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Fuzzy Foreign Pronunciation You might want to be familiar with the distinguishing characteristics (stereotypes) of other forms of Spanish, as well as Italian and Portuguese. This is helpful both to know how not to pronounce your Argentine Spanish, and to get the joke when someone is using an affected accent.

Argentine Spanish from the Nothern Provinces
	rr = r (beginning a word) = a sound very similar to the argentine ye but slightly more gutteral (see Yoma)

Spanish from Spain
	soft c and z = soft "th" as in "thanks" (gracias = "grathias")

Castillian Spanish (also from Spain)
	double ll = li (maravilla = maravilia)

Spanish from any other Latin American Country
	The standard tu (you) and accompanying pronunciation is frequently used to affect a Mexican or Chilean accent, where intonation is also a key factor. y = ll = "y" as in "yellow"

Italian Most Italian words that have been incorporated into lunfardo changed their spelling or pronunciation to Argentine if there was a difference between the two languages. There are a few words, however, that didn?t change or can be pronounced either way (e.g. peceto). Most proper names retain their original Italian spelling and pronunciation.

ll = l (not y) as in Domingo Cavallo

sc = "sh" as in Steve Buscemi

gl = li (like the Castilian ll) as in Garavaglia

gn = ñ (gnocchi changed spelling to ñoqui)

g = (before e or i) "j" as in "Joe"

gh = hard "g"

c = (before e or i) "ch" as in a piaccere

ch = hard "c"

Brazilian Portuguese

d = hard English "d" as in todo bom

ão = au as in São Paulo

lh = li (like Castilian ll and Italian gl)

nh = ñ (like Italian gn)

Note In the dictionary, if its phonetic Spanish pronunciation is not used exactly as written, an entry will include a phonetic Spanish spelling in parentheses. For example...

pub (?pab?)

under (?ander?)

gay (?gai?)

jamm (?yam?)

Last updated 11/14/2005