How does pronunciation differ between Spain and Latin America
The pronunciation differences between Spain and Latin America in Spanish revolve around several key features:
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The “Z” and soft “C” (before “I” or “E”) are pronounced with a “TH” sound in Spain, known as “ceceo”. For example, “cazar” sounds like “cathar.” In Latin America, these letters are pronounced as an “S” sound, a practice called “seseo”. 1, 5, 6
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The letter “J” is pronounced with a harsher, throatier sound in Spain, similar to the German “ch” in “Bach.” In contrast, Latin American Spanish has a softer “J” sound closer to the English “H”. 2, 5, 1
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The “LL” and “Y” are generally pronounced as a “Y” sound in Spain. In most of Latin America, this can become a “J” sound, and in parts of Argentina and Uruguay, they have a distinctive “SH” sound (yeísmo rehilado). 7, 1
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In many Latin American accents, especially in the Caribbean and coastal areas, the “S” at the end of syllables or words is often aspirated or dropped, a feature also found in southern Spain and the Canary Islands. 1, 7
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Spain Spanish tends to emphasize pronouncing every letter clearly and with distinct intonation, while Latin American Spanish includes more regional variations and some letter weakening or dropping. 2, 7
These pronunciation distinctions contribute to the characteristic sounds that differentiate European Spanish from various Latin American Spanish dialects.