Spanish Accents from different countries – Guess the dialect!
from Henning
Henning lived for several years in El Salvador, working as a teacher. He is Co-Founder of the SAY ZONTE! project. Writing for this blog is his way to give s.th. back to “el pulgarcito.”
Are you interested in learning more about Spanish dialects? Well, then you should keep reading. This post is not a scientific analysis of the characteristics of the Spanish language. I only want to give you a first impression of how diverse it is.
But don’t get afraid! When you learn something new, it’s always best to remind the following: “the journey is the reward”! And it’s the same when you start learning more about the Spanish dialetcs…or accents.
Some words before we start: Spanish Dialects vs. Spanish Accents
Yes, there is a difference. And it’s an interesting but very complex topic. But to keep it short: You can distinguish accents from each other by pronunciation alone, while Spanish dialects deal with vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar.
That’s why you would say, “The difference between the Spanish Dialect from Latin American countries and Spain” because there are also some differences in the Spanish grammar, for example. If you want to learn more about it, read more here.
Another interesting point is that there are so many words with different meanings in different Spanish-speaking countries (or no meaning at all, because the people only use it specifically in their own country). For example, the Spanish verb “coger” (to take s.th.) seems to be a pretty neutral verb. But be careful how you use it in El Salvador, for example. It’s very often used in a sexual context, meaning sexual intercourse. Look at this map about the different meanings of the Spanish words.
If you want to learn more about the Spanish language, this post might be interesting for you: 14 SPANISH FUN FACTS ABOUT THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LANGUAGE IN THE WORLD
Some impressive numbers about the Spanish language
Last step before we get started with our Spanish dialects quiz: Let’s get motivated with some impressive numbers first.
The Spanish language is spoken as a first language by more than 360 million people worldwide. More than 540 million people globally can speak Spanish – what a number! Mexico has more than 85 million speakers; in 2nd place, you will find Colombia (about 40 million), 3rd place Argentina (more than 35 million), and in Spain, of course, there are more than 30 million Spanish-speaking people.
Fun Fact: Surprisingly, the USA has the second-largest population of Spanish speakers worldwide. More than 13% of the people who live in the US can speak Spanish because they have their roots in Latin America or are somehow connected to these countries. Also, many US students learn Spanish in high school.
Seeing all these impressive numbers, you will quickly realize how diverse the Spanish language is. Isn’t that beautiful and confusing at the same time? But now, let’s start with our quiz about the Spanish diaects, or accents. If you prefer watching it as a video, please visit our Youtube-Channel.
The ultimate Spanish dialects quiz!
There are so many different Spanish dialects and accents that we couldn’t cover all of them. Anyway, this quiz gives you a decent impression of the diversity of the Spanish language. Have fun and please leave a comment below to let us know what you think about this quiz!
If you plan your next filed trip to a Spanish-speaking country and you are still unsure where to go, this post might be interesting for you, too: THE BEST PLACE TO LEARN SPANISH: WHICH OPTIONS DO YOU HAVE?
