Spanish Speaking Countries 4 Spanish Types

Mexican Spanish? 4 Types of Spanish

Mexican Spanish, Colombian Spanish etc.. is not really a type of Spanish. It’s just Spanish but each Spanish speaking country has it’s own distinct flavor, sound and even some vocabulary identifiable to specific Spanish cities or Spanish speaking countries.

When people say Mexican Spanish or Colombian Spanish that is what is meant by it; it’s not a totally different Mexican or Colombian Spanish language.Below we will discuss the 4 main types of Spanish.

4 Types of Spanish:

Spanish has 4 main types spoken in Spanish speaking countries in South America, Argentina, the Caribbean and Spain!

• Latin American Spanish
• Caribbean Spanish
• Argentinian Spanish
• Spanish from Spain

The Spanish language is broken down into these 4 main types of Spanish because the accent, flavor & Spanish vocabulary words can vary greatly to the point that it is distinctly noticeable. It is still Spanish but stands out in unique ways just like American English and English spoken in England can be so different.

 

Spanish Speaking Countries in South America:

All countries in South America speak Spanish except:

• Brazil
• Suriname
• French Guiana
• Guyana

Trinidad is very close to Venezuela but it is considered part of the West Indies and not South America they also don’t speak Spanish!  The Spanish speaking countries in South America including Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala & Honduras all speak Latin American Spanish but Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala & Honduras  are said to speak a variety of Latin American Spanish sometimes referred to as “Central American Spanish” Let’s just say that they all fall under the LATIN AMERICAN SPANISH Type.

Latin American Spanish:

There are more Spanish speaking countries that speak Latin American Spanish than the other 3 types so for many students, it will make sense to learn this type. Spanish in Atlanta teaches all students in the United States and some international students so for North American students it makes sense to learn this type of Spanish due to the close proximity to South America! If you hear people say South American Spanish it’s just Latin American Spanish.

 

Caribbean Spanish:

Puerto Rican Spanish, Cuban Spanish, & Dominican Spanish all fall under Caribbean Spanish. Much different than South American Spanish ( Latin American Spanish), these Spanish speaking countries/Islands have a unique and different Spanish accent just like if you were to compare an American with an Englishman.

Some say that the costal areas of Venezuela, Colombia & Panama may have people that speak Spanish that sounds like Caribbean Spanish due to their proximity to the Caribbean.

Main Differences:

• Letter R sounds like the letter “L” often
• Letter S often is left out  especially at the end of words like “tres”= “tre”
• Letter R at the end of words is often left out. Like “comer”= “come”

Many more and each Island has it’s own unique Spanish expressions and pronunciation variations. For Example: “Puerto Rican Spanish” the double RR is often not pronounced like a rolled R but rather a raspy throat sound similarly heard in Arabic.  Listen to AUDIO FILE for reference.

Argentinian Spanish:

Even though Argentina is in South America and technically should speak South American Spanish, they have their own uniqueness that makes it obvious the Spanish they are speaking is from Argentina and not the Latin American variety! Really it’s just one country- Argentina and sometimes Uruguay and Paraguay. The Argentinian Spanish has a melodious peaks.

Highly influenced by the Italian language due to a massive wave of Italians that settled in Argentina in the 19th & 20th Centuries. The Italian language had a huge impact on the Spanish spoken in Argentina; influencing the intonation & pronunciation of Spanish. This is how Argentinian Spanish came about 🙂

Main Differences:

• Double LL sounds like a “SH” sound  Ex: LLAMA= SHAMA
• Phonetic structure similar to Italian- very sing songy! 🙂 ( and beautiful)

 

Spanish from Spain- Castilian Spanish:

Spanish from Spain is the last of the 4 types of Spanish. Spoken in Spain also known as Castilian Spanish. Unique accent, sounds, pronunciation and flavor hence why it is one of the 4 main types of Spanish!

Main differences:

• Letter S sounds like an English “TH”
• Usage of Vos & Vosotros
• Some different vocabulary only used in Spain
• Verb conjugations different with Vos/ Vosotros

Spanish Language Courses Live Online

Want to get started learning Spanish? View our Beginner Spanish classes and if you wish, talk to our professional Spanish instructor before signing up. View our online Spanish class schedule by clicking below. We offer one of the best Spanish language training programs online.

Get the professional Spanish language you need! Our beginner Spanish classes are the best Spanish lessons online because:

• We structure lessons to be 20% instruction 80% practice
• Only 4 students per class!
• Everything, videos, ebook, drills, study guides are included and made by us!
• Get professional feedback, guidance & support in class!