Equatorial Guinea: Spanish is spoken by about 70 percent of the population in this African nation, where French and Portuguese are also official but much less widely used. Although Spanish had its origins as a variation of Latin in the Iberian Peninsula, it is now used most extensively in the Americas. Mexico: By population, Mexico is the largest Spanish-speaking country. Below you can find a list with the 18 Latin American countries that speak Spanish as an official language. Which language code should we use for our Spanish localizations? The Spanish spoken in Central American, the Arahuaco and the Caribbean; it is also the variant of the Spanish language used in the Central American republics … Other Spanish dialects are Andalusian, Murcian, Aragonese, Navarrese, Leonese, and Canary Islands Spanish. Chile. Costa Ricans are sometimes called ticos because of the use of the -ico diminutive suffix. Guatemala: Although Spanish is the dominant language of Guatemala, about 20 indigenous languages are spoken by several million people total. Where is Spanish spoken? The most widely spoken language of Latin America is Spanish. Costa Rica. Latin-American Spanish is spoken in Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. Although English is the official language, Spanish is widely used in Central America's Belize and is taught in schools. Out of the 20 Latin American countries, only Brazil (portuguese) and Haiti (french) does not have Spanish as an official language. Tops on the list of other countries where Spanish is spoken is, of course, the United States, although it is a semi-official language in only one state (New Mexico). Spanish is one of the world's most important languages: It is spoken by more than a half-billion people, making it one of the world's most widely spoken languages, according to Ethnologue: Languages of the World. Latinoamericano can also be used in Spanish, as one word, and refers to people who were born in Latin America but later migrated to the United States. © 2021 Learner trip. These differences are Spain: Spanish is just one of four official languages of the birthplace of Spanish, the others being Catalan, Galician, and Euskara (often known as Basque). Mexico: By population, Mexico is the largest Spanish-speaking country. The following list is of those countries where Spanish is the most important language. I would like to see a feature on Duolingo that tells us more about the differences between the Spanish spoken in Spain and the Spanish spoken in Latin America within the exercises. About 500,000 speak the indigenous Fang language. Most people in the region speak Spanish or Portuguese, although French, English, Dutch, and Kreyol are also spoken in parts of the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. . All rights reserved. Andorra: French and Catalan are also widely spoken languages in this country, one of the smallest in Europe. colonisers travelled the world to spread the word of god and take precious metals in return It is official in most of them, although in a few cases the language is dominant without being officially recognized. Though not as extreme as the gulf between the Portuguese spoken in Brazil and in Portugal, European and Latin American Spanish are quite different animals -- different enough that learning the language in one place means you’ll need some adjustment once you cross to the other side of the pond. Like many names for things in the Western Hemisphere, “Latin America” comes from the Learn more! El Salvador: The use of vos as the second-person singular pronoun is very common in this Central American country. Colombia: With about 50 million people, Colombia is the most populous Spanish-speaking country in South America and has become linguistically influential because of its TV and movie industry. When you say you want to speak Spanish, do you mean Latin American Spanish or Castilian Spanish that's spoken in Spain? Spanish and Portuguese are the most common languages spoken overall throughout South America, with an estimated 200 million speakers for each of the languages. Costa Rica: Indigenous languages have all but disappeared in this peaceful Central American country. In Latin American countries, the Spanish language is simply called español (Spanish) as that is from where the language was brought. Linguistically, this grouping is somewhat arbitrary, akin to having a term for "overseas English" encompassing variants spoken in the United States, Canada, Australia, India, New Zealand, and Ireland, but not the Island of Britain. Definition of Latin Latin is an abbreviation for Latin American. Probably no Latin American country has a universally accepted accent. There are slight Of the more than 500 million people who speak Spanish as their mother tongue, more than 300 million are in Latin … I have Spanish friends and we understand each other well aside from slang and dialect particular to the area we are from or have learned in. I don't even think that some accents are "better" than others. The accent used in its capital, Mexico City, is sometimes considered to be "standard" Latin American Spanish and is sometimes imitated for movies and television in other countries. I hope you find the information useful. Latin American countries and their capitals, Countries of the world and their capitals, Latin American countries that speak Spanish, How to invest in cryptocurrencies (for beginners), The 12 pairs of cranial nerves (list and image). Across many pockets of Latin America, the pronoun vos is used instead. Think of the English language for a moment. Spanish used to be an official language of the Philippines, although few people these days speak it as a first language. Argentina: In terms of area, Argentina is the largest country where Spanish is the national language. Peru: Spanish is dominant in most areas of the country, while the indigenous Quechua and Ayamara languages are co-official. But in Spain, they call it Castellano (Castilian), after the name of one of the regions of Spain where it is believed the language was born. Spanish is the official language of 21 countries and is spoken by hundreds of millions of people around the globe. It’s the same language but there are several Spanish dialects and varieties in terms of vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar throughout the different Spanish-speaking countries. The different varieties of the Spanish language spoken in the Americas are distinct from each other as well as from those varieties spoken in the Iberian peninsula, collectively known as Peninsular Spanishand Spanish spoken elsewhere, such as in Africa and Asia. In Spain, however, the Spanish language is called castellano (Castilian), which refers the Castile province in central Spain where the language is … Ecuador: Despite its small size, the Spanish of this country on the equator is characterized by strong regional variations. Latin American Spanish is composed of a mix of various Spanish dialects spoken and used in Latin America. There is great diversity among th… Every country south of the US-Mexico border with the exception of Belize, Guyana, French Guiana, Surinam and Brazil, but including Caribbean Spanish-speaking countries: Cuba, Dominican Republic (and Puerto Rico). In Latin America, the Spanish language is called Español (Spanish) because the language was introduced by colonists which came from Spain. By and large, the countries in Latin America are still considered "developing" or "emerging" nations, with Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina comprising the largest economies. info)) is a Romance language that originated in the Iberian Peninsula of Europe; today, it is a global language with nearly 500 million native speakers, mainly in Spain and the Americas.. The Spanish of Argentina is distinguished by its use of vos and its pronunciation of the ll and y sounds. Rio Platense is a specific variation of Spanish spoken only in Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina. The Spanish of radio, newspapers, tv, and government in the Castillian variety. Your email address will not be published. Latin American Spanish is the universal and somewhat arbitrary name that is given to idiomatic and native expressions and to the specific vocabulary of the Spanish language in Latin America. There is apparently a specific ISO code for Latin America and the Caribbean ( es-419 ) but .NET does not support region subtags and hence does not recognize this code. Chile: Spanish is universally used in this narrow country, with little variation from north to south. We're localizing it into Spanish but this is going to be Spanish as spoken in Latin America rather than Spanish as spoken in Spain. . Below you can find a list with the 18 Latin American countries that speak Spanish as an official language. What countries speak Latin American Spanish? Miami has the largest number of Spanish speakers in the Western Hemisphere outside of Latin America, but you'll find plenty of communities all over that have enough hispanohablantes to support Spanish-language media and services. Spanish is the official language of Mexico, in addition to many countries in Central and South America. Forget that Cathtellano lithp, you want to know which is the best Latin American country to learn Spanish, and this handy infographic is here to help. So I adapted my accent to Latin American Spanish and that's what I speak with now. Spanish is the most widely spoken language in Latin America, and it is the primary language in every South American country except Brazil, Suriname and French Guyana, as … Spanish is also the dominant language in Puerto Rico, a mostly autonomous U.S. territory. Catalan and Galician are strong connections with Spanish, both having developed from Latin, while Euskara is unrelated to any other language in Europe. I hope you find the information useful. However in most of Spain this is pronounced ‘gra-THY-as’, which follows the rule that in most parts of Spain ‘c’ is said as ‘th’. Venezuela: Although dozens of indigenous languages have legal recognition in Venezuela, only Spanish is used as a national language. Spanish is widely spoken in countries of Latin and South America. Gerald Erichsen is a Spanish language expert who has created Spanish lessons for ThoughtCo since 1998. Cuba: Like other Caribbean Spanish, the Spanish of this island nation is characterized by the weakening of consonant sounds, especially the -s at the end of a syllable. Language History People World Art Education Technology Internet Business Food Beauty Miscellaneous Industry Science Anatomy Health Crafts Cars Home Finance Medicine Fashion Fitness United States Environment Travel Law Hobbies There are over 559 million Spanish speakers on the planet. However, this isn’t the case everywhere! Let’s take a look. So, has this given you a taste for learning Spanish? You can also subscribe without commenting. It is the official or de facto national language in 20 countries, and it increasingly is used in several other countries, including the United States. Uruguay: The Spanish of this small country is similar to that of Argentina. Castillian Spanish is the language spoken in most of the Iberian Peninsula of Europe. It is official in 18 Latin American countries, and the majority of people speak it as their first language. List of countries where Spanish is an official language - Wikipedia LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES THAT SPEAK SPANISH AS THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE. Some would call it … Wait, you didn't know there's a difference? 2. Panama: Imported English words are fairly common in Panamanian Spanish because of the influence of the former Panama Canal Zone. If so, why not see our online Spanish classes? You'll find plenty of Spanish speakers with Mexican heritage along the southern U.S. border and in many agricultural areas throughout the country, those of Cuban heritage in Florida, and those of Puerto Rican heritage in New York City, just to name a few. The differences between these Spanish dialects may seem minor, but even just a little bit of knowledge can tell you whether a person is from Madrid or Mexico City. Bolivia: Although nearly all residents of Bolivia speak Spanish, about half do so as a second language. Two of the largest Spanish speaking countries in South America are Colombia (about 46 million Spanish speakers) and Argentina (about 41 million Spanish speakers). Why are there different kinds of Spanish? Roughly 60 percent of the Latin American population speaks Spanish. The indigenous Guaranà language is co-official. Just as there are differences between American English and British English, there are differences between the Spanish spoken in Spain and the Spanish spoken in Latin America. Argentina. Don't subscribeAllReplies to my comments Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. Other Countries Where Spanish Is Important, 10 Myths About Spanish and the People Who Speak It, 5 Countries Where Spanish Is Spoken but Not Official, Why Spanish Is Sometimes Called Castilian, Facts About Colombia for Spanish Students, Facts About Venezuela for Spanish Students, Languages of Spain Not Limited to Spanish, Currencies and Monetary Terms for Spanish-Speaking Countries, Facts About the Dominican Republic for Spanish Students. In the Americas, Spanish is spoken in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. As you can see in my Bio I am based in Madrid, and speak what might be Pronunciation The most noticeable […] quick bit of research revealed that my friends were not alone in bigging up their country’s linguistic skills – the same boast appears in endless blog posts, online articles, and comment sections, mainly written by Colombian authors Dominican Republic: Weakening of consonants, such as the disappearance of the d sound in past participles and other words ending in -ado, is common in Dominican Spanish. The Spanish language in Latin America has variants depending on the zone where it is spoken. Then, in the Caribbean, Spanish is spoken in Cuba, The Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. Paraguay: The Spanish of this small country is similar to that of Argentina. Well over 20 million U.S. residents have Spanish as a primary language, although most are bilingual. However, a large proportion of the vocabulary of the national language, Filipino, is of Spanish origin. English is co-official in the San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina Department off the coast of Nicaragua. Bolivia. There are over 10 other languages spoken in South America. Spain, as with most countries in Latin America, has a wide variety of accents and regional dialects. The accent used in its capital, Mexico City, is sometimes considered to be "standard" Latin American Spanish and is sometimes imitated for movies and television in other countries. Again on the topic of pronouns, in Spain and the majority of the Latin American countries where Spanish is spoken you’ll refer to your par as tú, the informal second-person pronoun that translates as you. Which countries officially speak Spanish? This informal second-person pronoun is dominant in Argentina and Uruguay, yet voseo — as it’s known in linguistic terms — is also common in certain regions of Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Colombia and … They can't all speak the exact same language. 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