Caribbean Spanish (Español caribeño)

Caribbean Spanish is spoken in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and parts of Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, and Mexico. It is the kind of Spanish most known for being fast and for losing sounds. The s at the end of a word often turns into a soft h sound, or drops completely. In some places, the r at the end of a word can turn into an l sound. The beat is fast, it feels warm, and there are many local words you will not find in books. On this page, you hear real Caribbean Spanish from real people in daily talk. If you learned Mexican or Colombian Spanish before, Caribbean Spanish is the hardest change to make. But it also helps your listening the most once you get used to it. Watch the first videos slow. Watch them again. Let your ear learn what is under all that speed.