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Spanish dialect

Yucatec Spanish

Also known as: 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.

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Frequently asked questions

What language is Yucatec Spanish?

Yucatec Spanish is a dialect of the Spanish language.

Where is Yucatec Spanish spoken?

Yucatec Spanish is primarily spoken in Mexico.

Which region is Yucatec Spanish associated with?

Yucatec Spanish is part of the North America region on DialectAtlas.

Is Yucatec Spanish known by other names?

Yes — Yucatec Spanish is also referred to as Yucatecan Spanish, Español yucateco.

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, Central American Spanish, Bolivian Spanish, Northern Mexican Spanish, Chicano Spanish, Cuban-American Spanish, Ladino. Each variety has its own vocabulary, pronunciation, and cultural context.

Other Spanish dialects

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Ladino

Judeo-Spanish · Judezmo · Djudeo-Espanyol

The Sephardic Jewish Romance language descended from the Spanish varieties carried out of Iberia after the expulsions of the late fifteenth century. Historically spoken across the Ottoman Empire and North Africa, today it survives mainly as an endangered heritage language in Turkey, Israel, the Balkans, and diaspora communities.

Nearby dialects

See on the atlas →
Yucatec Maya

151 km away

The most-spoken Mayan language, used across the Yucatán peninsula by around 800,000 people. Direct linguistic descendant of the language used in the Maya hieroglyphic inscriptions of the Classic period.

Qʼeqchiʼ

617 km away

A K'ichean Mayan language spoken in central Guatemala and southern Belize. The fastest-growing Mayan language, expanding across former Q'eqchi'-monolingual territory.

Mam

658 km away

A Mamean Mayan language spoken across the western highlands of Guatemala and adjacent parts of Chiapas, Mexico. Around 600,000 speakers.

Garífuna

681 km away

An Arawakan language with major African and Carib influence, spoken along the Caribbean coast of Central America. Descended from communities deported from St. Vincent in 1797; a UNESCO Masterpiece of Intangible Heritage.

Kʼicheʼ

710 km away

The largest Mayan language of Guatemala, spoken across the western highlands. The language of the Popol Vuh, the foundational K'ichean creation epic.

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