With over 45 million inhabitants, Argentina is the world’s eighth-largest country. It’s known for its rich cuisine, dramatic Andes Mountains, Iguazú Falls, and the vast plains of Patagonia.
Argentina’s culture is also distinct. The country is the birthplace of the tango, an expressive and passionate dance that originated in Buenos Aires, the capital city known for its architecture, lively nightlife, and cultural attractions. There are also the Argentine cowboys of Pampas, the Gauchos, known for their horsemanship and traditional lifestyle.
While Spanish is the country’s official and national language, and is spoken by nearly all Argentines, Argentina’s history has heavily influenced the development of Argentine accents. Such accents can make accent softening in the call center industry and other markets a necessity (more on that later). With that said, here are the top eight accents of Argentina.
What is an Accent?
Let’s address this first. Basically, an accent is how someone pronounces a language. It can reveal the speaker’s ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographical background.
Think you don’t have an accent? Think again, as we all have one. If you’re from Massachusetts, for example, imagine how you must sound to someone residing in Mississippi.
The Linguistic History of Argentina
Argentine Spanish has unique features, expressions, and influences rooted in a variety of historical and cultural factors. The language’s history began in the 16th century with the arrival of Spanish colonizers. At length, Argentina became a hub of the Spanish language and culture.
Over the centuries, Spanish would incorporate influences from several immigrant communities and Indigenous groups including the Guarani, Mapuche, and Inca. In fact, Quechua, Mapudungun, and Guarani are still spoken in some regions.
In 1816, Argentina declared its independence from Spain, with the 19th century marked by conflicts between unitarians and federalists, shaping the country’s political landscape. The late 1800s brought waves of European immigrants, primarily from Spain and Italy, which further influenced the language. Meanwhile, German is also still spoken in some immigrant communities.
Further, English is widely spoken in major cities, particularly in Buenos Aires, and especially by the younger generation.
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The Top Accents in Argentina
Argentina’s regional diversity creates a rich tapestry of accents, each with its own characteristics that reflect the country’s history, cultural mix, and close ties with border nations. Here are Argentina’s top eight accents.
Porteño Accent
Spoken in Buenos Aires and surrounding areas, the Porteño accent is Argentina’s most globally recognized variety. It belongs to the Rioplatense Spanish dialect and shows strong Italian influence, with musical intonation and expressive rhythm.
Here, the “y” and double “ll” are pronounced as a “sh” sound (ex., “lluvia” is pronounced “shuvia.” In addition, the accent features heavy usage of voseo (“vos” rather than “tu”) and unique verb conjugations. Also, it’s common for the “s” to be dropped at the end of words and syllables.
Bonaerense Accent
Spoken in the greater Buenos Aires province, the Bonaerense accent resembles the Porteño variety but with a softer intonation and milder Italian influence. And while the “sh” sound for “y” and “ll” remains common, rural areas use less urban slang from areas such as Lunfardo. Also, in popular speech, the syllable-final “s” can be aspirated or weakened.
Compared to Porteno, the Bonaerense accent features an overall subtle rural/suburban softness.
Córdoba Accent
Spoken in the Córdoba province, this accent is famous for its musical intonation, marked by elongating the second-to-last syllable of words. The Cordobés accent is one of Latin America’s most easily recognized for its rhythmic melody.
In fact, Codobes is widely considered one of Latin America’s most musical accents.
Also, the pronunciation of “r” in this accent is notably soft, and some consonants (ex., “s” and “c” before “t”) are softened or dropped altogether.
Cuyano Accent
Spoken mainly in Mendoza, San Juan, and San Luis, the Cuyano accent reflects strong Chilean influence due to proximity to the Andes. It blends features of Argentine and Chilean Spanish, with a slightly guttural “r” and some shared vocabulary.
Cuyano has a mix of Argentine and Chilean features, especially near the Andes. Some speakers may pronounce the “ll” digraph more like the Chilean pronunciation, which is different from the typical Argentine “sh” sound.
This accent is characterized by a more guttural “r,” and its vocabulary is noted for differences including a number of “Chileanisms.”
Noroeste Accent
Spoken across Salta, Jujuy, Tucumán, La Rioja, and Santiago del Estero, the Noroeste accent reflects Andean and Bolivian Spanish influences. It often features a flatter intonation and includes Indigenous loanwords. “Ll” and “y” may be pronounced like a soft “j.”
Noroeste is influenced by Bolivian and Andean Spanish and is particularly noticeable near border areas. It is also characterized by the use of Indigenous terms, and “ll” and “y” may be pronounced like a soft “j.”
Guaranítico Accent
Spoken in Corrientes, Misiones, Chaco, and Formosa, the Guaranítico accent shows strong influence from Guaraní and Paraguayan Spanish. The “ll” is often pronounced as “li” (lluvia → liuvia), a phenomenon called lleísmo. Many words and expressions come directly from Guaraní.
Here, “ll” is commonly pronounced as “li,” (ex., “lluvia” becomes “liuvia,” a phenomenon called “lleismo.” Also, the accent’s vocabulary includes many Indigenous words.
The accent’s intonation and rhythm are impacted by Guarani language patterns. In fact, Guaranitico has a “sing-songy” feel that is reminiscent of the Brazilian Portuguese intonation.
Entrerriano Accent
Spoken in the province of Entre Ríos, the Entrerriano accent shares many traits with Porteño speech but uses a lighter intonation and slower rhythm. Entrerriano does use the “sh” sound for “ll” and “y,” but more mildly. Thus, “calle” is pronounced “cashe” and “lluvia” becomes “shuvia.”
The accent has a recognizable, distinct flavor influenced by rural Argentina and area immigrant communities.
Patagónico Accent
Spoken across Patagonia, the Patagónico accent developed from migration out of Buenos Aires and nearby provinces. It combines features of Porteño and Cuyano speech, with slower tempo and clearer articulation. In parts of Chubut, a historical Welsh influence appears in loanwords and local names. Thus, features from Porteno and Cuyano can be heard. There is also a Welsh influence from the Patagonia area of Chubut that is seen in English loanwords and some lexical features.
Patagonico is also characterized by less Italian intonation, slightly slower speech, and a more neutral pronunciation.
Accent Reduction, Call Centers, and Tomato.ai
Argentina’s rich mosaic of accents notwithstanding, people often judge others by how they speak. That’s just reality. It’s also common for those who have “unfavorable” speaking patterns to find their accent a barrier to employment.
That is especially true for roles that require a lot of verbal communication. The position of call center agent is a prime example. For many offshore representatives, English is a second, third, or sometimes even fourth language. Callers often consider such accents “foreign” or undesirable. Consequently, they often treat agents impatiently and rudely, and sometimes even question their competence. That’s where accent reduction can come into play.
With its accent softening tool, Tomato.ai has the solution. The company’s AI linguistic filter clarifies offshore agents’ voices in real time, changing words into those that sound to callers like a language’s native speaker. The result of accent neutralization is improved customer experiences, perceived intelligibility, and call center performance.