: library only (2026-09-05). MiniMax-Music3 (#135) is on `main`; wiring
+the guard into write-song/generate remains a follow-up so this PR stays
+outside `_launch_runtime.py`.
 
 User conversation language, authored lyric language and the provider-facing
 technical prompt are three different decisions:
@@ -26,11 +27,21 @@ Python: `app/services/lyrics_language.py`
 
 TypeScript: `ui/src/lib/lyricsLanguageGuard.ts` (same rules for Wizard tests).
 
+`canonical_lyrics_language` / `canonicalLyricsLanguage` resolve Story Lab
+spoken-language names without prefix traps:
+
+1. exact folded aliases (`es`, `espanol`, `spanish`, `en`, `english`, …);
+2. BCP-47 prefixes via the token before `-` (`es-MX`, `en-US`);
+3. tokens longer than two letters so `Español de España` is Spanish and
+   `en español` is Spanish, while `en` and `English` stay English.
+
+Do not use `startswith("es")` / `startswith("en")`: `English` starts with
+`es`, and `en español` starts with `en`.
+
 A valid WAV is not proof of language fidelity. CI runs these tests without
 GPU. Real smoke should call the same guard after a local song is written.
 
 ## Follow-up
 
-Call the guard from Story Lab generate and `/api/v1/llm/write-song` after
-#135 no longer owns those hotspots. Do not silently replace user-authored
-Spanish lines.
+Call the guard from Story Lab generate and `/api/v1/llm/write-song`. Do not
+silently replace user-authored Spanish lines.
diff --git a/tests/test_lyrics_language.py b/tests/test_lyrics_language.py
index 0db1e8c5..b30bb9fe 100644
--- a/tests/test_lyrics_language.py
+++ b/tests/test_lyrics_language.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 from services.lyrics_language import (
     assert_lyrics_language,
+    canonical_lyrics_language,
     repair_lyrics_language,
     validate_lyrics_language,
 )
@@ -45,6 +46,19 @@ def test_spanish_structured_lyric_is_ok():
     assert regional["language_mismatch"] is False
 
 
+def test_story_lab_spoken_language_name_is_scored():
+    assert canonical_lyrics_language("Español de España") == "es"
+    assert canonical_lyrics_language("en español") == "es"
+    assert canonical_lyrics_language("en") == "en"
+    assert canonical_lyrics_language("en-US") == "en"
+    assert canonical_lyrics_language("English") == "en"
+    assert canonical_lyrics_language("English (US)") == "en"
+    report = validate_lyrics_language(ENGLISH_CHORUS, "Español de España")
+    assert report["ok"] is False
+    assert report["language_mismatch"] is True
+    assert any("English" in reason for reason in report["reasons"])
+
+
 def test_section_tags_are_not_english_contamination():
     report = validate_lyrics_language(
         "[Verse]\nLa noche canta en la red.\n[Chorus]\nEl código sangra.\n[Outro]\nReinicia.",
diff --git a/ui/src/lib/lyricsLanguageGuard.ts b/ui/src/lib/lyricsLanguageGuard.ts
index ab0d447c..85aab7b8 100644
--- a/ui/src/lib/lyricsLanguageGuard.ts
+++ b/ui/src/lib/lyricsLanguageGuard.ts
@@ -41,14 +41,26 @@ export interface LyricsLanguageReport {
   strippedSpans: { script: string; text: string }[]
 }
 
+const LANGUAGE_ALIASES: Record<string, string> = {
+  es: 'es', espanol: 'es', castellano: 'es',
+  spanish: 'es', 'es-es': 'es', 'es-mx': 'es',
+  en: 'en', english: 'en', ingles: 'en',
+}
+
 function folded(value: string): string {
   return value.normalize('NFKD').replace(/[\u0300-\u036f]/g, '').toLocaleLowerCase().trim()
 }
 
 export function canonicalLyricsLanguage(value: string): string {
   const key = folded(value)
-  if (key.startsWith('es') || key.includes('spanish') || key.includes('espanol') || key.includes('castellano')) return 'es'
-  if (key.startsWith('en') || key.includes('english') || key.includes('ingles')) return 'en'
+  const exact = LANGUAGE_ALIASES[key] || LANGUAGE_ALIASES[key.split('-')[0]] || ''
+  if (exact) return exact
+  // Story Lab names such as "Español de España" are not exact aliases.
+  // Skip 2-letter tokens so "en español" does not become English.
+  for (const token of key.match(/[a-z]+/g) || []) {
+    const mapped = LANGUAGE_ALIASES[token]
+    if (mapped && token.length > 2) return mapped
+  }
   return ''
 }
 
diff --git a/ui/tests/lyricsLanguageGuard.test.ts b/ui/tests/lyricsLanguageGuard.test.ts
index 182bc942..47ac0250 100644
--- a/ui/tests/lyricsLanguageGuard.test.ts
+++ b/ui/tests/lyricsLanguageGuard.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import assert from 'node:assert/strict'
 import test from 'node:test'
-import { repairLyricsLanguage, validateLyricsLanguage } from '../src/lib/lyricsLanguageGuard'
+import { canonicalLyricsLanguage, repairLyricsLanguage, validateLyricsLanguage } from '../src/lib/lyricsLanguageGuard'
 
 const SPANISH_OK = `[Verse]
 En la red despierta el sysadmin.
@@ -30,6 +30,21 @@ test('an accidental English chorus fails a Spanish song', () => {
   assert.equal(report.languageMismatch, true)
 })
 
+test('Story Lab spoken-language names score as Spanish', () => {
+  const report = validateLyricsLanguage(
+    '[Verse]\nEn la red despierta el sysadmin y la noche canta.\n[Chorus]\nThe server fights through the night and we sing for our network.',
+    'Español de España',
+  )
+  assert.equal(canonicalLyricsLanguage('Español de España'), 'es')
+  assert.equal(canonicalLyricsLanguage('en español'), 'es')
+  assert.equal(canonicalLyricsLanguage('en'), 'en')
+  assert.equal(canonicalLyricsLanguage('en-US'), 'en')
+  assert.equal(canonicalLyricsLanguage('English'), 'en')
+  assert.equal(canonicalLyricsLanguage('English (US)'), 'en')
+  assert.equal(report.ok, false)
+  assert.equal(report.languageMismatch, true)
+})
+
 test('Chinese or Arabic runs fail Spanish lyrics', () => {
   assert.equal(validateLyricsLanguage('[Verse]\nEn la red.\n[Chorus]\n夜晚在服务器里唱歌', 'castellano').ok, false)
   assert.equal(validateLyricsLanguage('[Verse]\nEn la red.\n[Chorus]\nالليل يغني', 'es').ok, false)