Canarian Spanish - Uses and Pronunciation

Uses and Pronunciation

• As is the case with most varieties of Spanish outside of mainland Spain, the preterite is generally used instead of the perfect. For example, Visité a Juan ('I visited John') instead of He visitado a Juan ('I have visited John'). &
• As is the case with most varieties of Spanish outside of central and northern Spain, Canarians use ustedes for all 2nd person plurals. Thus, instead of saying vosotros estáis they say ustedes están. Only in few and decreasing areas of the islands of El Hierro, La Palma and La Gomera the pronoun vosotros is used, generally only by some of the older speakers. In La Gomera and some parts of La Palma, ustedes vos vais is used. Archaic forms like vaivos are used in some parts.
• The diminutive. As is the case with most varieties of Spanish outside of mainland Spain, -itito exists as an exaggerated use of the diminutive -ito. Example: Hacemos una comidita and if it is an even smaller amount, it is a comiditita, just as chiquito can be chiquitito.
• As is the case with most varieties of Spanish outside of mainland Spain, in some diminutives, syllables are suppressed. Example: Cochito instead of cochecito for small car, or florita instead of florecita.
• The most distinctive non-mainland (and Andalusian) Spanish characteristic is seseo: the merger that consists of pronouncing the sounds of "S" and "Z/soft C" alike. Example: caza ('hunt') is pronounced exactly like casa ('house'). This feature is common to most parts of the Spanish-speaking world outside of the northern three quarters of Spain (Castile and the surrounding provinces which have adopted a very similar way of speaking). &
• /s/ debuccalization. As is the case with many varieties of Spanish, /s/ debuccalized to in coda position. This characteristic is common in Andalusia, the area of the Caribbean, Veracruz, Mexico, the Colombian Caribbean Coast and Venezuela, and most of the rest of Hispanic America with the notable exception of Mexico.
• /x/ is usually aspirated or pronounced, this phonetic is also common in Andalusia, the area of the Caribbean, southern coasts of Mexico, the whole Colombia, Caribbean Coast of Venezuela, and most of the rest of Hispanic America.
• Disappearance of de which means "of" in certain expressions, as is the case with many varieties of Spanish outside of mainland Spain. Example: casa Marta instead of casa de Marta, gofio millo instead of gofio de millo, etc.