Spanish Phonetics and Diction

Abstract

As is true of all other European languages, the variety of Spanish dialects is great, extending not only to the frontiers of the Iberian peninsula but to Central and South America as well. The cultured singer of Spanish music will restrict his diction to two main dialects. When he sings songs written in Spain or by Spanish composers and poets he will employ the Castilian pronunciation. When he sings Spanish music from the Western hemisphere he will use a somewhat different pronunciation. And even here, the diction varies: Argentinians or Chileans pronounce certain sounds quite differently from, for instance, Mexicans.