Chile·~19 millones
Chile
Conocido entre los hispanohablantes como el más difícil de entender. Rápido, lleno de modismos, con su propia gramática informal.
Pronunciation
Aspirated and elided 's' at the end of syllables, even more aggressively than Andalusian. The 'd' between vowels often disappears. Final 'r' weakens. 'Tú' becomes 'tú' but with 'ch' or 'sh' pronunciation of 'ch' depending on speaker. Overall fast tempo with lots of slang fillers.
Grammar and register
Ustedes for plural. Tuteo standard but with distinct verb endings in casual speech: 'tú podís' (= 'tú puedes'), 'tú comís' (= 'tú comes'). 'Cachái' is an all-purpose colloquial 'you get me?'. The 'po' particle (= 'pues') ends many sentences.
Distinctive words
well (sentence-ender, from 'pues')
“Sí po, claro.”
you get it? / you know?
“Es complicado, cachái.”
dude (affectionate or insulting depending on tone)
“Oye weón, ¿qué pasó?”
boring / lame
“Qué fome la película.”
cool / great
“Qué bacán todo.”
right away / immediately
“Voy al tiro.”
Context
The 'difficult Chilean Spanish' reputation is justified: between the aggressive 's' elision, the rapid pace, and a vocabulary that doesn't travel (weón, po, cachái, fome, al tiro), even other Spanish speakers struggle on first listen. Chilean media often uses a more neutral Spanish for international audiences. The Andes-vs-coast split affects vocabulary too.