How English Words Enter Spanish: A Look at Differences Between Spain and Latin America

---

Languages are living organisms, constantly evolving and adapting to the needs of their speakers. One of the most fascinating aspects of this evolution is the borrowing of words from one language into another. In recent decades, the global dominance of English—driven by technological innovation, pop culture, international trade, and the internet—has led to an increasing number of loanwords in other languages, including Spanish.

While both Spain and Latin America have absorbed English words into their vocabularies, the extent and nature of borrowing vary significantly between the two. In this article, we explore these differences, providing examples and explanations of how and why English has seeped into the Spanish language.

---

What Are Loanwords?

Loanwords are words taken from one language and used in another without translation. These may be adapted phonetically or orthographically to suit the borrowing language, or they may retain their original form. For example:

• English → Spanish: email → email (or correo electrónico)
• English → Spanish: software → software

Some loanwords become so common that they feel native to the borrowing language, especially when no easy equivalent exists.

---

English Loanwords in Latin American Spanish

Widespread Influence

In Latin America, the influence of the United States—geographically, economically, and culturally—has had a massive impact on language. From television and music to fast food and smartphones, Latin Americans are surrounded by English-language content on a daily basis. As a result, English loanwords have been widely absorbed and normalized, especially in urban and younger populations.

Examples from Latin America

• Technology and the Internet:
  • mouse (as in computer mouse)
  • clickear (to click)
  • link / linkear (to link)
  • blog, influencer, streaming
  • app (often used instead of aplicación)
• Fashion and Lifestyle:
  • jeans
  • shopping
  • outfit
  • makeup (sometimes used alongside maquillaje)
• Business and Work Culture:
  • marketing
  • manager
  • start-up
  • briefing
  • freelancer
• Social Media and Pop Culture:
  • likear (to like)
  • postear (to post)
  • stalkear (to stalk someone online)
  • hashtag
  • youtuber, tiktoker
• Food and Drink (especially from American brands):
  • burger
  • hot dog
  • snack
  • delivery
  • fast food

Adaptation into Verb Forms

One interesting trait in Latin American Spanish is the verbification of English loanwords by adding Spanish endings:

• googlear (to Google)
• tuitear (to tweet)
• whatsappear (to message via WhatsApp)
• likear (to like a post)

These verbs are conjugated like regular Spanish verbs: yo googleo, tú googleas, él googlea…

---

English Loanwords in Peninsular (Spain) Spanish

More Caution, More Alternatives

While English loanwords are certainly present in Spain, the Real Academia Española (RAE) and Spanish media institutions tend to be more conservative, often recommending or creating Spanish equivalents for English terms. This makes the adoption of Anglicisms somewhat more restrained, especially in formal contexts.

However, English is still influential—especially in youth culture, technology, and entertainment.

Examples from Spain

• Technology and Media:
  • wifi (although sometimes spelled wifí)
  • email (used interchangeably with correo electrónico)
  • streaming (used in media services)
  • podcast
• Sports and Fitness:
  • fútbol (already a long-standing Anglicism)
  • jogging
  • trainer (sometimes used instead of entrenador)
  • fitness, gym (often replacing gimnasio)
• Marketing and Business:
  • branded content
  • marketing digital
  • start-up
  • CEO, branding
• Youth Slang and Pop Culture:
  • crush (a romantic interest)
  • spoiler
  • influencer
  • fandom
  • streamer

Spanish Equivalents vs English Terms

Spain often tries to promote native alternatives:

• ordenador instead of computadora or computer
• baloncesto for basketball
• correo electrónico for email
• mensaje for text or DM

Yet younger generations—especially in major cities like Madrid and Barcelona—do increasingly incorporate English words in informal speech, particularly those tied to digital culture.

---

Latin America vs Spain: Who Uses More English Loanwords?

Generally speaking, Latin American Spanish shows a higher degree of integration of English loanwords, especially in everyday speech and in informal registers. This is largely due to:

• Proximity to the U.S.
• Exposure to American pop culture and media
• Less rigid language policy and prescriptivism
• Influence of bilingual communities (e.g. in Mexico, Puerto Rico)

In contrast, Spain’s institutions exert more control over language norms, and the presence of regional languages (Catalan, Galician, Basque) sometimes dilutes English influence in certain areas.

However, global trends in tech, business, and entertainment are slowly narrowing the gap.

---

A Sign of Global Change

The influence of English on the Spanish language is undeniable, and it is especially visible in the form of loanwords. While both Spain and Latin America have adopted terms from English, Latin America has generally embraced them more freely and extensively, particularly in digital communication, youth culture, and consumerism.

At the same time, the presence of English in Spanish reveals deeper dynamics of globalization, cultural exchange, and linguistic adaptation. Whether one sees it as enrichment or linguistic invasion, these English borrowings are here to stay—and they tell a fascinating story about how languages grow and change in our interconnected world.

When English speaks, Spanish listens—and rewrites the rules.

---

If you’ve read everything, please consider leaving a like, sharing, commenting, or all three!

---

YOU WILL SURELY LIKE: