What is Puerto Rican Spanish?

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The Puerto Rican Accent

Puerto Ricans are known for speaking quickly and cutting off word  endings in informal speech.  Here are a few characteristics of spoken  Spanish in Puerto Rico:

Speaking with an “L”

Many Puerto Ricans also speak with the letter “L”.   Words ending in  “ar”, “er,” and “or” are pronounced with the “R” turning into an “L”  sound.  For example, instead of saying “manejar” (to drive), you would  hear “manejal.”

The Silent “D”

Like other Caribbean islands, Puerto Ricans tend to omit the “d” in  spoken language.  When the letter “d” appears between two vowels, it’s  generally not pronounced.

• For example, instead of saying “frustrado” (frustrated), they would  say “frustra’o.”  In general, any word ending in “-ado” will sound like  “-a’o”.
• Words ending in “-ada” just sound like a stressed “-a” sound.  This  means the word “cansada” (tired, feminine form) would sound like  “cansá.”

The Aspirated “S”

Another common characteristic of Puerto Rican Spanish is aspirating or omitting the letter “s” in spoken language.

The word “pescado,” for example, is pronounced “peh-ca’o” (recall the letter “d” is also silent).

American Influence

There are some American words that have been adopted into Puerto  Rican  slang.  At times, Puerto Ricans may add an “a” or “o” to the end  of an  English word instead of using the proper Spanish word.  In  addition,  many English words have found their way into the daily  language and  music produced by Puerto Rican artists.