Castellano · Peninsular Spanish
The standard variety of Spain, centred on Madrid and the historical kingdom of Castile. Distinguished from American varieties by the distinción between /θ/ and /s/.
Central American Spanish
The Spanish of Central America, centred on Guatemala City. Linguistically transitional between Mexican and Caribbean varieties, with widespread voseo verb forms.
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Frequently asked questions
What language is Central American Spanish?
Central American Spanish is a dialect of Spanish.
Which region is Central American Spanish associated with?
Central American Spanish is part of the North America region on DialectAtlas.
What are the other dialects of Spanish?
Spanish also includes Castilian Spanish, Andalusian Spanish, Canarian Spanish, Mexican Spanish, Caribbean Spanish, Colombian Spanish, Andean Spanish, Rioplatense Spanish, Chilean Spanish, Venezuelan Spanish, Ecuadorian Spanish, Bolivian Spanish, Northern Mexican Spanish, Yucatec Spanish, Chicano Spanish, Cuban-American Spanish. Each variety has its own vocabulary, pronunciation, and cultural context.
Other Spanish dialects
See on the atlas →Andaluz
The Spanish of southern Spain, marked by aspiration of /s/, the loss of final consonants, and a strong influence on the formation of Latin American varieties via the Atlantic ports.
Canario
The Spanish of the Canary Islands. Linguistically a bridge between Andalusian and Caribbean varieties, with shared seseo and weakened final consonants.
The most widely spoken Spanish variety in the world. Heavily shaped by Nahuatl and other indigenous languages, especially in lexicon, and exported widely through Mexican film and music.
The Spanish of Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. Shares with Andalusian the aspiration of /s/ and the loss of final consonants, and carries a distinctive lexicon shaped by Taino and African languages.
Bogotano
The Spanish of Colombia, internally varied by region. The Andean Bogotá variety is widely cited for its conservative phonology and is often described as one of the clearest spoken varieties in the Americas.
The Spanish of the Andean highlands across Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador. Heavily influenced in pronunciation, grammar, and lexicon by Quechua and Aymara.
Río de la Plata Spanish
The Spanish of Argentina and Uruguay. Distinctive for its voseo verb forms, the sheísmo / zheísmo realisation of <ll>/<y>, and a strong Italian-influenced intonation.
The Spanish of Chile. Known for rapid speech, heavy aspiration of /s/, distinct second-person verb forms, and a rich slang lexicon.
The Spanish of Venezuela, centred on Caracas. A Caribbean Spanish variety closely related to Cuban and Dominican Spanish, with strong /s/-aspiration and a distinctive lexicon.
Costeño Ecuadoriano
The Spanish of coastal Ecuador, centred on Guayaquil. Distinct from the Andean Quito variety, with stronger Caribbean Spanish features including /s/-aspiration.
Cochabambino · Camba (Lowland Bolivian)
The Spanish of Bolivia, internally split between Andean (La Paz, Cochabamba) and Lowland Camba (Santa Cruz) varieties. Heavy contact features from Quechua and Aymara in the highlands.
Norteño Spanish
The Spanish of northern Mexico, centred on Monterrey and Chihuahua. Distinct from central Mexican Spanish in vowel realisation, intonation, and a distinct lexicon shaped by long contact with US English.
Yucatecan Spanish · Español yucateco
The Spanish of the Yucatán peninsula. Heavily shaped by contact with Yucatec Maya, with distinctive intonation, glottalised stops, and a substantial Mayan-derived lexicon.
Mexican-American Spanish · US Spanish
The Spanish of Mexican-American communities across the US Southwest. Diverse and bilingual; shaped by long contact with English and characterised by code-switching (Spanglish).
Miami Spanish
The Spanish of the Cuban-American community of Florida, especially Miami. A Caribbean Spanish variety with substantial English contact features and a distinctive bilingual code-switching register.