TransMission Translations

	International Spanish
	European Spanish
	Latin American Spanish

What is International Spanish?

International Spanish, also known as mid-Atlantic Spanish, is the language used to produce texts that can be understood by all speakers of the Spanish tongue, regardless of their geographic origin. International Spanish does not exist as a real spoken language anywhere in the world; it is a neutral mixture of different varieties of Spanish in which local expressions are excluded. Only words and phrases that can be understood by Spanish speakers worldwide are used in International Spanish.

An International Spanish text will not sound totally familiar to any Spanish speaker, as it is a mixture of varieties of Spanish. The Mexican reader will not recognize the text as Mexican; likewise, Argentinean speakers will notice that it does not sound as if it had been produced for an all-Argentinean audience. And this is always the case when a translator provides an International Spanish translation. However, the translation will achieve the highest level of neutrality possible, allowing your product to be released to the entire Spanish-speaking world.

There is no single model for International Spanish. The translator has an array of options to produce texts that are valid for the entire Spanish market. These texts may be more or less inclined to particular countries, but always using a language that is suitable for the whole Spanish-speaking audience.

The International Spanish used in the computing field is virtually equivalent to LATAM Spanish.

See our Spanish Today section for some information on the policy adopted by Microsoft and the Spanish language authorities regarding International Spanish, among other interesting features.

When should you choose International Spanish as the target language?

If you want to release a single version of your product in all Spanish-speaking countries.

If you cannot afford two different releases, one for Spain and one for Latin America.

If you want to localize the text included in your website or in any other medium that is addressed to the whole Spanish-speaking world. Everything that is released through the Internet and is not intended to be limited to a local audience should be conveyed using International Spanish.

Bear in mind that although Spanish-speaking countries have much in common, there are many linguistic variations between different countries. Thus, the translation will accommodate the words and phrases that are more widely used throughout the Spanish-speaking world, so that the text sounds as familiar as possible to every user.

Which Spanish for which market?
Please see the table below to find out what Spanish variety suits your needs best. Each cell shows the appropriateness of a given variety of Spanish for a particular territory.

European Spanish International Spanish LATAM Spanish

Spain

Latin America

Legend
Green: Most suitable
Yellow: Satisfactory
Red: Not suitable