The same word or line in two natural AI voices (Microsoft Azure): a standard Spain Spanish voice and a standard Mexican Spanish voice. They show the main differences clearly, but they are not regional speakers, so they can't do an Andalusian or Canarian accent.
SaySpainMexico
graciasthank you
GRA-thyas
GRA-syas
cercanear
THER-ka
SER-ka
cielosky
THYE-lo
SYE-lo
hace fríoit's cold
A-the FREE-o
A-se FREE-o
jefeboss
KHE-fe, from the throat
HE-fe, a breathy h
cardifferent words
el KO-che
el KA-rro
mobile phonedifferent words
el MO-beel
el se-loo-LAR
OK!different words
BA-le
SA-le
Are you all coming?vosotros or ustedes
be-NEES
BYE-nen
Respellings are for an English reader: th as in think, kh a breathy sound from the throat, capitals for the strong syllable.
Spain and Mexico
What changes across the Atlantic
z, ce and ci. Most of Spain says th (cerveza: ther-BE-tha). Mexico, like all of Latin America, says s (ser-BE-sa). Spain keeps casa (house) and caza (hunting) apart; Mexico doesn't.
j and ge gi. Spain's is rough, from the back of the throat. Mexico's is a softer, breathy h.
s. Central Mexico says every s clearly, often more crisply than Spain.
The tune. Mexico City speech rises and falls in a sing-song way and often stretches the last word. Spain sounds flatter and quicker to English ears.
You plural. Spain says vosotros to friends (¿venís?) and ustedes to strangers. Mexico uses ustedes for everyone (¿vienen?).
Words. coche or carro, móvil or celular, ordenador or computadora, zumo or jugo, vale or sale.
Today. Spain often says hoy he comido (I've eaten today); Mexico says hoy comí.
Across Spain
One country, many accents
This site teaches standard Spain Spanish, the kind you hear on the news. Out and about you'll hear these too. The respellings show roughly how they sound.
Madrid and the centre
th for z, ce and ci; a rough j; every s said.
A final d turns into th or vanishes: Madrid: ma-DREETH or ma-DREE.
Relaxed speech drops the d in -ado: cansado: kan-SA-o.
Andalucía
The s at the end of a syllable turns into a breath or disappears: los niños: lo NEE-nyo, ¿cómo estás?: KO-mo eh-TA.
Seseo (Seville and much of the west): z and ce ci said as s, as in Mexico.
Ceceo (parts of Cádiz, Málaga and Granada): s said as th, so sí sounds like thee.
Words get clipped (para: pa, nada: na) and j is a soft h.
Canarias
Seseo, like Latin America: gracias: GRA-syas.
The s at the end of a syllable is breathed: mismo: MEEH-mo.
Ustedes instead of vosotros. A soft, musical tune close to the Caribbean. The bus is la guagua (WA-wa).
Galicia
A gentle, sing-song tune that rises at the end of a sentence.
The e and o are a little more closed and a final n is said further back, like the ng in sing.
Influence from Galician: the diminutive -iño (un poquiño) and the simple past where others say he comido.
Cataluña
A darker l, said further back in the mouth, as in English full.
A final d often sounds like t: Madrid: ma-DREET, verdad: ber-DAT.
An s between two words can buzz like a z: los amigos: loz a-MEE-gos. Many people switch between Catalan and Spanish all day.
Train your ear. Write down what native speakers say, climb the speed ladder until real speed feels easy, tell apart words that differ by one sound and hear how Spanish changes from Madrid to Mexico City.