Spanish Dialects

Spanish has many dialects. In Spain the two main dialects are Castilian and Andalusian. However, Spanish has many more.

Spanish dialects can be divided into five main groups. They are the following:

European
Mexican
Central American
Caribbean
South American

European Spanish refers to the Spanish of Spain. Central American Spanish features Guatemalan Spanish, a variety that shares features with Mexican, and Panamanian, a variety that shares features with Caribbean. Caribbean Spanish includes the Spanish of Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. South American Spanish has many varieties such as Andean-Pacific and Rioplatense.  The Andean-Pacific includes Colombia, Peru and Ecuador and the Rioplatense includes Argentina and Uruguay.

Spanish dialects have significant differences in pronunciation and vocabulary. The two countries with the most Spanish speakers, Spain and Mexico, have a number of dialects. The two main dialects are European and Latin American, but the dialects can also be further classified into five main groups.