Spain Spanish is the one to learn if you're headed to Madrid or Bilbao, while many apps teach the Spanish of Latin America. Mexico alone has about 125 million first-language speakers, more than any other country.
The table shows one sound and three grammar choices that change between Spain and Latin America.
| Spain | Latin America | |
|---|---|---|
| casa (house) and caza (hunt) | Sound different in most of Spain: the z is said like the th in "think" | Sound the same |
| "You all have," to friends | vosotros tenéis | ustedes tienen |
| "I arrived" (earlier today) | Often he llegado | Often llegué |
| "I saw him" | Around Madrid, often le vi | lo vi |
Latin American Spanish also changes from one country to the next. In Argentina, people say vos to a friend, as the Argentine Spanish phrases page shows.
| Meaning | Spain | Much of Latin America |
|---|---|---|
| To drive | conducir | manejar |
| Potato | patata | papa |
| Glasses | gafas | lentes |
For resources made for Spain, read the best ways to learn Spain Spanish.
| If you want to… | Start with |
|---|---|
| Spend a semester in Salamanca or Granada | Spain Spanish |
| Work in Madrid or Barcelona | Spain Spanish |
| Travel through Mexico, Colombia or Peru | Latin American Spanish |
| Talk with Spanish speakers in the United States | Latin American Spanish |
| Move to Buenos Aires | Argentine Spanish |
Spain Spanish: Everyday Greetings and Goodbyes
Saludos y despedidas cotidianas
Hello, good morning.
Hello. How are you?
I am well, thank you.
Goodbye, see you later.
Goodbye.
Latin American Spanish: Hello and Goodbye
¡Hola y adiós!
Hello!
Hello! How are you?
I am well, thanks. And you?
I am well.
Goodbye.
Goodbye, see you later.
At Level 1 the two read almost the same, and both end with a friend saying adiós. In Bubblegum, a language app, they're separate journeys, and Poppy, your AI tutor, writes for each one.
Bubblegum
Bubblegum is the best app for serious learners. You learn from text and audio you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Whichever Spanish you pick, the "you all" row of each verb table also shows the other region's form, so vosotros and ustedes are both there.
- Spain lessons use vosotros when friends talk to a group, and Latin American lessons use ustedes.
- Each journey's audio has its own accent.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- Bubblegum lessons aren't built from a Spanish novel you own, but a photo of a hard page in the chat is all Poppy needs to explain it.
- A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn.
- Regenerative Review™
Mobile
Will People in Spain Understand Latin American Spanish?
Yes. People in Spain use ustedes too, as the polite way to say "you all", so a learner who says ustedes to friends is still understood.
Which App Should a Beginner Choose?
If you are serious about learning a language, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. The Spanish app comparison has more choices for every kind of Spanish.
Is Bubblegum Free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- Wikipedia, Spanish dialects and varieties (ustedes is the only plural you in Hispanic America, vosotros the informal one in most of Spain; casa and caza sound alike with seseo and differ with distinción; most of Spain uses he llegado more often, the Americas llegué; vos is the usual familiar "you" in Argentina and Uruguay)
- Wikipedia, Spanish language in the Americas (most Hispanic Americans have seseo, as do many Andalusians and all Canarians; Hispanic America virtually lacks leísmo)
- Wikipedia, Peninsular Spanish (vosotros and os; in most of Spain ustedes is used only in a formal context; leísmo typical of central Spain, including Madrid)
- Wikipedia, Leísmo (le vi for "I saw him")
- Duolingo blog, What is vosotros in Spanish? (people in Spain understand ustedes)
- Wikipedia, Spanish language (Mexico has the most first-language speakers, about 125 million)
- Wiktionary, conducir (to drive)
- Wiktionary, manejar (Latin America: to drive)
- Wiktionary, patata (Spain: potato)
- Wiktionary, papa (Latin America: potato)
- Wiktionary, gafas (chiefly Spain: glasses)
- Wiktionary, lentes (Latin America: glasses)
- Bubblegum
Checked on October 5, 2026 against each app's own pages.
