What are the main differences between Spanish in Spain and Spanish in Latin America?

Question

A good analogy is that the difference is like those in British and American English, but what are those differences exactly? Is Spanish in Latin America a branch from that in Spain?

Answer 1

El español de España y el español de Latinoamérica.

Es obvio que hay más hispanohablantes en América Latina que en Europa.

Debido a la gran cantidad de poblaciones latinas y de la comunicación en el comercio internacional; el español latinoamericano ha adoptado muchas locuciones extranjeras.

Por ejemplo:

Decimos:

rojo y no colorado;

falda, no pollera; juventud, no mocedad; últimos, no postreros;

retroceder, no recular...

Además, cada país hispanohablante tiene su propio léxico. Yo soy de México. Allá todavía usamos palabras que tienen origen náhuatl (el lenguaje que hablaban los Aztecas) :

Xochimilco= lugar de flores

Chapultepec= cerro del Chapulín

Jitomate, etc.

Answer 2

The main difference between the Spanish from Spain and the Latin American Spanish have is that Spain uses a more formal approach that can also be consider as old Spanish by some Latin American speakers. For example, Spanish speakers from Spain will use "VOSOTROS" while Latin American speakers will say "USTEDES" in order to say "YOU" in English. In addition to that, the pronunciation of certain words can be different. Spanish just like in English has a variety of words with synonyms, but Spanish from Spain speakers and Latin American speakers may choose one word while the other will choose another word, yet both of them mean the same, they are just synonyms. For example, Spanish speakers from Spain will use "COCHE" and Latin American speakers will say "CARRO" in order to say "CAR" in English.