One hundred Cubanisms will be incorporated into the Dictionary of the Spanish Language in 2026

The Cuban Academy of the Language announced the completion of a project that will allow the incorporation of 100 Cubanisms into the Dictionary of the Spanish Language (DLE) in its upcoming edition, scheduled for 2026.

The work, carried out by a multidisciplinary team of experts and academics, is part of the pan-Hispanic policy promoted by the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) and its associated academies, aimed at showcasing the lexical diversity of all Spanish-speaking countries.

According to Alexander Puente, a professor at the Faculty of Arts and Letters at the University of Havana and a member of the team, the process began with a list extracted from the Dictionary of Americanisms, focusing on terms unique to Spanish in Cuba.

Subsequently, each term was verified and documented. Those that lacked sufficient support were discarded, prompting a supplementary search for new words.

Lydia Castro, a professor at that faculty, explained that each chosen word must include at least three written examples—preferably from press or literature—and should avoid informal sources such as blogs, oral records, or texts with errors.

It included everything from purely colloquial terms to words with pejorative meanings, always with the appropriate lexicographic mark to contextualize their use.

Among the major challenges was documenting the words used in oral or regional contexts, as well as harmonizing the work with current technological demands and the criteria of pan-Hispanic linguistics.

Roberto Méndez Martínez, a full member of the Cuban Academy, revealed to the Cuban News Agency that the project combines the traditional rigor of lexicography with new digital tools.

He assured that the 100 selected words meet academic standards while authentically representing Cuban speech.

The inclusion of these Cubanisms in the DLE not only acknowledges the richness and diversity of Spanish spoken in Cuba, but also broadens the scope of the Spanish language as a whole, reinforcing the commitment of the Cuban Academy of Language to the preservation of national linguistic heritage and its dissemination within the global Spanish-speaking context

The incorporation of these 100 Cubanisms comes at a time when the everyday language of Cubans has received increasing public, academic, and media attention.

In recent years, several initiatives have aimed to document or discuss the Spanish spoken on the Island, with approaches ranging from linguistic to social.

A Cuban influencer went viral for revealing typically Cuban expressions through a clever play on words.

With humor, he showcased expressions like "mata'o," "facha'o," or "engancha'o," which, while not always recognized in academic records, demonstrate the vitality of the Spanish spoken in the streets, especially among young people.

The writer María Luisa García Moreno argues that these forms arise from the real communicative needs of those who are arriving. "New generations will adopt a youth slang, and the youth of yesterday—now adults—will criticize them… That’s life."

However, the lexical vitality coexists with serious spelling difficulties.

A study by UNESCO revealed in 2022 that Cuban primary school children can structure texts, but have significant spelling deficiencies. Only 40% meet basic writing standards, highlighting structural weaknesses in language education.

This deficiency is not just academic.

Spelling errors are common in formal public spaces: from subtitles on the television news to official government publications.

In 2020, the Royal Spanish Academy corrected a tweet from the Presidency of Cuba that contained the words "mamiobras" and "alrrededor."

The lack of awareness regarding speech records has also been addressed by researchers such as Roxana Sobrino, a professor of Linguistics in Norway.

Sobrino asserts that many Cubans do not adapt their language to formal contexts, which has led to a widespread perception—sometimes unfair—that Cuban speech is vulgar or coarse.

In parallel, the Royal Spanish Academy has strengthened ties with the Cuban institution.

In 2020, its director, Santiago Muñoz Machado, met with the leader Díaz-Canel in Havana. Although the details of the meeting were not disclosed, later the academic praised the work of the Cuban Academy of Language, calling it "admirable."

Frequently Asked Questions about Cubanisms in the Dictionary of the Spanish Language