There are many differences which are seen in a single language among different communities of people. These differences justify the dialects which exist from region to region in a country. Spanish has a rich history among different continents. Here are a few of the dialects which exist.
Spain (Peninsular Spanish)
- Castilian: This is the term which is basically used to signify the official Spanish language which is used or spoken in the region of northern and central Spain.
- Andalusian: This dialect is mostly spoken in the region of southern Spain and is considered the second most popular dialect after Castilian. It is quite different to its northern Spanish counterparts due to the emission of the consonants ‘d’ and ‘r’, the aspiration of the consonant ‘s’ at the end of words and finally the dropping of the final consonants. It sounds softer and more fluid compared to the other dialects.
- Murcian: This particular dialect is spoken in an autonomous region which is considered as the community of Murcia and is located in the southeast of Spain.
- Distinct Language Groups: There are also other dialects. Among which is Catalan which is the official language of Andorra and is also spoken in a few parts of northern Spain.
Canary Islands
- Canarian: This is the dialect of the Spanish Canary Islands which also resembles the Caribbean Spanish Dialect. It is characterised by the aspirated ‘s’ which is an elided consonant and also the pronunciation of the letter ‘h’.
The Americas
- Latin America Spanish: This particular dialect is popular among the urban mainland of Mexico, Columbia and also most of the Central and South American Countries. Spanish is spoken differently here than in other locations. This is to differentiate it and the Spanish which is spoken in Spain.
- Rioplatense Spanish: This is mainly spoken in the river basin region which is located between Argentina and Uruguay. The main difference between this dialect and other Spanish dialects is the intonation of its speakers.
- Caribbean Spanish: Highly popular in Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and also around the east coast of Mexico and also in Central America.
Africa
- Equatoguinean Spanish: This is the only official Spanish spoken in Africa. It has incorporated some of the vocabulary and pronunciation patterns of both the native Guineans and also of immigrant Germans from Cameroon.
- Coda: If you decide to take Spanish lessons it is important to confirm what dialect will be taught. It most cases it will be Castilian which is used in 98% of cases, but you should also consider where you will be using your Spanish.
Discussion
As you can see there are many different types of Spanish dialects. Each of them has their own peculiarities which make them popular among those who need them in certain regions.
