First thing first, what is a dialect? What is the difference between dialect and language? Easy: Can´t you communicate with the other fluently? Then, you both are speaking two languages. If you can communicate fluently, then you speak the same language. So, what is a dialect? it is a way to speak within a language.

Difference between language and dialect
Codes like Mandarin and Cantonese are languages because speakers can’t communicate to each other (no matter if they both have the same Chinese passport). Codes like Spanish and Catalan are also languages because, despite being certain level of understanding (both languages comes from Latin), this communication is not fluent (now you see why this word was in bold).
We all speak a dialect
Speakers from London and New York can communicate each other fluently, ergo, they speak the same language. There are differences in their codes (“you say tomatoe, I say tomato”), but they are minor and that is what defines dialects. So every code in the world is a dialect of a language. Nobody speak a language in abstract. Everyone speaks the language of their country, their region, their province, their city.
The borders between dialects are always blurry
Dividing a language into dialects is like cutting a baguette that has been baked differently. You can cut it in half and each half will look different, one browner that the other. Then you take one half and cut it and you still see differences in both pieces. If you divide English into British and American English, you still find differences within each. In the American dialect you´ll find subdialects: the South, the East Coast, the West…
Spain, Mexico, and Argentina
Unless you are a specialized linguist, you may just care about the first cut. There are three major dialects of Spanish, represented by three countries: Spain (also called Castilian, European, or Peninsular Spanish), Mexico (the highlands), and Argentina (the lowlands). Again, this is a simplification, you can find exceptions, Bolivians (highlanders) speaking like Spaniards (and distinguishing between “ll” and “y”) or Andalusians (Southern Spaniards) speaking like Mexicans (and confusing the “th” and “s” sounds).
Nonetheless, Spanish is a very unified language. The rules of grammar and spelling are the same all over the Spanish-speaking world. The differences between dialects are limited mostly to the preference of some words over others, and some differences in the pronunciation.
English | Example 1 | Example 2 |
US English | line | tomato /tomeito/ |
UK English | queue | tomato /tomatoh/ |
Spanish | ||
In Mexico | fila | jitomate |
In Spain | cola | tomate |
The most apparent difference between these dialects is in the use of the pronouns.
English | In Spain | In Mexico | In Argentina |
I sing | (yo) canto | < THE SAME | < THE SAME |
You (singular) sing | (tú) cantas | (tú) cantas | (vos) cantás * |
He/ She sings | (él /ella) canta | < THE SAME | < THE SAME |
We sing | (nosotros) cantamos | < THE SAME | < THE SAME |
You guys sing | (vosotros) cantáis | (ustedes) cantan | (ustedes) cantan |
They sing | (ellos) cantan | < THE SAME | < THE SAME |
* Notice that the stress is on the last “a.” | |||
In Argentina, the pronoun vos is the common pronoun instead of tú, and the system of verb endings (vos cant-ás, vos cantar-ás, etc.) is consistent and normative; however, in other countries in the Americas, the use of vos is not so common or consistent.
Another important difference has to do with the phonetics.
In Spain | In Mexico | In Argentina |
Sound /th/ for “z,” “ce”, “ci” | Sound /s/ for “z,” “ce”, “ci” | Sound /s/ for “z,” “ce”, “ci” |
Sound /y/ for “y,” “ll” | Sound /y/ for “y,” “ll” | Sound /j/ or /sh/ for “y,” “ll” |
` |
Lastly, there are differences in vocabulary (of course).
In Spain | In Mexico | In Argentina |
cometa (kite) | papalote | barrilete |
bragas (US panties) | chones | bombacha |
piscina (swimming pool) | alberca | pileta |
zarigüeya (opossum) | tlacuache | comadreja |
The following list shows the difference in vocabulary between Spain and Mexico.
# | English | In Spain | In Mexico |
1. | accountant | contable | contador |
2. | angry | enfadado | enojado, bravo, moles |
3. | apartment, flat | piso | apartamento |
4. | band-aid | tirita | curita |
5. | bean | judía | frijol |
6. | beautiful | bonito | lindo |
7. | bedroom | dormitorio | recámara |
8. | blazer | americana | saco |
9. | blonde | rubio | güero |
10. | bowl | cuenco | jícara |
11. | bribe | soborno | mordida |
12. | car (automobile) | coche | carro |
13. | carpet | moqueta | alfombrado |
14. | cell phone | móvil | celular |
15. | chauffeur | chofér | chofer |
16. | check book | talonario | chequera |
17. | cigarette | cigarrillo | cigarro |
18. | computer | ordenador | computador/ora |
19. | concrete | hormigón | concreto |
20. | court | tribunal | corte |
21. | directions | señas | dirección |
22. | elevator, lift | ascensor | elevador |
23. | father | padre | papá |
24. | first payment | depósito, entrada | enganche |
25. | gang | banda | panda |
26. | gas station | gasolinera | bomba |
27. | tomato (red) | tomate | jitomate |
28. | hair | pelo | cabello |
29. | herb store | herbolario | botánica |
30. | insurance | seguro | aseguranza |
31. | juice | zumo | jugo |
32. | kid | niño | escuincle |
33. | lawn | césped | zacate, la grama |
34. | light bulb | bombilla | foco |
35. | match | cerilla | fósforo |
36. | meeting | reunión | junta |
37. | mother | madre | mamá |
38. | not any more | ya no | nomás |
39. | OK | vale | okey |
40. | pastry | bollo | pan dulce |
41. | pajamas | pijama | piyamas |
42. | to park | aparcar | estacionar |
43. | peach | melocotón | durazno |
44. | peanut | cacahuete | cacahuate, maní |
45. | pig | cerdo | puerco |
46. | piggy bank | hucha | alcancia |
47. | please | por favor | favor |
48. | possum | zarigüeya | tlacuache, rabipelado |
49. | potato | patata | papa |
50. | radio | radio | radio |
51. | real estate | inmuebles | bienes raíces |
52. | rope | cuerda | soga |
53. | shrimp | gamba | camarón |
54. | skunk | mofeta | zorrillo |
55. | speaker (person) | portavoz | vocero |
56. | stamp | sello | estampilla |
57. | student | alumno | estudiante |
58. | sweater | jersey, suéter | suéter, pulóver |
59. | swimming pool | piscina | alberca, la pileta |
60. | to check | comprobar | chequear |
61. | to come back | volver | regresar |
62. | to delay | tardar | demorar |
63. | to drink (alcohol) | beber (alcoh.) | tomar |
64. | to drive | conducir | manejar |
65. | to get in a hurry | apresurarse | apurarse |
66. | to get nervous | poner nervioso | dar ansia |
67. | to grab | coger | agarrar |
68. | to have a chance | tener oportunidad | tener chance |
69. | to jump | saltar | brincar |
70. | to miss someone | echar de menos | extrañar |
71. | to monitor | monitorizar | monitorear |
72. | to park | aparcar | estacionar |
73. | to pull | tirar | jalar |
74. | to stand | estar de pie | estar parado |
75. | to stand up | levantarse | pararse |
76. | to turn on | encender | prender |
77. | to talk | hablar | platicar |
78. | to tie | atar | amarrar |
79. | to toss | echar | botar |
80. | unemployed | parado | desempleado |
81. | univ. dormitory | colegio mayor | residencia estudiantil |
82. | useful contact | enchufe | palanca |
83. | VCR | vídeo | video |
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