Spain vs Latin American Spanish for travellers: 25 words that differ
Spanish works across Spain and Latin America, but some everyday travel words change. Spain says coche, billete, móvil, zumo and vale where much of Latin America says carro, boleto, celular, jugo and ok or está bien. Latin America is not one block either, so the list below names the countries for regional words.
How to read this list
Each table gives the usual word in Spain and the most common alternatives in Latin America. Where a word belongs to one region, such as camión for a bus in Mexico or pileta for a pool in Argentina, the country is named. Many people understand both sides, and the Spain word is often known in Latin America too, so treat the list as what you will hear and see, not as a set of rules.
There are exactly 25 words below, grouped by the travel moment where you will meet them.
Getting around
Transport words are the ones travellers meet first, on signs, tickets and booking apps. In the Canary Islands, as in Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, a bus is a guagua.
| English | Spain | Latin America |
|---|---|---|
| car | coche | carro, auto |
| bus | autobús | camión (Mexico), colectivo (Argentina), guagua (Caribbean) |
| to drive | conducir | manejar |
| to park | aparcar | estacionar |
| ticket (train, bus) | billete | boleto, pasaje |
| to rent (a car) | alquilar | rentar (Mexico), arrendar (Chile), alquilar |
Where you stay
Watch out for piso: in Spain it means a flat as well as a floor of a building, while in Latin America it usually means only the floor.
| English | Spain | Latin America |
|---|---|---|
| apartment | piso | departamento, apartamento |
| bedroom | habitación, dormitorio | cuarto, recámara (Mexico), pieza (Argentina, Chile) |
| swimming pool | piscina | alberca (Mexico), pileta (Argentina), piscina |
| fridge | nevera, frigorífico | refrigerador, heladera (Argentina) |
| mobile phone | móvil | celular |
| computer | ordenador | computadora, computador |
Food and drink
Menus are where the differences pile up. One word changes meaning completely: a tortilla in Spain is usually a potato omelette, tortilla de patatas, while in Mexico it is a corn or flour flatbread.
| English | Spain | Latin America |
|---|---|---|
| juice | zumo | jugo |
| potatoes | patatas | papas |
| beans | alubias, judías | frijoles, porotos (Argentina, Chile) |
| peach | melocotón | durazno |
| avocado | aguacate | aguacate, palta (Argentina, Chile, Peru) |
| strawberry | fresa | fresa, frutilla (Argentina, Chile) |
| drinking straw | pajita | popote (Mexico), pitillo (Colombia), sorbete (Argentina) |
| waiter | camarero | mesero (Mexico, Colombia), mozo (Argentina) |
Clothes, money and everyday talk
The last group covers what you pack and the words people use in passing. Pasta for money and guay for cool are informal in Spain, just as lana and chido are in Mexico.
| English | Spain | Latin America |
|---|---|---|
| glasses | gafas | lentes, anteojos |
| jacket | chaqueta | chamarra (Mexico), campera (Argentina) |
| T-shirt | camiseta | playera (Mexico), remera (Argentina), polera (Chile) |
| money (informal) | pasta | lana (Mexico), plata (much of South America) |
| okay | vale | ok, está bien, sale (Mexico), dale (Argentina) |
The false friend to know before you go: coger
In Spain, coger is an everyday verb meaning to take, catch or pick up: coger el autobús, coger un taxi, coger el teléfono. In Mexico, Argentina and much of Latin America it is a vulgar word for sex, and people say tomar el autobús or agarrar un taxi instead. Use coger freely in Spain, and switch to tomar when you travel in Latin America.
Ordering is the other moment where Spain sounds different. ¿Me pones una caña? (a small draught beer) is a normal, polite way to order in a Spanish bar, and you will hear it all the time. Going for small plates with a drink, often from bar to bar, is tapear.
Use the list on your trip
You only need the words for the places you are actually going.
- Pick the column for the country you are visiting.
- Learn the getting-around words first: you need them at the airport.
- Keep the other column in mind for reading menus and signs.
- Use tomar for transport if you are unsure where you are.
- Listen for the local word and switch to it: people will appreciate it.
Spain vs Latin America word questions
Will I be understood in Spain if I use Latin American words?
Almost always. People in Spain hear Latin American Spanish in music, series and daily life, so carro, celular or jugo are widely understood. Context fills any gap.
Is there one Latin American word for each Spain word?
No. Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Colombia and the Caribbean often have their own words, which is why the list names countries for regional terms. Many Latin American speakers also know the Spain word.
Which word on the list causes the most trouble?
Coger. It is an everyday verb for taking or catching in Spain but vulgar in much of Latin America. Tortilla and piso also change meaning, but only cause confusion, not embarrassment.