An object of the preset invention is to provide a spring steel wire that: shows excellent wire drawability not only when it is used as a spring steel wire for cold-winding formed into a steel spring by applying quenching and tempering treatment after wiredrawing but also when it is used as a spring steel wire for cold-winding formed into a steel spring as it is wiredrawn; and secures a spring having an excellent fatigue characteristic after the spring steel wire is formed into the spring. The spring steel wire according to the present invention is a spring steel wire excellent in fatigue characteristic and wire drawability, wherein: the contents of C, Si, Mn, Cr, Ti, B, and other elements are specified; the contents (mass %) of B, Ti, and N satisfy the expression (1) below; the amount of solid solute B is in the range of 0.0005% to 0.0040%; the remainder in the spring steel wire is composed of Fe and unavoidable impurities; and the solid solute B concentrates at the grain boundaries of pearlite nodules, 0.03≦B/(Ti/3.43−N)≦5.0  (1).