No, Cubans do pronounce the letter 's', but its pronunciation often differs significantly from other Spanish dialects, particularly when it appears at the end of a syllable. While an initial 's' (like in sol or casa) is typically pronounced, a syllable-final 's' undergoes common phonetic changes.
The Nuance of 'S' Pronunciation in Cuban Spanish
Cuban Spanish, similar to other Caribbean dialects, is characterized by a weak pronunciation of consonants, especially when they occur at the end of a syllable. This phenomenon is particularly noticeable with the letter 's'. Instead of a crisp 's' sound often heard in Castilian or other Latin American Spanish varieties, the 's' in Cuban Spanish can transform in two primary ways:
Common Transformations of Syllable-Final 'S'
The 's' sound at the end of a syllable can be:
- Aspiration: This is when the /s/ sound is weakened and pronounced more like an English 'h' sound. For example, the word "tres" (three) might sound more like "treh", or "estas" (these/you are) might sound like "ehtas".
- Elision (Deletion): In some cases, the syllable-final 's' can be completely omitted, a process known as elision. This means the sound is dropped entirely. For instance, "más o menos" (more or less) could be pronounced closer to "má o meno", or "los amigos" (the friends) might sound like "lo amigo".
These changes affect not only individual words but also the grammatical structure, as 's' often marks plurals or second-person singular verb conjugations. Listeners generally understand the intended meaning through context and other linguistic cues.
Regional Dialectal Traits
The weakening or deletion of syllable-final 's' is a characteristic feature shared across many Caribbean Spanish dialects, including those spoken in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and parts of coastal Venezuela and Colombia. This shared linguistic trait contributes to the distinct sound and rhythm of Cuban Spanish.
To illustrate these common variations, consider the following:
| Standard Spanish 'S' (Syllable-Final) | Cuban Spanish 'S' (Syllable-Final) | Example |
|---|---|---|
| /s/ (like 's' in 'see') | /h/ (aspirated, like 'h' in 'hello') | Dos (two) -> sounds like "doh" or "dohs" |
| /s/ (like 's' in 'see') | Omitted (elided) | Más (more) -> sounds like "má" |
| Example words: | Common pronunciations: | |
| Los (the, plural) | Loh or Lo | "Los cubanos" -> "Loh cubano" or "Lo cubano" |
| Nosotros (we) | Nosotro or No-sotroh | "Nosotros somos" -> "Nosotro somo" |
Understanding these phonetic variations provides insight into the rich diversity within the Spanish language.
