In a list from quickest to slowest, how fast do different countries speak Spanish?
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English See all items with this value
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11/29/19 See all items with this value
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Jean-Paul Pando See all items with this value
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In a list from quickest to slowest, how fast do different countries speak Spanish? See all items with this value
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Thats kind of like asking who speaks English faster; Australian, English, Irish, Scottish or North American. But wait! All of those areas have sub-dialects and expressions as well. A young, law clerk Bostonian will speak English far faster than a chilled-out older Texan.
Anyway, same with Spanish.
This is what I have been able to piece together from 3 decades of paying attention; working as a cashier in a diverse area; working front-desk; talking to coworkers and staff at multiple business in MD, VA and DC:
If the person is Cuban, they will probably speak like greased lightning. Even other fluent native speakers may barely be able to get it all if they aren’t Cuban or from a country of similar diction-speed.
(example - Translation: Yes, when we get together its one big race!)
“siPuehCuandonosEncontramosEstodaunaCarrera!” - (Cuban women in my cashier line: 1.5 seconds. She slowed down a bit for me when I explained in Spanish that I was amazed at their speed.)
“Si pues!; cuando nos encontramos; es toda una carrera!” - (Me: 3.5 seconds. Both parents from Bolivia.)
Dominicans can also speak like lightning. I have had to ask one to slow down before. They find it funny but always agree.
Argentinian have a unique accent that is also quite fast; I would slot them in behind Cubans in speed; but they are faster than most
People in Chile can speak extremely fast; and are loaded with colloquialisms. In rural areas; it slows down and is more similar to Bolivia and Peru.
El Salvador is probably medium-fast. I have to lean forward to pay attention but otherwise have no issues.
Mexican Spanish varies in speed but is never the fastest - I often find Mexicans very easy to understand; as their diction is similar to Andean regions. Their slang is quite distinct; I learned most from movies.
Then you’ve got the Andean region; Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador. This is my base of comparison - we speak slower than Central American countries; and have (in my opinion) more accurate pronunciations; but no one country has the ‘award’ for slowest speaking Spanish. We have colloquialisms derived from local indigenous languages, but after a few coffees, we speak faster. See all items with this value
Anyway, same with Spanish.
This is what I have been able to piece together from 3 decades of paying attention; working as a cashier in a diverse area; working front-desk; talking to coworkers and staff at multiple business in MD, VA and DC:
If the person is Cuban, they will probably speak like greased lightning. Even other fluent native speakers may barely be able to get it all if they aren’t Cuban or from a country of similar diction-speed.
(example - Translation: Yes, when we get together its one big race!)
“siPuehCuandonosEncontramosEstodaunaCarrera!” - (Cuban women in my cashier line: 1.5 seconds. She slowed down a bit for me when I explained in Spanish that I was amazed at their speed.)
“Si pues!; cuando nos encontramos; es toda una carrera!” - (Me: 3.5 seconds. Both parents from Bolivia.)
Dominicans can also speak like lightning. I have had to ask one to slow down before. They find it funny but always agree.
Argentinian have a unique accent that is also quite fast; I would slot them in behind Cubans in speed; but they are faster than most
People in Chile can speak extremely fast; and are loaded with colloquialisms. In rural areas; it slows down and is more similar to Bolivia and Peru.
El Salvador is probably medium-fast. I have to lean forward to pay attention but otherwise have no issues.
Mexican Spanish varies in speed but is never the fastest - I often find Mexicans very easy to understand; as their diction is similar to Andean regions. Their slang is quite distinct; I learned most from movies.
Then you’ve got the Andean region; Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador. This is my base of comparison - we speak slower than Central American countries; and have (in my opinion) more accurate pronunciations; but no one country has the ‘award’ for slowest speaking Spanish. We have colloquialisms derived from local indigenous languages, but after a few coffees, we speak faster. See all items with this value