The Main Differences Between European Spanish vs Latin American Spanish
Pronunciation
Differences in pronunciation are probably the first thing you’ll notice and want to adjust when you’re communicating verbally over the phone or face-to-face with potential customers. Most obvious is the ‘lisp’ that exists across parts of Spain but not Latin America. ‘S’ sounds denoted by c and z (but not ‘s’ itself) are pronounced ‘th’ in Spain, but ‘s’ in Latin America.
There are other differences. For example, the ‘s’ sound at the end of many words is omitted in South America, as it is in parts of southern Spain. Because ‘s’ may be pronounced more softly, in some countries certain words can end up almost losing syllables.
In much of Spain, the ‘ll’ and ‘y’ are pronounced as a ‘y’ sound. However, in most Latin American countries, such as Mexico, ‘ll’ and ‘y’ are pronounced as a ‘j’ sound. For example, in European Spanish: ‘llama’ and ‘pollo’ would be pronounced as ‘yama’ and ‘poyo’, but most Latin American Spanish speakers would say ‘jama’ and ‘pojo’. Similarly, in some regions of Argentina and Uruguay, the ‘ll’ and ‘y’ is pronounced like an English ‘sh’ (e.g. la playa is pronounced ‘la plasha’).
There are other differences. For example, the ‘s’ sound at the end of many words is omitted in South America, as it is in parts of southern Spain. Because ‘s’ may be pronounced more softly, in some countries certain words can end up almost losing syllables.
In much of Spain, the ‘ll’ and ‘y’ are pronounced as a ‘y’ sound. However, in most Latin American countries, such as Mexico, ‘ll’ and ‘y’ are pronounced as a ‘j’ sound. For example, in European Spanish: ‘llama’ and ‘pollo’ would be pronounced as ‘yama’ and ‘poyo’, but most Latin American Spanish speakers would say ‘jama’ and ‘pojo’. Similarly, in some regions of Argentina and Uruguay, the ‘ll’ and ‘y’ is pronounced like an English ‘sh’ (e.g. la playa is pronounced ‘la plasha’).
Grammar
While the core grammar rules stay the same in both variations of the Spanish language there are subtle differences in certain tenses and pronouns. One of the chief differences is that Latin American Spanish does not have a separate pronoun for the second person (informal). In other words, there’s no vosotros, only ustedes. However, some countries – including Argentina and Uruguay – use the old-fashioned form vos, instead of tú, for the second-person singular pronoun. You’ll need to be aware of such differences to ensure you address your clients correctly.
Vocabulary
Whilst many words are the same across Spanish-speaking countries, the differences can sometimes be striking. Some everyday items may have different names, and certain words might have entirely different meanings or connotations.
Here are some common ones you’ll probably want to remember:
In Spain, a pen is boligrafo, while in Latin America it might be lapicera (Argentina) or lápiz pasta (Chile).
A potato is patata (Spain), but in Latin American Spanish it’s papa.
‘Ok’ is vale in Spain but okay or bien in South America.
Loan words from English are used much more frequently in South America than in Spain, and their spellings are often left unchanged (like email vs correo electrónico). The good news is that if you’re writing in Spanish, then there are no real differences in spelling. It’s similar to UK and American English in this respect. For example, recognize vs recognise, neighbor vs neighbour, gray vs grey, etc.
Here are some common ones you’ll probably want to remember:
In Spain, a pen is boligrafo, while in Latin America it might be lapicera (Argentina) or lápiz pasta (Chile).
A potato is patata (Spain), but in Latin American Spanish it’s papa.
‘Ok’ is vale in Spain but okay or bien in South America.
Loan words from English are used much more frequently in South America than in Spain, and their spellings are often left unchanged (like email vs correo electrónico). The good news is that if you’re writing in Spanish, then there are no real differences in spelling. It’s similar to UK and American English in this respect. For example, recognize vs recognise, neighbor vs neighbour, gray vs grey, etc.
Cultural context
Language is deeply connected to culture. Certain words or phrases that are commonly used in one region of Spain might not be understood or could have a different cultural connotation in parts of South America. Being aware of these cultural nuances is essential for effective communication in European Spanish vs Latin American Spanish.
These differences affect everything from accents and regional dialects to local etiquette, behaviour and cultural references. Familiarising yourself with them can help you communicate more effectively with Spanish speakers from different regions. Not to mention that understanding different regional cultures offers marketing managers essential insight into their target audiences.
These differences affect everything from accents and regional dialects to local etiquette, behaviour and cultural references. Familiarising yourself with them can help you communicate more effectively with Spanish speakers from different regions. Not to mention that understanding different regional cultures offers marketing managers essential insight into their target audiences.