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Dominican Spanish: slang, pronunciation and real phrases

Dominican Spanish is the Spanish of the Dominican Republic — fast, warm, musical and full of words you won’t find in a textbook. If you have Dominican friends, a Dominican partner, or you are going to Santo Domingo or Punta Cana, standard Spanish gets you halfway. This guide, written from the course of a Dominican Spanish teacher, gets you the rest: how it sounds, the words people really use, and where to practise.

Open the slang dictionary (610 words with audio)

Why it sounds so different: 3 things to listen for

1. The s that goes quiet

When an s closes a syllable, right after a vowel, Dominicans breathe it out instead of saying it. «Buenas noches» sounds like «buena noche», «buenos días» like «bueno día». When the s starts a syllable (sa, se, si, so, su) it stays: «sapo», «mesa», «sí». The word is still written with its s — only the sound changes.

2. The r that turns into an l

At the end of a syllable, the r often sounds like an l: «puerta» → «puelta», «verdad» → «veldad», «tarde» → «talde», «porque» → «polque». It is not a mistake, and not everyone does it all the time — the same person may say it both ways in one conversation.

3. Words get shorter

Common words lose a piece in fast speech: «todo» → «to’», «nada» → «na’», «estoy» → «toy», «salado» → «salao». Once you know the full word, your ear fills the gap.

Start here: the words you’ll hear every day

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Learn to speak it, not just read it

These words come from the course of José, a Dominican Spanish teacher. Practise them in context with the free lessons, or book a class and talk with a real Dominican.

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