If your business expands globally, you will eventually need a plan for communicating in Spanish. After all, it's the fourth most spoken language in the world, with almost 560 million native speakers.
Even if your business isn't going global but just expanding within the US, the likelihood of encountering Spanish-speaking customers, business partners, or suppliers is high, with Forbes reporting that 13% of the population speaks Spanish at home.
We help our clients communicate in Spanish or put plans together to move into Spanish markets daily. We know that those given this task within organizations can be under a lot of pressure, and as a Language Service Provider (LSP), we want to help take that burden off our clients.
In this article, you’ll get our five-minute overview of the different Spanish dialects around the world, so you’re in a better position when you talk to your LSP about tackling a Spanish territory.
Because Spanish is spoken so widely worldwide, summing up the different types of the language into just a few varieties is difficult.
However, the easiest way to look at it, so you can determine which dialect you need to concentrate on, is to break it down into the following categories:
Spoken in Spain and throughout Spanish-speaking communities in Europe. This is, obviously, the basis of the language, although it’s not the most widely spoken. That crown goes to Mexican Spanish. European Spanish breaks down into four main dialects.
This is the most spoken dialect in Spain. While it’s more predominant in the north and south, if you’re lumping all Spanish spoken in Spain into one dialect, Castilian Spanish would be the one.
Andalusian Spanish is the main dialect of southern Spain and the second most spoken in the country. It’s not as easy as just doing a north/south split, but if you did, it would be Casitlianin the north and Andalusian in the south.
An off-shoot of Andalusian Spanish, Murcian this is the least common of these four main dialects and is spoken mainly in the south.
The Llation Spanish dialect is formed with words that are a combination of Andalusian Spanish and English. It’s the main dialect spoken in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar.
This encompasses all the varieties of Spanish spoken in North, Central, and South America. This version is spoken by over 90% of Spanish speakers around the world. Here are the five main dialects that transition into each other as you move from north to south.
Spoken in Mexico, the US, and Canada, this dialect has been influenced by the native Mexican languages.
The Central American dialect is found in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
Caribbean Spanish is similar to Andalusian Spanish, blended with a mixture of English, French, and African languages.
Influenced by various indigenous languages, Andean Spanish is spoken on the western side of South America from Colombia to northern Chile and Bolivia.Rioplatense Spanish – The predominant Spanish dialect of Argentina and Uruguay, it’s also known as River Plate Spanish.
Subdialects are the key to your success with the language and with those you’re trying to reach. Each of the dialects outlined above will have numerous subdialects within them.
By understanding the subdialect of your audience, you’ll know how to speak directly to them and get into their culture. This is called localization, and getting it right can be the difference between success and failure.
To get your localization strategy right, you need on-the-ground knowledge. You need to have people on your team who understand the religion, politics and nuances of the people, because they are one of the people.
Your LSP partner will work with you to understand your goals and put this team in place. They will help not only translate, or transcreate in the case of marketing and advertising material, your content, but also advise on how the local community likes to embrace new products or businesses.
Of course you want to hit the ground running and properly localize your business, but what happens if you don’t? You’ll have a situation where your impact on the new market isn’t nearly what it could be. But that’s it. Upset shareholders, but no legal implications for your business. But that’s not always the case. Sometimes you are in breach of the law if you’re unable to provide relevant Spanish legal or operating documentation.
Take doing business in Peru, for example. If you’re going to incorporate a Peruvian arm of your company, all the legal documentation not only has to be granted or issued by your Peruvian Consulate but also certified by the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and officially translated into Spanish. Even though areas of the country also have indigenous languages as official languages, Spanish is a requirement everywhere.
Spanish is one of the fastest-growing languages in the world. After English, it’s the most spoken language in 43 US states. So, even if your business isn’t going global, having a language plan that involves Spanish is a good idea.
Success in Spanish doesn’t have to be complicated. If you can specify exactly who your audience is, get the dialect right and work with your LSP on a good localization plan, the transition can be a smooth one.
By now, you’ve gained a deeper understanding of the complexities of Spanish dialects and the importance of getting localization right.
Whether your goal is to expand into Spanish-speaking markets globally or connect with diverse audiences in the U.S., a targeted language strategy is key to success. Accurate translation and cultural adaptation can make all the difference in how your message is received.
At LinguaLinx, we specialize in helping businesses like yours bridge language barriers with precision and cultural sensitivity. As an ISO 17100 and ISO 9001 certified Language Service Provider with over two decades of experience, we’ve earned the trust of clients worldwide by delivering high-quality translations that ensure your message resonates exactly as intended.
Ready to start? Schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with our team today. Let us help you craft a localization plan that sets your business up for success in Spanish-speaking markets.