Can hispanic distinguish other hispanic when they speak ?

Question

Ok I have another interesting question. I want to know if hispanic people can distinguish other hispanic when they speak. I know for sure they have a common language which is "spanish" but I want to know exactly if they can distinguish other latinos apart from them.

Like lets say for example when guatemalan or puerto rican speak can a mexican know immediately that their puerto rican.

I know its a crazy question but I really wanted to know it because in English I can tell if their Australian or British right away once they speak.

Answer 1

Hispanic people can tell apart various accents from different parts of the Spanish speaking world. For instance, you can identify an Australian accent versus a Georgian (state) accent. If you get good at it, you can distinguish a South African accent as opposed to a New Zealander accent, and a Kentucky accent versus a Texan accent.
And, like in English, there are certain accents that are considered "common" or "hickish" and accents that are considered refined. For instance, in the Spanish speaking world, the Mexican accent is considered the lowest, and least desirable (it's very sad.), and the Venezualan accent and Spanish accents are considered most desirable.

A Mexican accent can be identified by a lilting pattern sort of like "dananana, danannnana, dananana." while the Venezualan accent is straight with little accentuation. The Spanish sounds very smooth, and the "s's" are pronounced as "th's."

Answer 2

Yes, of course, not only the accent is very different, also some words and the verbs forms are different too.

And for Shunkahato, why do you say that Mexican accent is the less desirable? I think it is not true, as far as I know it is the most neutral and the more extended. For a lot of tv shows and movies the translation (to make them spanish speaking) is made by mexicans and this is what is shown in Latin America.

The Simpsons, The Nanny, most of Disney pictures, Shrek, etc etc have been seen in most of Central and South America countries with mexican voices.

Answer 3

Yes, just as you can hear the differences between Australian English, British English, Southern US English, Boston accent, Texan accent, Hispanics can hear the difference between the accents in their language as well.

They may not know exactly which country the person is from (just as you might not be able to identify exactly which English accent you are hearing), but they will hear a difference.

As a French and Spanish teacher, I can tell you this from experience. The more of the language I heard over the years, the more I started hearing these types of subtle accent differences.

Answer 4

Yes, you can, for example: If a person pronounces the "s" as "sh" and uses the word "pues" a lot, then that person is Colombian (from Antioquia to be more especific), but in cases like me when people dont have an accent, you cant really tell. I've lived so long outside my homecountry that i have forgotten my accent and my latino friends say that my Spanish is nice because i dont have an accent at all.

good luck.

Answer 5

You don't have to be Hispanic to distinguish accents. I am anglo, but speak Spanish and can usually tell the difference between people from Mexico, Central and northern South America (all of whom I can usually understand well) vs. Cuba (don't understand a word), Chile (can understand if they slow down) and Argentina (barely understand because they use vos and speak very fast and in a sing-song, Italian-like way).

Answer 6

Yes you can distinguish. Different Spanish speaking countries have different accents, just like English.

Answer 7

As everyone else has already told you, yes, it's definitely possible to tell where someone's from based on their way of speaking. For instance, only in Spain do they use one form of a verb...the "vosotros" form. But in Argentina and some other countries around there, they'll say "Vo" and drop their "s" on words when in Mexico they say "Tu". I guess that wouldn't make sense to anyone who didn't speak Spanish...but the answer is most definitely.

Answer 8

Yes, people can tell different dialects even if it's the same language, just like you said English sounds different if you are British or Australian, or even just different parts of the same country. People can tell a southern from northern accent etc.

Answer 9

totally ! we all have different accents. i'm mexican and i can tell a puerto rican apart from a Cuban or a person from Spain by the way they speak spanish.
my neighbor was puerto rican, he looked mexican, but right when he started speaking spanish to me i knew he was from Puerto rico, they have this accent type thing that i LOVE.

Answer 10

Yes we can...it´s simple to know an Argentinian, Mexican, or from Cuba, Colombia, either Spain....we have different accents...maybe for you is crazy because you can hear that are almost the same accents...
People from Spain uses a lot the sound of "Z" and the people from the island almost sing when they talk (like cubans) and people from Colombia from Bogota for example almost don´t open their mouth and talks between teeth.....
Even us Venezuelan, have an accent...and we can recognize who is from other cities from our countries...(we can recognize maracuchos (from a city called Maracaibo) Margariteños, Gochos, etc...lol