Perhaps you’re dreaming of visiting La Isla del Encanto (The Island of Enchantment) to slow down and appreciate all that life has to offer, or perhaps you need a boost of energy, intensity, and passion. Puerto Rico, the birthplace of Reggaeton and Salsa music, known as much for its natural wonders as for its vibrant cultural fusion, has unmatched allure. Nestled in the Caribbean, this island captivates travelers, language learners, and heritage speakers of Spanish and invites us to tap into its rich history and the pride of the Boricua (the name Puerto Rican people have given themselves).
Puerto Rican Spanish is a Caribbean dialect that is as unique as the island itself. Even native Spanish speakers admit that it can be difficult to understand due to its singular rhythm and accent, colorful vocabulary, and the sheer speed at which Puerto Rican Spanish speakers express their gusto for life. Once you learn a few strategies, you’ll find that Puerto Rico is home to a one-of-a-kind variety of Spanish that you’ll be eager to learn, as it connects you with a new world of music, cuisine, and people to love.
Whether you yearn for intense heat with a piña colada in hand, or simply want to enrich your knowledge of Puerto Rican Spanish from home, Rosetta Stone is here to help you make it happen. Instead of relying on rote memorization, our Dynamic Immersion method will have you participating actively from day one, learning to navigate common social and travel situations with ease, helping you explore engaging contexts and a natural approach that will elevate your language confidence.
How many people speak Spanish in Puerto Rico?
Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States, has a population hovering around 3 million people. 95 percent of Puerto Rican residents speak Spanish as their primary language at home but many also use English for work or education. There are robust communities off the island where Puerto Rican Spanish thrives, too! It is the dominant dialect in New York, Miami, and other parts of the Caribbean.
During part of Puerto Rico’s history as a colony, English was imposed as the language used in education and government, but Spanish continues to dominate home life in Puerto Rico. This linguistic resilience, as well as the influence of Taíno, African languages, and English, has shaped Puerto Rican identity. Code-switching, borrowed words, and overall language flexibility is part of the culture. There is a wide range of English proficiency among Spanish-speakers, with many native bilingual speakers, though proficiency in each varies.
What does a Puerto Rican Spanish accent sound like?
There is no one standard or correct Spanish accent, as this language of almost 600 million speakers boasts an extensive array of dialects and regional ways of speaking. Among them, Puerto Rican Spanish stands out, drawing you in with its velocity and musical rhythm of speech. It’s difficult to describe, but some say that Puerto Rican Spanish speakers sound like a Reggaeton song when they speak, interspersing slang, extending their vowels, and using a lilting, rhythmic accent throughout each phrase. This sometimes results in certain syllables being accented or stressed that differ from those in other Spanish dialects.
To generalize about an accent is inaccurate, since not every Puerto Rican Spanish speaker will sound exactly alike, but some common descriptions may help you understand Puerto Rican Spanish speakers. Here’s what those key differences can look like.
| Puerto Rican Spanish Characteristic | Latin American Spanish word | Puerto Rican Spanish pronunciation |
| Switching the r sound for an l | verde puerta |
velde puelta |
| Eliminating the d sound between two vowels, particularly at the ends of words | cuidado he hablado |
cuida’o he habla’o |
| Eliminating es- at the beginning of a word | estoy estás |
‘toy ‘ta |
| Eliminating s sounds and other final consonants | muchas gracias feliz ustedes verdad |
mucha gracia felih u’tede velda |
Other characteristics include:
- A softer j sound: In the word mujeres, other Spanish speakers may use a stronger “jota” sound, whereas Puerto Rican Spanish speakers may treat it more like the silent h.
- Fewer trilled r sounds: Puerto Rican Spanish speakers are known to rely more on the guttural r sound, similar to how the French would pronounce it.
- More contractions: Puerto Rican Spanish doesn’t take its time! To express an idea quickly, many speakers turn to unique contractions. Voy a turns into wa.
- Using -istes: Considered a grammatical error but still quite common is the use of the ending -istes for the second-person singular (tú) form of the preterite tense, where the accurate ending would be -iste in Standard Spanish. That must be where all the dropped “s” sounds went! Here’s an example: ¿Tú fuistes al baile? = You went to the dance?
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Is it difficult to learn Puerto Rican Spanish?
Learning any language takes a lot of time, practice, and patience. Even native Spanish speakers may require a bit of extra time and instruction to build understanding of Puerto Rican Spanish. So many dropped letters, contractions, slang, and the noteworthy speed of this dialect can cause some confusion. F
or example, phrases like para allá (over there) can turn into pa’llá. Casual speech is often the most difficult, but these challenges just mean you’ll never be bored!
If you are a beginner or intermediate learner, you’ll need to find a sympathetic interlocutor, which means a person who is willing to help you communicate by:
- working to understand your meaning
- communicating clearly using Spanish that is easier for you to understand
- slowing down
- enunciating well
- avoiding too much slang
- shifting their vocabulary to a more universally understood word
- using gestures or other non-verbal communication to explain meanings
Some learners actually find that learning Spanish in Puerto Rico is easy, since Puerto Rican Spanish speakers are passionate and proud of their language and cultural heritage, and not so concerned about Standard correct grammar. They therefore appreciate the effort, and will not mind your mistakes! Many Spanish speakers in Puerto Rico can also communicate in English, so in the case of confusion, you can clarify using an English word so that the flow of the conversation doesn’t come to a halt!
You can always ask for clarification, examples, or further explanations when you don’t understand, or make note of language differences to look up later. The same conversations are common even among native speakers!
Other good ideas would be to use videos online and on social media. Use subtitles and playback tools to rewatch, slow down, and take advantage of hashtags and creators from Puerto Rico. With enough exposure, you’ll gain confidence and proficiency in this dynamic dialect.
What are the differences between Puerto Rican Spanish and Standard Latin American Spanish?
Influence of other languages
The Spanish spoken in Puerto Rico is a variety belonging to a group of Caribbean Spanish variants, with Canarian and Andalusian influences, which is why it may remind you of the Spanish spoken in regions of Spain such as Las Canarias (the Canary Islands), or Sevilla (Seville). This dialect is also influenced by Taíno (indigenous caribbean) and African vocabulary and pronunciation.
Interplay between English and Spanish
Though Spanish is very much the dominant language of the island, English has a historical, political, and geographic influence on the dialect. Sometimes direct English words are used mid-sentence, or are turned into anglicismos (a Spanish word influenced by English). Sometimes called “Spanglish,” this interplay between the two languages can result in a code-switching style or informal blending of the two languages that may make it difficult for Spanish speakers from other areas to grasp meaning at times.
Some common words resulting from English influence include:
| Puerto Rican anglicismo | Neutral Spanish verb | English meaning |
| janguear | pasar tiempo con | to hang out |
| gufear | tontear | to goof off, act foolishly |
| nítido | genial | neat, cool |
| parquear | estacionar / apacar | to park a vehicle |
| el clóset | el armario | the closet |
| la location | la localización | the location |
| un sándwich | un emparedado / un bocadillo | a sandwich |
| un hamburger | una hamburguesa | a hamburger |
Ahorita
A notorious example of confusion between cultures and Spanish dialects is the term ahorita. In Standard Spanish, the word ahora signifies “now.” Ahorita obscures this meaning in many situations—not ideal if you’re a non-native speaker! Depending on the context, ahorita can be used to mean:
| Meaning | Example |
| right away / immediately | Limpia tu cuarto, ¡ahorita! Clean your room immediately! |
| in a bit / very soon | Te digo ahorita; no te preocupes. I’ll tell you soon; don’t worry. |
| at some point in the near future | Ahorita vengo I’m on my way in a bit. |
| in the recent past | Ahorita me dio las noticias. Just now they gave me the news. |
| probably never | Sí, sí, ahorita. Yes, yes, right away. (sarcasm) |
This confusion is common in Latin America, but if someone from Puerto Rico says ahorita, they are most likely not using it in the immediate sense, but rather an unspecified time in the future. If you’re unsure or your schedule is important to you, it is best to ask for clarification. Or, just enjoy the moment! Everything will get done ahorita.
Differences in vocabulary
“You call it what?” Common nouns can be very specific to each region. Native speakers from around the world are often amused at the linguistic variety common in Spanish. Just pull out a banana and a plantain and ask native speakers to discuss what they are called! Though these terms are not always exclusive to Puerto Rico, some surprises may include:
| Puerto Rican Spanish | Meaning |
| una guagua | a bus, a truck |
| un guineo | a banana (sweet fruit) |
| un plátano | a plantain (starchy version) |
| una pepa | a seed |
| una funda | a plastic bag |
| una piragua | a snow cone, shaved ice dessert |
| un bulto | a bag, backpack, rucksack |
| un sorbeto | a drinking straw |
| un zafacón | a trash can, rubbish bin |
Slang
Slang not only differs by regional dialect, but also by generation, time, and trend. Take for example, slang terms for money. English speakers in the US have used “bucks” for generations, and “quid” is a stand-in for British pounds.
Similarly, the Spanish language has a peppy assortment of slang terms for dinero (money). In Spain, you save your pasta (dough), and in parts of Latin America you spend your:
- plata (silver)
- lana (wool)
- guita (twine/cord)
- pisto (slang term in Honduras and Guatemala)
In Puerto Rico, you’re hoping to earn a few extra chavos, a slang term for money that also means “guy,” “kid,” or “young man” in Mexico and other parts of Latin America. Lacking chavos, in Puerto Rico, you’re “pelado/pelada” (literally, “peeled”), which means “broke.” (And it’s probably pronounced pela’o/pela’a).
Don’t worry about understanding every slang reference. In today’s fast-pace of global communication, words pass in and out of style every day!
What words or phrases should I know if I’m traveling to Puerto Rico?
Knowing a few terms ahead of time can help you fit in, or at least avoid bewilderment! Listen to how they are used and in which contexts, and you can impress the locals.
| Puerto Rican Spanish | Meaning |
| ¿Qué es la que hay? ¿Qué e’ la que hay? | What’s up? |
| ¡Ay, bendito! | Oh my gosh / Oh my God. |
| brutal | very good, cool, awesome |
| un revolú | a mess, a slob, a disaster |
| un corillo | a group of close friends (slang) |
| las birras | beers |
| un embuste | a lie, a fib |
| el bochinche | a negative piece of gossip |
| ‘acho | “bro” “bruh,” as attention-getter, or to express mild annoyance |
| los mahones | blue jeans |
| un duro | someone who is very good at something, talented |
| enfogonado “enfogona’o” | angry, mad |
| a fuego | “fire” (a very positive appraisal; very cool or trendy) |
| el deste | the “thingy” |
| ¡Wepa! | An expression of enthusiasm! |
Explore Spanish in every region with Rosetta Stone
The case for learning Spanish is strong:
- 20 countries recognize Spanish as an official language
- 500 million+ speakers worldwide
- 4th most spoken language in the world
- 2nd most-used language on the internet
Learning the basics and more universal vocabulary words can open the keys to an array of language communities, but no matter where you choose to travel, study, or do business, there will be regional specifics to keep you motivated! Pasito a pasito (step by step), you can dip your toes in both the warm sand of Puerto Rico and the linguistic diversity of Puerto Rican Spanish.
Rosetta Stone can help you by focusing your language learning journey on what matters most. As a Rosetta Stone learner, you’ll capitalize on early successes to boost your confidence fast. Our Dynamic Immersion method provides maximum exposure to a new language, through audio spoken by native speakers, written words, and real-world images. Everything is presented in the new language, providing a truly immersive experience. Say ¿Qué e’ la que hay? to your new language!
Written by Jamie Edwards
Jamie is a learner and teacher of Spanish and French. When she’s not learning new words, you’ll find her on the soccer sidelines, ski slopes, and track and field bleachers enjoying the four seasons of Western New York.
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