The Animated Book
of SpanishGrammar Reference

Distinción, Seseo, and Ceceo

Adapted from The Animated Book of Spanish, an interactive Spanish grammar book.

In Spanish, s, z, and c before e or i are pronounced in three different ways, depending on where the speaker is from. Here's how the same three words sound in each:
How casa, caza, and cena sound with distinción, seseo, and ceceo
WordDistinciónSeseoCeceo
casa (house)“KA-sa”“KA-sa”“KA-tha”
caza (hunt)“KA-tha”“KA-sa”“KA-tha”
cena (dinner)“THE-na”“SE-na”“THE-na”

Distinción keeps two sounds apart. Seseo uses s for all of them, and ceceo uses th for all of them.

On this page

Distinción: s and th

In most of Spain, s sounds like English s, while z, ce, and ci sound like the th in think. So gracias sounds like “GRAH-thyas,” and zapato like “tha-PA-to.” This is the standard pronunciation in central and northern Spain.

Seseo: all s

In Latin America, the Canary Islands, and parts of southern Spain, all three letters sound like s: gracias is “GRAH-syas,” and zapato is “sa-PA-to.” This is how the great majority of Spanish speakers talk, and it's just as standard as distinción.

Ceceo: all th

In parts of Andalusia, in southern Spain, it goes the other way: all three sound like th, so even casa is “KA-tha.” Ceceo is mostly rural and informal, and it's much less common than the other two.

Not a lisp

You may have heard that Spaniards say th because a king had a lisp. It's a myth. A lisp would turn every s into th, but with distinción, s stays s. The two sounds are kept apart on purpose.

Words that sound the same

With seseo, some pairs of words sound exactly alike, and only spelling or context tells them apart. With distinción, they sound different.

  1. With s
    casa

    house

    With z or c
    caza

    hunt

  2. With s
    siento

    I feel

    With z or c
    ciento

    a hundred

  3. With s
    coser

    to sew

    With z or c
    cocer

    to cook, to boil

  4. With s
    ves

    you see

    With z or c
    vez

    time (as in once)

Which should you learn?

Both distinción and seseo are correct and understood everywhere. Pick the one that matches where you'll use Spanish, or the accent you hear most, and stick with it. Seseo is a little easier to pronounce, but you'll have to memorize which words are spelled with s and which with z or c. More on these letters in the alphabet.

Questions about distinción and seseo

What is distinción in Spanish?

The pronunciation used in most of Spain, where s sounds like English "s," but z and c before e or i sound like "th" in "think." So casa (house) and caza (hunt) sound different.

What is seseo?

The pronunciation used in Latin America, the Canary Islands, and parts of southern Spain, where s, z, and c before e or i all sound like "s." It's how most Spanish speakers talk.

What is ceceo?

A pronunciation found in parts of Andalusia, in southern Spain, where s, z, and c before e or i all sound like "th." It's mostly rural and informal.

Do people in Spain speak with a lisp?

No. A lisp would turn every s into "th." With distinción, s stays "s," and only z and ce/ci are "th." It's a regular sound of Spanish, the result of how the language changed over centuries.

Should I learn distinción or seseo?

Either is correct everywhere. Choose the one that matches where you'll use Spanish, or the accent you hear most, and be consistent. Seseo is easier to learn, but you'll need to memorize which words are spelled with s and which with z or c.

Next upPunctuation¿ and ¡, dialogue dashes, «quotes», commas in lists, and decimal commas.

Related