Spain Spanish vs Latin American Spanish: the real differences

"Should I learn Spain Spanish or Latin American Spanish?" It's one of the first questions my students ask, usually right after they've watched a Mexican series, then a Spanish one, and noticed that the two don't sound quite the same.

Here's the short answer: it's one language. A person from Madrid and a person from Mexico City understand each other perfectly, the same way someone from London and someone from New York do. But there are real differences in pronunciation, a bit of grammar and quite a lot of everyday vocabulary. Knowing them saves you a lot of confusion.

In this post I'll go through the differences that actually matter for a learner: how it sounds, how you say "you", which past tense people prefer, and the everyday words that change. There's a handy table, and a quiz at the end to check what you've picked up.

Is Spain Spanish different from Latin American Spanish?

Yes, but not as much as people fear. Spanish is spoken as a main language in about twenty countries, and most of its speakers live in the Americas. Mexico alone has more native Spanish speakers than any other country, including Spain.

So "Latin American Spanish" isn't one thing either. Mexican, Argentine, Colombian, Chilean and Cuban Spanish all have their own flavour, and so do different regions inside Spain. When people say "Latin American Spanish", they usually mean the features many of those countries share, compared with the Spanish of central and northern Spain.

You'll sometimes hear Spain's Spanish called castellanoCastilianAnother name for Spanish, from the region of Castile.. In many countries, people use castellanoCastilianAlso a name for the Spanish language. and españolSpanishThe usual name for the language. to mean the same language, so don't let the two names confuse you.

The grammar, the spelling and most of the vocabulary are the same everywhere. What changes is mostly the accent, a couple of pronouns, and a list of everyday words. Let's take them one by one.

Pronunciation: the famous Spanish "th" sound

This is the difference you'll notice first.

In most of Spain, the letter z, and c before e or i, are pronounced like the "th" in "think". So graciasthank youIn most of Spain, said GRA-thyas. sounds like "GRA-thyas", and cervezabeerIn Spain, said ther-BE-tha. sounds like "ther-BE-tha". This is called la distinciónthe distinctionSpain's way of pronouncing z and c differently from s., because people distinguish the sound of s from the sound of z.

In Latin America, and also in the Canary Islands and parts of southern Spain, those letters simply sound like s. This is called el seseoseseoPronouncing z and soft c like s.. Graciasthank youSaid GRA-syas in Latin America. is "GRA-syas".

That means two words that sound different in Madrid can sound the same in Mexico City: casahousePronounced KA-sa everywhere. and cazahuntIn Spain KA-tha, in Latin America KA-sa.. Context always makes it clear, so it's never a real problem.

You may have heard a story that Spaniards speak with a "lisp" because a king once had one. It's a popular myth. The "th" sound developed naturally over centuries, the way accents do in every language.

Other sound differences you'll notice

• The J sound. In Spain, jjThe letter jota. and ggBefore e or i, it sounds like j. before e or i are stronger and raspier, made at the back of the throat, a bit like ख़ in ख़ास. In much of Latin America they're softer, closer to an English "h".
• The LL and Y sound in Argentina and Uruguay. CallestreetSaid KA-ye in most places, KA-she in Buenos Aires. sounds like "KA-ye" in most places, but in Buenos Aires and Montevideo it often sounds like "KA-she". It's one of the easiest accents to recognise.
• The S at the end of syllables. In the Caribbean and in parts of southern Spain, an s before a consonant or at the end of a word can become a soft "h" or disappear. Los amigosthe friendsIn some accents, the s sounds very soft. can sound like "loh amigoh".

For more on the sounds of Spanish, have a look at my post on tricky Spanish sounds.

Vosotrosyou all (informal)The plural informal you, used in Spain. vs ustedesyou allThe plural you. In Latin America, used for everyone.: the biggest grammar difference

In Spain, there are two ways to say "you all":

• Vosotrosyou all, informalFor friends, family, classmates. Feminine: vosotras. for friends, family or people your age: ¿Vosotros venís a la fiesta?Are you guys coming to the party?Informal plural, used in Spain.
• Ustedesyou all, formalFor formal situations in Spain. for formal situations: ¿Ustedes vienen a la reunión?Are you coming to the meeting?Formal plural.

In Latin America, vosotrosyou all, informalNot used in everyday Latin American speech. isn't used in everyday speech. People say ustedesyou allUsed for any group, formal or not. to everyone: friends, kids, customers, anyone. ¿Ustedes vienen a la fiesta?Are you guys coming to the party?In Latin America, this is the normal casual question. is a completely casual question in Mexico or Colombia.

For a learner, this is actually good news. If you're learning Latin American Spanish, you have one form less to learn. If you're learning Spain Spanish, you'll learn vosotrosyou allThe Spain informal plural., and you'll still understand ustedesyou allUnderstood everywhere. everywhere.

VosyouAn informal singular you used instead of tú in some countries. instead of túyouThe informal singular you.: Argentina and beyond

Here's a difference that surprises many learners. In Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, and in much of Central America, people use vosyouInformal you, used in Argentina, Uruguay and other places. instead of, or alongside, túyouThe informal you.. This is called el voseovoseoUsing vos instead of tú..

VosyouInformal you. has its own verb forms:

• Tú tienesyou haveWith tú. becomes vos tenésyou haveWith vos. The stress moves to the end..
• Tú eresyou areWith tú. becomes vos sosyou areWith vos..
• Tú hablasyou speakWith tú. becomes vos hablásyou speakWith vos..

You don't need to learn vosyouInformal you in some countries. as a beginner. Just know it exists, so the first time an Argentine says ¿Vos sos de la India?Are you from India?Vos with sos, the Argentine way., you won't panic. If you want to understand the whole túyouInformal you. and ustedyouFormal you. question, read my post on the formal and informal "you" in Spanish.

Past tense: "he comidoI have eatenThe present perfect." or "comíI ateThe simple past."?

This difference is smaller, but you'll notice it once you're at A2.

In Spain, people usually use the present perfect for things that happened today or in a time period that isn't over yet:

• Hoy he comido paella.Today I've had paella.The usual choice in Spain for today.
• Esta semana he trabajado mucho.This week I've worked a lot.This week isn't over yet.

In most of Latin America, people prefer the simple past even for today:

• Hoy comí paella.Today I had paella.The usual choice in much of Latin America.
• Esta semana trabajé mucho.This week I worked a lot.Simple past.

Both are correct, and everyone understands both. It's similar to the difference between British "I've just eaten" and American "I just ate". If you learn with a Spain-based course, you'll practise the first one a lot. Both tenses are part of the A2 level, so you'll learn them either way.

Everyday words that change between Spain and Latin America

This is where most of the fun (and confusion) is. Many everyday objects have different names. Here are some of the most common ones you'll come across.

Don't try to memorise all of this at once. Learn the words for the variety you're studying, and just recognise the others when you meet them.

A few notes on the table:

• PapapotatoThe Latin American word. Also used in the Canary Islands and parts of southern Spain. for potato is the older word, which came from Quechua, a language of the Andes. Spain's patatapotatoThe word used in most of Spain. is believed to be a mix of papapotatoFrom Quechua. and batatasweet potatoA word from the Caribbean..
• ValeokayThe everyday okay in Spain. is so typical of Spain that Latin Americans often spot a Spaniard by it. I talk about it in my post on Spanish filler words.
• Slang changes even more than everyday words. Most of what I cover in Spanish slang you'll hear in Spain is specific to Spain.

One word to be careful with: cogerto take, to catchNormal in Spain, but rude in several Latin American countries.

In Spain, cogerto take, to catchAn everyday verb in Spain. is an innocent everyday verb: Voy a coger el autobús.I'm going to take the bus.Completely normal in Spain. But in Mexico, Argentina and several other countries, it has a rude meaning. In those countries, use tomarto takeThe safe verb everywhere. instead: Voy a tomar el autobús.I'm going to take the bus.Safe everywhere. If you only learn one safety tip from this post, make it this one!

Formality: who says ustedyouThe formal you. to whom?

The rules for túyouThe informal you. and ustedyouThe formal you. are the same everywhere, but how people apply them varies.

In Spain, people switch to túyouThe informal you. quickly. Young people, colleagues and even many shop assistants use it straight away. In parts of Latin America, ustedyouThe formal you. is used more often, with older people, at work and with strangers. In some regions of Colombia and Costa Rica, people even use ustedyouThe formal you. with close friends and family, as a sign of warmth rather than distance.

So if you're in Latin America and unsure, ustedyouThe formal you. is a safe start. In Spain, follow the other person's lead.

So which Spanish should you learn?

My honest answer: the one you'll use.

• If you plan to live, work or study in Spain, or you love Spanish films and series from Spain, learn Spain Spanish.
• If you work with Latin American clients, or you plan to travel around Mexico, Colombia or Argentina, lean towards Latin American Spanish.
• If you're not sure yet, don't worry. Either one is fine, and switching later is easy. You'll adjust your ear in a few weeks, not years.

My own Spanish was learned at Instituto Cervantes in New Delhi and lived in Madrid, so it leans towards Spain. But it's well worth learning to recognise the common Latin American forms too, because the Spanish-speaking world is much bigger than one country.

And if you're thinking about the DELE exam: it's run by Instituto Cervantes and accepts all the standard varieties of Spanish. Whether you say cochecarThe Spain word. or carrocarA Latin American word., it isn't marked as a mistake. You can read more in my post on what the DELE exam is.

Keep going

Spain Spanish and Latin American Spanish aren't rivals. They're two sides of the same language, and the more you learn, the more you'll enjoy spotting the differences. Start with one, keep your ears open for the other, and you'll be understood from Madrid to Buenos Aires. ¡Vamos!Let's go!Used to cheer someone on or get moving.

If you're at A2 and want to practise both your listening and speaking, join one of my live A2 batches. Groups are small, up to 5 students, so there's plenty of time to talk. And if your business needs content adapted for Spain or Latin America, have a look at my translation services.