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Spanish language

Spanish or Castilian is an Iberian Romance language. It was spoken by roughly 364 million people in the year 2000 . Current estimation accounts up to 410 million, making Spanish the most widely spoken Romance language Romance languages

The Romance languages, a major branch of the Indo-European language family [i], ... 

. Spanish originated as a dialect in the Cantabria Cantabria

Cantabria is an autonomous community [i] of Spain [i], containing one province [i] ... 

 region of Spain Spain

Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a Europe [i]an parliamentary monarchy [i]. ... 

; from that region, its use gradually spread to the kingdom of Castile Kingdom of Castile

The Kingdom of Castile was one of the medieval kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula [i]. ... 

, where it became the principal language of government and trade. It was later brought to the Western Hemisphere Western Hemisphere

Western Hemisphere, or Western hemisphere, is a geopolitical [i] term for the Americas [i] ... 

 and other parts of the world in the last five centuries by Spanish explorers, colonists and empire-builders.

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Encyclopedia

Spanish or Castilian is an Iberian Romance language. It was spoken by roughly 364 million people in the year 2000 . Current estimation accounts up to 410 million, making Spanish the most widely spoken Romance language Romance languages

The Romance languages, a major branch of the Indo-European language family [i], ... 

.

Spanish originated as a dialect in the Cantabria Cantabria

Cantabria is an autonomous community [i] of Spain [i], containing one province [i] ... 

 region of Spain Spain

Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a Europe [i]an parliamentary monarchy [i].... 

; from that region, its use gradually spread to the kingdom of Castile Kingdom of Castile

The Kingdom of Castile was one of the medieval kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula [i].... 

, where it became the principal language of government and trade. It was later brought to the Western Hemisphere Western Hemisphere

Western Hemisphere, or Western hemisphere, is a geopolitical [i] term for the Americas [i] ... 

 and other parts of the world in the last five centuries by Spanish explorers, colonists and empire-builders. Spanish is one of six official working languages of the United Nations United Nations

name = United Nations
Nations Unies
... 

 and one of the most used global languages, along with English English language

English is a widely distributed language that originated in England [i] but is now the primary language ... 

. It is spoken on all continents, most extensively in North North America

North America is a continent [i] in the Earth [i]'s northern hemisphere [i] and almost fully in the western hemisphere [i]... 

 and South America South America

South America is a continent [i] situated in the western hemisphere [i] and, mostly, ... 

, Europe Europe

Europe is one of the seven traditional continent [i]s of the Earth [i]. ... 

, and certain parts of Africa Africa

Africa is one of the greatest sized continents of the Earth.... 

, Asia Asia

Asia is the largest and most populous continent [i] or region, depending on the definition.... 

 and Oceania Oceania

Oceania is a geographical [i], often geopolitical [i], region [i] consisting of n ... 

. Within the globalized market Globalization

Globalization or globalisation is an umbrella term [i] for a complex series of economic [i], social [i] ... 

, there is currently an international expansion and recognition of the Spanish language in literature Literature

Literature is literally "acquaintance with letters" as in the first sense given in the Oxford English Dictionary [i] ... 

, the film industry Film industry

The film industry consists of the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking: i.e.... 

, television Television

Television is a telecommunication [i] system for
... 

  and mostly music Music

Music is an art, entertainment [i], or other human activity that involves organized and audible sounds a ... 

.

Naming


Spanish people Spanish people

The Spanish people or Spaniards are the ethnic group [i] or nation [i] native to Spain [i], in the ... 

 tend to call this language when contrasting it with languages of other states , but call it when contrasting it with other languages of Spain . In this manner, the Spanish Constitution of 1978 uses the term to define the official language of the whole State, opposed to . Article III reads as follows:

Castilian is the official Spanish language of the State. The other Spanish languages shall also be official in the respective Autonomous Communities…


In some parts of Spain, mainly where people speak Galician, Basque and Catalan, the choice of words reveals the speakers' sense of belonging and their political Politics of Spain

Politics of Spain takes place in a framework of a parliamentary [i] representative democratic [i] ... 

 views. People from bilingual areas might consider it offensive to call the language , as that is the term that was chosen by Francisco Franco Francisco Franco

Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Tedulo Franco y Bahamonde Salgado Pardo , abbreviated Francisco Franc... 

 — during whose dictatorship the use of regional languages was discouraged— and because it connotes that Basque, Catalan and Galician are not languages of Spain. On the other hand, more nationalist speakers might prefer either to reflect their belief in the unity of the Spanish State or to denote the perceived detachment between their region and the rest of the State. However, most people in Spain, regardless of place of origin, use Spanish or Castilian indistinctively.

For the rest of the Spanish-speaking world, speakers of the language in many areas refer to it as , and in only a few is more common. is the name given to the Spanish language in Argentina Argentina

Argentina is a country in southern South America [i]. ... 

, Bolivia Bolivia

Bolivia, officially the Republic of Bolivia , named after Simon Bolivar [i], is a landlocked [i] country [i] ... 

, Chile Chile

Chile, officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America [i] occupying a long coast ... 

, Ecuador Ecuador

Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador is a country in northwestern South America [i], bound ... 

, Paraguay Paraguay

Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked [i] country in South America [i]. ... 

, Peru Peru

Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America [i], bordering Ecuador [i]... 

, Uruguay Uruguay

Uruguay, officially the Eastern Republic of Uruguay or the Republic East of the Uruguay , i... 

 and Venezuela Venezuela

Venezuela is a country on the northern tropical [i] Caribbean [i] coast of South America [i] ... 

.

Some philologists use Castilian only when speaking of the language spoken in Castile during the Middle Ages Middle Ages

The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history [i] ... 

, stating that it is preferable to use Spanish for its modern form. The subdialect of Spanish spoken in most parts of modern day Castile can also be called Castilian. This dialect differs from those of other regions of Spain ; the Castilian dialect is almost exactly the same as standard Spanish.

Some Spanish speakers consider "" a generic term with no political or ideological links, much as "Spanish" is in English.

Related languages


Spanish/Castilian has closest affinity to the other Iberian languages and dialects spoken within current borders of Spain. Most are mutually intelligible among speakers without too much difficulty.

  • Aragonese Aragonese language

    Aragonese, IPA [i]: , is a Romance language [i] now s ... 

  • Leonese
  • Asturian
  • Galician Galician language

    Galician is a language of the Western Ibero-Romance [i] branch, spoken in Galicia [i] ... 

  • Portuguese Portuguese language

    Portuguese is an Iberian Romance language [i], of the Indo-European family [i] ... 

  • Extremaduran
  • Catalan Catalan language

    Catalan is a Romance language [i], the national language of Andorra [i] and co-official [i] ... 

  • Occitan Occitan language

    Occitan, known also as Lenga d'c or Langue d'oc is a Romance language [i] ... 

  • Ladino

Comparisons between Spanish and other languages


Spanish has different common features with Catalan Catalan language

Catalan is a Romance language [i], the national language of Andorra [i] and co-official [i] ... 

, an East-Iberian language which exhibits many Gallo-Romance traits. As with Portuguese, Spanish morphology and phonetics are much easier for a Catalan speaker to understand than the other way around. Catalan is more similar to Occitan than Spanish and Portuguese are to each other.

Spanish Latin Portuguese Catalan English Notes
nosotros nos nós nosaltres we Quebec French: nous autres
hermano germanum irmão germà brother 
martes dies Martis
terça-feira
dimarts Tuesday French French language

French is the third-largest of the Romance languages [i] in terms of number of native speakers, after Spanish [i] ... 

: mardi
canción cantionem canção cançó song French French language

French is the third-largest of the Romance languages [i] in terms of number of native speakers, after Spanish [i] ... 

: chanson
más magis or plus mais
més more French plus, Italian più, Romanian mai
mano izquierda manum sinistram mão esquerda, sinistra
mà esquerra left hand Basque Basque language

Basque is the language [i] spoken by the Basque people [i] who inhabit the Pyrenees [i] in North-Centra ... 

: esku ezkerra
nada nullam rem natam
nada
res nothing French French language

French is the third-largest of the Romance languages [i] in terms of number of native speakers, after Spanish [i] ... 

: rien

Comparison between Spanish and other Romance languages


Spanish and Italian Italian language

Italian is a Romance language [i] spoken by about 70 million people, primarily in Italy [i] ... 

 share a very similar phonological system and do not differ very much in grammar, vocabulary and above all morphology. Speakers of both languages can communicate relatively well: at present, the lexical similarity with Italian is estimated at 82%. As a result, Spanish and Italian are mutually intelligible to various degrees. Spanish is less mutually intelligible with French French language

French is the third-largest of the Romance languages [i] in terms of number of native speakers, after Spanish [i] ... 

 and with Romanian Romanian language

Romanian is the fifth of the Romance languages [i] in terms of number of speakers. ... 

 . The writing systems of the four languages allow for a greater amount of interlingual reading comprehension than oral communication would.

Portuguese



Between the two main languages spoken on the Iberian Peninsula Iberian Peninsula

The Iberian Peninsula, or Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe [i].... 

, Spanish and Portuguese Portuguese language

Portuguese is an Iberian Romance language [i], of the Indo-European family [i] ... 

, there is generally a mutual understanding between the standard spoken forms, though Spanish morphology and phonetics is much easier for a Portuguese speaker to understand than vice versa. The lexical similarity Spanish has with Portuguese is estimated at 89%..

Spanish is the official language in 22 countries: Argentina Argentina

Argentina is a country in southern South America [i]. ... 

, Bolivia Bolivia

Bolivia, officially the Republic of Bolivia , named after Simon Bolivar [i], is a landlocked [i] country [i] ... 

 , Chile Chile

Chile, officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America [i] occupying a long coast ... 

, Colombia Colombia

The Republic of Colombia , is the northwesternmost country of South America [i]. ... 

, Costa Rica Costa Rica

Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica , is a country in Central America [i], bordered ... 

, Cuba Cuba

Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, consists of the island of Cuba, the Isle of Youth [i] and a ... 

, Dominican Republic Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic, is a country located on the eastern two-thirds of the Caribbean [i] ... 

, Ecuador Ecuador

Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador is a country in northwestern South America [i], bound ... 

, El Salvador El Salvador

El Salvador is a country in Central America [i] with a population of approximately 6.9 million people. ... 

, Equatorial Guinea Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea, officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, is a country in West Middle Africa [i] ... 

 , Guatemala Guatemala

Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala , is a country in Central America [i], in the sout ... 

, Honduras Honduras

Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America [i], bordered to th ... 

, Mexico Mexico

The United Mexican States, generally known as Mexico is a country [i] located in North America [i] ... 

, Nicaragua Nicaragua

Nicaragua is a republic in Central America [i]. ... 

, Panama Panama

The Republic of Panama , commonly known as Panama, is the southernmost country of Central America [i]. ... 

, Paraguay Paraguay

Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked [i] country in South America [i]. ... 

 , Peru Peru

Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America [i], bordering Ecuador [i]... 

 , Puerto Rico Puerto Rico

The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , also Porto Rico and more commonly Puerto Rico, is a United States [i] ... 

 , Spain Spain

Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a Europe [i]an parliamentary monarchy [i].... 

 , Uruguay Uruguay

Uruguay, officially the Eastern Republic of Uruguay or the Republic East of the Uruguay , i... 

, Venezuela Venezuela

Venezuela is a country on the northern tropical [i] Caribbean [i] coast of South America [i] ... 

, and Western Sahara Western Sahara

Western Sahara is one of the most sparsely populated territories in the world [i]... 

 .

In Belize Belize

Belize is a small nation on the eastern coast of Central America [i] on the Caribbean Sea [i] bordered ... 

, Spanish holds no official recognition. However, it is the native tongue of about 50% of the population, and is spoken as a second language by another 20%. It is arguably the most important and widely-spoken on a popular level, but English remains the sole official language. In Haiti Haiti

Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti, occupies one third of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola [i]... 

, it is spoken by a sizeable portion of the population, especially those who live close to the border with the Spanish-speaking Dominican Republic. The Télévision Nationale d'Haïti, the country's national television network and the Agence Haïtienne de Presse also have occasional television and radio broadcasts in Spanish, however only French French language

French is the third-largest of the Romance languages [i] in terms of number of native speakers, after Spanish [i] ... 

 and Haitian Creole are the only two officially recognized languages in that nation.

In the United States United States

The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., a... 

, Spanish is spoken by three-quarters of its 41.3 million Hispanic Hispanic

Hispanic is a term denoting a derivation from Spain [i], its people [i] and culture [i] ... 

 population. The continuous arrival of new immigrants enables it to resist the assimilation experienced by the languages of most previous immigrants. It is also being learned and spoken by a small, though slowly growing, proportion of its non-Hispanic population for its increasing use in business, commerce, and both domestic and international politics. Spanish holds co-official status in the unincorporated U.S. territory of Puerto Rico Puerto Rico

The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , also Porto Rico and more commonly Puerto Rico, is a United States [i] ... 

. See Spanish in the United States Spanish in the United States

Spanish [i] is the second most common language in the United States [i] ... 

 for further information.


In Brazil Brazil

Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest and most populous country [i] ... 

, Spanish has obtained an important status as a second language among young students and many skilled professionals. In recent years, with Brazil decreasing its reliance on trade with the USA and Europe and increasing trade and ties with its Spanish-speaking neighbors , much stress has been placed on bilingualism and Spanish proficiency in the country. On July 07 2005, the National Congress of Brazil National Congress of Brazil

Brazil [i]'s bicameral [i] National Congress consists of a Senate [i] and a Chamber of Deputies [i] ... 

 gave final approval to a bill that makes Spanish a mandatory foreign language in the country’s public and private primary schools . The close genetic relationship between the two languages, along with the fact that Spanish is the dominant and official language of almost every country that borders Brazil, adds to the popularity. Standard Spanish and Ladino may also be spoken natively by some Spanish-descended Brazilians, immigrant workers from neighbouring Spanish-speaking countries and Brazilian Sephardim respectively, who have maintained it as their home language. Additionally, in Brazil's border states that have authority over their educational systems, Spanish has been taught for years. In many other border towns and villages a mixed language commonly known as Portuñol is also spoken.

In European Europe

Europe is one of the seven traditional continent [i]s of the Earth [i]. ... 

 countries other than Spain, it may be spoken by some of their Spanish-speaking immigrant communities, primarily in Andorra Andorra

The Principality of Andorra is a small, landlocked [i] principality [i] in southwest ... 

 , the Netherlands Netherlands

The Netherlands is the Europe [i]an part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands [i] , which is formed ... 

, Italy Italy

Italy, officially the Italian Republic , is a Southern European [i] country. ... 

, France France

France, officially the French Republic, is a country [i] whose metropolitan territory [i] ... 

, Germany Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country [i] in central Europe [i]. ... 

 and the United Kingdom United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country and sovereign state [i] tha ... 

 where there is a strong community in London London

London is the capital [i] city of England [i] and of the United Kingdom [i]. ... 

. There has been a sharp increase in the popularity of Spanish in the United Kingdom over the last few years. It is spoken by much of the population of Gibraltar Gibraltar

Gibraltar is a British overseas territory [i].... 

, though English English language

English is a widely distributed language that originated in England [i] but is now the primary language ... 

 remains the only official language. Yanito , an English-Spanish mixed language is also spoken.

Among the countries and territories in Oceania Oceania

Oceania is a geographical [i], often geopolitical [i], region [i] consisting of n ... 

, Spanish is the seventh most spoken language in Australia Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere [i] c ... 

; where there is an older Argentine Argentina

Argentina is a country in southern South America [i]. ... 

, Chilean Chile

Chile, officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America [i] occupying a long coast ... 

 and Spanish Spain

Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a Europe [i]an parliamentary monarchy [i].... 

 community and growing Colombian Colombia

The Republic of Colombia , is the northwesternmost country of South America [i]. ... 

 and Mexican Mexico

The United Mexican States, generally known as Mexico is a country [i] located in North America [i] ... 

 communities mainly in Sydney Sydney

Sydney is the most populous city in Australia [i] with a metropolitan area [i] population of over 4.2 m ... 

. It is also spoken by the approximately 3,000 inhabitants of Easter Island Easter Island

Easter Island, known in the native language [i] as Rapa Nui or Isla de Pascu ... 

, a territorial possession of Chile. The island nations of Guam Guam

Guam , officially the U.S.... 

, Palau Palau

Palau, officially the Republic of Palau, is an island nation [i] in the Pacific Ocean [i] ... 

, Northern Marianas Northern Mariana Islands

The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , is a commonwealth [i] ... 

, Marshall Islands Marshall Islands

The Marshall Islands, officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands , is a Micronesian [i] ... 

 and Federated States of Micronesia Federated States of Micronesia

Micronesia, officially the Federated States of Micronesia, is an island nation [i] located in the ... 

 all once had Spanish speakers, but Spanish has long since been forgotten. It now only exists as an influence on the local native languages and spoken by its foreign populations.

In Asia Asia

Asia is the largest and most populous continent [i] or region, depending on the definition.... 

, the Spanish language has long been in decline. Spanish ceased to be an official language of the Philippines Philippines

The Philippines , officially the Republic of the Philippines , is an island nation [i] located in ... 

 in 1987, and it is now spoken by less than 0.01% of the population, or 2,658 people , though recently there seems to have been a resurgence in interest in the language among the educated youth. The sole existing Spanish-Asiatic creole language, Chabacano, is spoken by an additional 0.4% of the Filipino population: 292,630 . Most other Philippine languages contain generous quantities of Spanish loan words. Among other Asian countries, Spanish may also be spoken by pockets of ex-immigrant communities, such as Mexican-born ethnic Chinese deported to China or third and fourth generation ethnic Japanese Japanese people

The are the people having identity [i] as a Japan [i]ese. ... 

 Peruvians returning to their ancestral homeland of Japan.

In the Middle East Middle East

The Middle East is a subcontinent [i] for the historical [i] and cultural [i] ... 

 and North Africa North Africa

North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost [i] region [i] of the Africa [i]n continent [i] ... 

, small Spanish-speaking communities exist in Israel Israel

Israel , officially the State of Israel, is a country in Western Asia [i] on the so ... 

 , northern Morocco Morocco

The Kingdom of Morocco is a country in North Africa [i]. ... 

 , Turkey Turkey

Turkey, officially the Republic of Turkey, is a Eurasia [i]n country that stretches across the Anatolia [i] ... 

 , and the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta Ceuta

Ceuta is a Spanish [i] exclave [i] in North Africa [i], located on the Mediterranean, on the south ... 

 and Melilla Melilla

Melilla is a Spanish [i] city [i] on the Mediterranean [i] coast of North Africa [i], neighbouring ... 

 which are part of Spain Spain

Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a Europe [i]an parliamentary monarchy [i].... 

.

In North America North America

North America is a continent [i] in the Earth [i]'s northern hemisphere [i] and almost fully in the western hemisphere [i]... 

 and the Caribbean Caribbean

The Caribbean is a region [i] of the Americas [i] consisting of the Caribbean Sea [i], its island [i]s... 

, Spanish is also spoken by segments of the populations in Aruba Aruba

|-
| align="center" colspan=2 | |-
... 

, Canada Canada

Canada is the world's second-largest [i] country by total area, occupying most ... 

 , Netherlands Antilles Netherlands Antilles

The Netherlands Antilles , previously known as the Netherlands West Indies or Dutch Antilles/We... 

 , Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago

The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is a country in the southern Caribbean Sea [i], situated 11 kilometre [i]... 

, and the U.S. Virgin Islands United States Virgin Islands

The United States Virgin Islands are a group of island [i]s in the Caribbean [i] that are an insular area [i] ... 

 .

In Antarctica Antarctica

Antarctica is the southernmost continent and encompasses the South Pole [i]. ... 

, the territorial claims and permanent bases made by Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay and Spain also place Spanish as the official and working language of these enclaves.

Alphabetic Order Number of Speakers

  1. Argentina Argentina

    Argentina is a country in southern South America [i]. ... 

  2. Bolivia Bolivia

    Bolivia, officially the Republic of Bolivia , named after Simon Bolivar [i], is a landlocked [i] country [i] ... 

  3. Chile Chile

    Chile, officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America [i] occupying a long coast ... 

  4. Colombia Colombia

    The Republic of Colombia , is the northwesternmost country of South America [i]. ... 

  5. Costa Rica Costa Rica

    Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica , is a country in Central America [i], bordered ... 

  6. Cuba Cuba

    Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, consists of the island of Cuba, the Isle of Youth [i] and a ... 

  7. Dominican Republic Dominican Republic

    The Dominican Republic, is a country located on the eastern two-thirds of the Caribbean [i] ... 

  8. Ecuador Ecuador

    Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador is a country in northwestern South America [i], bound ... 

  9. El Salvador El Salvador

    El Salvador is a country in Central America [i] with a population of approximately 6.9 million people. ... 

  10. Equatorial Guinea Equatorial Guinea

    Equatorial Guinea, officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, is a country in West Middle Africa [i] ... 

  11. Guatemala Guatemala

    Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala , is a country in Central America [i], in the sout ... 

  12. Honduras Honduras

    Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America [i], bordered to th ... 

  13. Mexico Mexico

    The United Mexican States, generally known as Mexico is a country [i] located in North America [i] ... 

  14. Nicaragua Nicaragua

    Nicaragua is a republic in Central America [i]. ... 

  15. Panama Panama

    The Republic of Panama , commonly known as Panama, is the southernmost country of Central America [i]. ... 

  16. Paraguay Paraguay

    Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked [i] country in South America [i]. ... 

  17. Peru Peru

    Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America [i], bordering Ecuador [i]... 

  18. Puerto Rico Puerto Rico

    The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , also Porto Rico and more commonly Puerto Rico, is a United States [i] ... 

  19. Spain Spain

    Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a Europe [i]an parliamentary monarchy [i].... 

  20. United States of America United States

    The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., a... 

  21. Uruguay Uruguay

    Uruguay, officially the Eastern Republic of Uruguay or the Republic East of the Uruguay , i... 

  22. Venezuela Venezuela

    Venezuela is a country on the northern tropical [i] Caribbean [i] coast of South America [i] ... 

  • Mexico Mexico

    The United Mexican States, generally known as Mexico is a country [i] located in North America [i] ... 

  • Spain Spain

    Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a Europe [i]an parliamentary monarchy [i].... 

  • Colombia Colombia

    The Republic of Colombia , is the northwesternmost country of South America [i]. ... 

  • Argentina Argentina

    Argentina is a country in southern South America [i]. ... 

  • United States of America United States

    The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., a... 

  • Venezuela Venezuela

    Venezuela is a country on the northern tropical [i] Caribbean [i] coast of South America [i] ... 

  • Peru Peru

    Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America [i], bordering Ecuador [i]... 

  • Chile Chile

    Chile, officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America [i] occupying a long coast ... 

  • Cuba Cuba

    Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, consists of the island of Cuba, the Isle of Youth [i] and a ... 

  • Ecuador Ecuador

    Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador is a country in northwestern South America [i], bound ... 

  • Dominican Republic Dominican Republic

    The Dominican Republic, is a country located on the eastern two-thirds of the Caribbean [i] ... 

  • Guatemala Guatemala

    Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala , is a country in Central America [i], in the sout ... 

  • Honduras Honduras

    Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America [i], bordered to th ... 

  • Bolivia Bolivia

    Bolivia, officially the Republic of Bolivia , named after Simon Bolivar [i], is a landlocked [i] country [i] ... 

  • El Salvador El Salvador

    El Salvador is a country in Central America [i] with a population of approximately 6.9 million people. ... 

  • Nicaragua Nicaragua

    Nicaragua is a republic in Central America [i]. ... 

  • Paraguay Paraguay

    Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked [i] country in South America [i]. ... 

  • Costa Rica Costa Rica

    Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica , is a country in Central America [i], bordered ... 

  • Puerto Rico Puerto Rico

    The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , also Porto Rico and more commonly Puerto Rico, is a United States [i] ... 

  • Uruguay Uruguay

    Uruguay, officially the Eastern Republic of Uruguay or the Republic East of the Uruguay , i... 

  • Panama Panama

    The Republic of Panama , commonly known as Panama, is the southernmost country of Central America [i]. ... 

  • Equatorial Guinea Equatorial Guinea

    Equatorial Guinea, officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, is a country in West Middle Africa [i] ... 



  • Variations




    There are important variations among the regions of Spain and throughout Spanish-speaking America. In Spain the Castilian dialect pronunciation is commonly taken as the national standard .

    Spanish has three second-person singular pronouns: , , and in some parts of Latin America, . Generally speaking, and are informal and used with friends . is universally regarded as the formal form , and is used as a mark of respect, as when addressing one's elders or strangers. The pronoun is the plural form of in most of Spain, although in the Americas it is replaced with . It is remarkable that the use of for the informal plural "you" in southern Spain does not follow the usual rule for pronoun-verb agreement; e.g., while the formal form for "you go", , uses the third-person plural form of the verb, in Cádiz the informal form is constructed as , using the second-person plural of the verb. In the Canary Islands, though, the usual pronoun-verb agreement is preserved in most cases.

    is used extensively as the primary spoken form of the second-person singular pronoun in many countries of Latin America Latin America

    Latin America is the region [i] of the Americas [i] where Romance language [i]s those derived from Latin [i] ... 

    , including Argentina Argentina

    Argentina is a country in southern South America [i]. ... 

    , Costa Rica Costa Rica

    Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica , is a country in Central America [i], bordered ... 

    , Ecuador Ecuador

    Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador is a country in northwestern South America [i], bound ... 

    , El Salvador El Salvador

    El Salvador is a country in Central America [i] with a population of approximately 6.9 million people. ... 

    , Guatemala Guatemala

    Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala , is a country in Central America [i], in the sout ... 

    , Honduras Honduras

    Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America [i], bordered to th ... 

    , Nicaragua Nicaragua

    Nicaragua is a republic in Central America [i]. ... 

    , Paraguay Paraguay

    Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked [i] country in South America [i]. ... 

    , Uruguay Uruguay

    Uruguay, officially the Eastern Republic of Uruguay or the Republic East of the Uruguay , i... 

    , the Antioquia and Valle del Cauca states of Colombia Colombia

    The Republic of Colombia , is the northwesternmost country of South America [i]. ... 

     and the State of Zulia in Venezuela Venezuela

    Venezuela is a country on the northern tropical [i] Caribbean [i] coast of South America [i] ... 

    . In Argentina, Uruguay, and increasingly in Paraguay, it is also the standard form used in the media Mass media

    Mass media is a term used to denote, as a class, that section of the media specifically conceived and de... 

    , but media in other countries continue to use or . may also be used regionally in other countries. Depending on country or region, usage may be considered standard or to be unrefined. Interpersonal situations in which the use of vos is acceptable may also differ considerably between regions.

    Spanish forms also differ regarding second-person plural pronouns. The Spanish dialects of Latin America have only one form of the second-person plural, . In Spain there are two forms — and .

    The , like academies formed for twenty-one other national languages, exercises a standardizing influence through its publication of dictionaries and widely respected grammar and style guides. Due to this influence and for other sociohistorical reasons, a neutral standardized form of the language is widely acknowledged for use in literature, academic contexts and the media.

    Some words are different, even embarrassingly so, in different Hispanophone countries. Most Spanish speakers can recognize other Spanish forms, even in places where they are not commonly used, but Spaniards generally do not recognise specifically American usages. For example, Spanish mantequilla, aguacate and albaricoque correspond to manteca, palta, and damasco, respectively, in Argentina and Chile. The everyday Spanish words coger and concha are considered extremely rude in parts of Latin America. The first meaning "to have sex" and the latter "vagina". The Puerto Rican word for "bobby pin" is an obscenity in Mexico.

    Grammar


    Spanish is a relatively inflected language, with a two-gender system and about fifty conjugated forms per verb, but small noun declension and limited pronominal declension.

    Spanish syntax is generally Subject Verb Object, though variations are common. Spanish is right-branching, uses prepositions, and usually places adjectives after nouns.

    Spanish is also pro-drop  and verb-framed.

    Sounds


    The phonemic inventory listed below is not an accurate description of the current Standard Spanish because it includes historical phonemes that have been merged with others or dropped in the process of the language evolution, as noted further below.

    caption | Consonants of Spanish
    Bilabial Bilabial consonant

    In phonetics [i], a bilabial consonant is a consonant [i] articulated with both lip [i]s.... 

    Labio-
    Dental
    Labiodental consonant

    In phonetics [i], labiodentals are consonants [i] articulated with the lower lip and the upper... 

    Dental Alveolar Alveolar consonant

    Alveolar consonants are articulated with the tongue against or close to the superior alveolar ridge [i], ... 

    Post-
    Alveolar
    Postalveolar consonant

    Postalveolar consonants are consonant [i]s articulated with the tongue near or touching the back of ... 

    Palatal Palatal consonant

    Palatal consonants are consonant [i]s articulated with the body of the tongue raised against the hard palate [i] ... 

    Velar Velar consonant

    Velars are consonant [i]s articulated with the back part of the tongue
    ... 

    Glottal Vocal folds

    The vocal folds, also known popularly as vocal cords, are composed of twin infoldings of mucous membrane [i] ... 

    Nasals    
    Plosives        
    Fricatives           
    Affricates         
    Approximants          
    Trills      
    Taps Flap consonant

    In phonetics [i], a flap or tap is a type of consonant [i]al sound, which is produced with a singl... 

          
    Laterals Lateral consonant

    Laterals are "L"-like consonant [i]s pronounced with an occlusion made somewhere along the axis of the t ... 

         
    Notes: When sounds appear in pairs, the left is unvoiced, the right is voiced. Also, allophones have been denoted in parentheses . An asterisk marks sounds that appear in some dialects but not others.

    The consonantal system of Castilian Spanish, by the 16th century, underwent the following important changes that differentiated it from some nearby Romance languages, such as Portuguese Portuguese language

    Portuguese is an Iberian Romance language [i], of the Indo-European family [i] ... 

     and Catalan Catalan language

    Catalan is a Romance language [i], the national language of Andorra [i] and co-official [i] ... 

    :

    • The initial , that had evolved into a vacillating , was lost in most words .
    • The voiced labiodental fricative  merged with the bilabial oclusive . Orthographically, b and v do not correspond to different phonemes in contemporary Spanish, excepting some areas in Spain, particularly the ones influenced by Catalan/Valencian.
    • The voiced alveolar fricative  merged with the voiceless .
    • The voiced alveolar affricate Voiced alveolar affricate

      The voiced alveolar affricate is a type of consonant [i]al sound, used in some spoken [i] language [i] ... 

        merged with the voiceless , and then evolved into the interdental , now written z, ce, ci. But in Andalucia Andalusia

      Andalusia is an autonomous community [i] of Spain [i]. ... 

      , the Canary Islands Canary Islands

      The Canary Islands IPA [i] are an archipelago [i] of the Kingdom of Spain [i] ... 

       and the Americas these sounds merged with as well. Notice that the ç or c with cedilla was in its origin a Spanish letter, although is no longer used.
    • The voiced postalveolar fricative  merged with the voiceless , and then evolved by the 17th century into the modern velar sound , now written j, ge, gi. However, in Argentina, y and ll are pronounced in most cases.


    The consonantal system of Medieval Spanish has been better preserved in Ladino and in Portuguese, neither of which underwent the shift.

    Lexical stress


    Spanish has a phonemic stress system — the place where stress will fall cannot be predicted by other features of the word, and two words can differ by just a change in stress. For example, the word means "road" or "I walk" whereas means "you /he/she/it walked". Also, since Spanish syllables are all pronounced at a more or less constant tempo, the language is said to be syllable-timed.

    In a written word, the stressed syllable can always be identified . An amusing example of the significance of stress is a puzzle which requires the subject to punctuate: como como como como como como so that it makes sense. The answer is ¿Cómo, cómo como? ¡Como como como! .

    Writing system


    The pronunciation of almost any Spanish word can be perfectly predicted from its written form.

    Spanish is written using the Latin alphabet Latin alphabet

    The Latin alphabet, also called the Roman alphabet, is the most widely used alphabet [i]ic writing system [i] ... 

    , with the addition of ñ N

    The letter N is the fourteenth letter in the Latin alphabet [i]. ... 

    . Historically ch , ll [], and "rr", were until 1994 defined as single letters, with their own names and places in the alphabet . Since 1994 these letters have been abolished, and replaced with the appropriate letter pair. This effectively means that spelling is visibly unchanged, but words with "ch" are now alphabetically sorted between "ce" and "ci", instead of following "cz", and similarly for "ll" and "rr". However, "che", "elle" and "erre" are still used in coloquial spanish to mean "ch" "ll" and "rr" respectively.

    The letter u sometimes carries diaeresis  after the letter g, and stressed vowels carry acute accents in many words. These marks usually indicate deviations from what would be expected if one followed the customary rules of Spanish orthography. For example, gue indicates that the u is not pronounced. However, güe means that the u is also pronounced Accent marks usually indicate that the customary rules of accentuation are to be ignored. In a few cases, an accented letter is used to distinguish meaning: compare with . Words that could otherwise be mistaken for function words are often given accents . Interrogative pronouns receive accents when in questions or indirect questions. Demonstrative pronouns have accents when they refer to a specific, implied object and are not being used as adjectives. In addition, is written with an accent between numerals to indicate that it is not part of the numerals: e.g., should be read as rather than . Accent marks are frequently omitted on capital letters, but should not be.

    Interrogative and exclamatory clauses begin with inverted question Question mark

    For the Question Mark butterfly, see Polygonia interrogationis [i]. ... 


    and exclamation mark Exclamation mark

    An exclamation mark, exclamation point or bang, "!", is usually used after an interjection [i] ... 

    s .

    Examples of Spanish


    Note, the third column uses the International Phonetic Alphabet International Phonetic Alphabet

    The International Phonetic Alphabet is a system of phonetic notation [i] devised ... 

    , the standard for linguists, to transcribe the sounds. There are several examples of travellers' vocabulary and one literary reference.

    You can . Both the transcription and the recording represent standard Castilian pronunciation.

    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
    EnglishSpanishIPA transcription
    IPA Transcription
    Spanish
    Spanish
    English
    Yes
    No
    Hello
    How are you?
    Good morning!
    Good afternoon/evening!
    Good night!
    Goodbye
    Please
    Thank you 1 or
    Excuse me
    I'm Sorry
    Hurry!
    Because
    Why?
    Who?
    What?