Yes, the majority of Puerto Ricans understand and speak Spanish as it is the official language of the island.
And now, a closer look
Yes, the majority of Puerto Ricans understand and speak Spanish as it is the official language of the island. In fact, according to the United States Census Bureau, about 95% of Puerto Ricans speak Spanish at home. Spanish is also taught in schools and used in the media and government.
Famous Puerto Rican singer and actor, Ricky Martin, has spoken about the importance of preserving the Spanish language in Puerto Rico, stating, “We are losing our Spanish. It is a language that should be preserved and practiced.” Martin believes that it is important for future generations to continue to speak Spanish in order to keep their heritage and culture alive.
Interesting Facts:
- Puerto Rico was a Spanish colony from 1493 until it was ceded to the United States in 1898.
- Puerto Ricans often mix Spanish and English languages together, creating a unique dialect called “Spanglish.”
- The Spanish language in Puerto Rico is influenced by African, Taíno, and English languages.
- Puerto Rican literature has a rich history, with prominent authors including Julia de Burgos and Giannina Braschi.
- Puerto Rico has its own Spanish dictionary called “Diccionario de la lengua española en Puerto Rico,” which includes local vocabulary and phrases.
Table:
| Language: | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Official Status: | Yes |
| Speakers: | 95% |
| Unique dialect: | Spanglish |
| Influences: | African, Taíno, English |
| Literature: | Julia de Burgos, Giannina Braschi |
| Local dictionary: | Diccionario de la lengua española en Puerto Rico |
Answer to your inquiry in video form
The video creator discusses the unique characteristics of the Puerto Rican Spanish accent, including the substitution of “r” with “l”, the elimination of “s” sounds and cutting off “d” from the end of words. He explains how certain words are pronounced differently in Puerto Rican Spanish, and how it borrows from English. The video creator offers a free class for those who want to become conversationally fluent in Spanish.
Other responses to your question
The majority of Puerto Ricans today do not speak English at home, and Spanish remains the mother tongue of Puerto Ricans. Stateside Puerto Ricans are known to borrow English words or phrases in mid-sentence in a phenomenon called code-switching, sometimes characterized as Spanglish.
English is taught in all Puerto Rican schools and is the primary language for all of the U.S. federal agencies in Puerto Rico as one of the two official languages of the Commonwealth, the other one being Spanish, which has been the predominant and primary language for the majority of Puerto Ricans as 94.3% of the entire population speak Spanish as their native language, along with 5.5% speaking English as their first language, and the remaining 0.2% speaking other languages as their primary.
Surely you will be interested in these topics
Is Puerto Rican Spanish easy to understand?
Response will be: Native Spanish speakers around the world would agree that the Spanish from Puerto Rico is one of the most difficult dialects to understand.
Do Puerto Ricans know how do you speak Spanish?
Answer to this: Most people in Puerto Rico are bilingual, to a varying degree. Many Puerto Ricans travel to and from the U.S. for work and family, and English and U.S. culture is ubiquitous. We know plenty of people who live in Puerto Rico without being able to speak Spanish and are able to manage just fine!
Is Spanish widely spoken in Puerto Rico?
Response: In the present day, Spanish and English are both official languages in Puerto Rico. And yet, Puerto Rican language is unique as a result of successive waves of language changes and cultural influences that ensure a hybrid identity.
Is Puerto Rican Spanish different from regular Spanish?
Answer will be: Puerto Rico has developed a unique version of Spanish. The language was greatly influenced by Puerto Rico’s history. Puerto Ricans integrated thousands of Taíno words, adopted some pronunciation habits from African dialects, and incorporated English words or phrases (known as "Spanglish") into the language.
Do people in Puerto Rico speak Spanish, English, or Italian?
Yes. English is actually the official language of Puerto Rico. Spanish is also the official language of Puerto Rico, but English is too! In 1993, a law was passed that makes both languages the official languages of Puerto Rico. Spanish is definitely the chosen language of the local Puerto Ricans, but most people also speak English.
Are the average Puerto Ricans bilingual?
Response will be: Puerto Rico has about the same proportion of bilinguals as the mainland United States, roughly 20%. However, English words are more widely used by Spanish speakers in Puerto Rico than in Spain or in Mexico City, according to a study conducted by linguist Humberto Lopez Morales.
Is Puerto Rican Spanish similar to Cuban Spanish?
The Puerto Rican accent is somewhat similar to the accents of the Spanish-speaking Caribbean basin, including Cuba and the Dominican Republic, and those from the Caribbean/coastal regions of Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Honduras, and Nicaragua (particularly to a non-Puerto Rican).
Do people in Puerto Rico speak English?
Response will be: Yes. English is actually the official language of Puerto Rico. Spanish is also the official language of Puerto Rico, but English is too! In 1993, a law was passed that makes both languages the official languages of Puerto Rico. Spanish is definitely the chosen language of the local Puerto Ricans, but most people also speak English.
Do people in Puerto Rico speak Spanish, English, or Italian?
Answer to this: Yes. English is actually the official language of Puerto Rico. Spanish is also the official language of Puerto Rico, but English is too! In 1993, a law was passed that makes both languages the official languages of Puerto Rico. Spanish is definitely the chosen language of the local Puerto Ricans, but most people also speak English.
Are the average Puerto Ricans bilingual?
The response is: Puerto Rico has about the same proportion of bilinguals as the mainland United States, roughly 20%. However, English words are more widely used by Spanish speakers in Puerto Rico than in Spain or in Mexico City, according to a study conducted by linguist Humberto Lopez Morales.
Is Puerto Rican Spanish similar to Cuban Spanish?
The answer is: The Puerto Rican accent is somewhat similar to the accents of the Spanish-speaking Caribbean basin, including Cuba and the Dominican Republic, and those from the Caribbean/coastal regions of Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Honduras, and Nicaragua (particularly to a non-Puerto Rican).
Do people in Puerto Rico speak English?
Answer to this: Yes. English is actually the official language of Puerto Rico. Spanish is also the official language of Puerto Rico, but English is too! In 1993, a law was passed that makes both languages the official languages of Puerto Rico. Spanish is definitely the chosen language of the local Puerto Ricans, but most people also speak English.