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Quechua dialect

Kichwa

Also known as: Ecuadorian Quichua

The Northern Quechua varieties of Ecuador, often spelled Kichwa. Distinct in vowel inventory and verb morphology from Southern Peruvian and Bolivian Quechua.

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Frequently asked questions

What language is Kichwa?

Kichwa is a dialect of the Quechua language.

Where is Kichwa spoken?

Kichwa is primarily spoken in Ecuador.

Which region is Kichwa associated with?

Kichwa is part of the Latin America & the Caribbean region on DialectAtlas.

Is Kichwa known by other names?

Yes — Kichwa is also referred to as Ecuadorian Quichua.

What are the other dialects of Quechua?

Quechua also includes Cusco Quechua, Bolivian Quechua. Each variety has its own vocabulary, pronunciation, and cultural context.

Other Quechua dialects

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Nearby dialects

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Ecuadorian Spanish

274 km away

The Spanish of coastal Ecuador, centred on Guayaquil. Distinct from the Andean Quito variety, with stronger Caribbean Spanish features including /s/-aspiration.

Colombian Spanish

731 km away

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.

Shipibo-Konibo

1,011 km away

The largest Panoan language, of the Ucayali river basin in the Peruvian Amazon. Around 30,000 speakers; well known internationally through Shipibo-Konibo art and the ayahuasca traditions.

Tucano

1,034 km away

A Tukanoan language of the Vaupés region on the Brazil-Colombia border. Used as a regional lingua franca; the most-spoken Eastern Tukanoan variety.

Nheengatu

1,265 km away

A Tupi-Guaraní language descended from old Tupinambá; the historical Lingua Geral of Amazonia. Co-official in São Gabriel da Cachoeira (Brazil), the only municipality in Brazil with Indigenous co-official languages.

Asháninka

1,298 km away

An Arawakan language spoken in the central Peruvian Amazon and adjacent western Brazil. The most-spoken Amazonian Arawakan language, with around 100,000 speakers.

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