What are the main differences between Italian and Spanish?
They say a language is a dialect with an army and a navy, but that’s not necessarily true for Spanish and Italian. Although they do have many similarities, they are nowhere near close to being the same language, so you’ll have to keep an eye out for the following differences:
Historical differences
Both Spanish and Italian developed from Vulgar Latin after the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century. Since the Romans inhabited both present-day Spain and present-day Italian, both languages started off with the same base. However, as the lines of communication disappeared after the end of the Roman Times, both languages developed independently.
Italian as we know it today started to appear after the 7th century. The first recorded evidence of Italian was the Placiti Cassinesi, which was written in the 10th century. Soon thereafter, many of the most famous Italian classics started to appear, including Dante Alighieri’s Inferno, a 14th-century classic that remains one of the most popular books around the world.
Things were institutionalized in the 16th century when the Accademia della Crusca was founded in 1583. Also known as La Crusca, this was the world’s first language authority. It was set up by a group of academics in Florence as a way to standardize the language. The first dictionary in Italian, the Vocabolario degli Accademici della Crusca, was published in 1614 and the rest is history.
Spanish developed in a very similar pattern with one key interruption: the Moor invasion. If you’re familiar with Iberian history, then you might already know that the Iberian Peninsula was under total or partial Muslim control between the 8th and 15th centuries. This resulted in the adoption of thousands of words from Arabic into Spanish. In fact, virtually all Spanish words that begin with “al” come from Arabic, like almohada, alambre, and more.
Although Spain was fully reconquered by the Kingdom of Castile by the 15th century, this period of Muslim occupation made a longstanding impact on Spanish. Italian didn’t experience a similar period of external influence, so it doesn’t have nearly as many words of Arabic origin as Spanish.
Grammatical differences
Spanish and Italian have many different grammar rules. For example, Spanish, like English, doesn’t use articles for possessives. So, you’d say “I am in my car,” which is “Estoy en mi carro” in Spanish. Italian, however, does use articles for possessives, so you’d say “Sono nella mia macchina,” which is like saying “I am in the my car” in English. That extra “the” in there is something that Italian grammar requires, but Spanish doesn’t.
Pronunciation differences
As mentioned earlier, both Spanish and Italian have very similar pronunciation rules: everything is pronounced exactly as it is written. However, there are a few pronunciation rule differences to keep track of.
Let’s take a look at the “soft c” sound, which occurs when a c is followed by an i or an e. In Italian, the soft c is pronounced as a ch, whereas the soft c is pronounced as a th in Iberian Spanish and an s in Latin American Spanish. Similarly, a soft g is pronounced as a j in Italian, but as an x/h in Spanish. You’ll have to keep track of these differences in pronunciation if you’re thinking about learning both languages.
Which language is easier to learn, Italian or Spanish?
Let’s be real, learning a new language from scratch will always be a challenge that requires commitment and dedication. However, some languages are easier to learn than others, so you might want to be strategic about which language to choose. Luckily for you, both Spanish and Italian are ranked among the easiest languages for English speakers to learn, making it a toss-up between the two.
According to the U.S. Foreign Service Institute, both Italian and Spanish are ranked in the lowest difficulty category for native English speakers. If taking full-time courses, you can expect to attain fluency in either of these languages in approximately 24 weeks.
With that said, learning one over the other may be easier for you depending on your personal circumstances. If you have any friends or family who speak one of the two languages, you may be able to practice with them and become fluent faster. Similarly, you may be able to take advantage of any local speakers in your area, as you may be able to visit a Mexican supermarket or an Italian deli to practice your new skills.
Which language will be more useful to learn?
Learning a new language can be an incredibly rewarding skill, not just as a way to enrich your personality but also as a way to make yourself more marketable to employers. Being able to speak a new language will allow you to communicate with more customers, vendors, and clients, which will make you eligible for more jobs and even negotiate higher pay. Fortunately, both Spanish and Italian are considered some of the best languages to learn for business, whether you’re looking for a new job or to strike new deals with international clients.
Italian is spoken by over 60 million people around the world, most of which are, of course, in Italy. However, there are also significant Italian-speaking populations in places like Switzerland, Malta, Croatia, Slovenia, Argentina, and the United States. Italy is also the second-largest manufacturing economy in Europe, making this an invaluable business tool for those looking to go into luxury goods or the fashion industry.
Spanish, on the other hand, is the fourth most-spoken language in the world, with well over half a billion speakers. There are 21 Spanish-speaking countries that span four continents, making this a truly global language. If you live in the United States, it’s also worth considering that there are over 40 million Spanish speakers in the country, making it the country with the second-largest Spanish-speaking population. That means you’ll be able to use Spanish at home without having to fly to a foreign country!
