Register and be part of our community
Learning English for Spanish speakers can seem quite simple at first because up to 40% of English words have cognates in Spanish.
Cognates are words that sound similar, have similar spelling, and share the same meaning in both languages. Examples of cognates are: teléfono-telephone; persona-person; invitar-invite.
However, there are many words called “false cognates” or “false friends”. In the case of false friends, the English word sounds like a Spanish word, but the two words do not have the same meaning.
Here is a list of false cognates with the Spanish and English translations.
| English word | Spanish Translation | Spanish word | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Actually | En realidad | Actualmente | Currently |
| to Advertise | Anunciar | Advertir | Warn/Caution |
| Advice | Consejo | Aviso | Warning |
| Argument | Discusión | Argumento (film) | Plot |
| to Assist | Ayudar | Asistir | Go to, Attend |
| Billion | Mil millones | Billón | Trillion |
| Cap | Gorra | Capa | Layer |
| Career | Professional career | Carrera (universitaria) | Degree |
| Carpet | Rug | Carpeta | Folder |
| Cartoon | Animated drawings | Cartón | Cardboard |
| Casualty | Victim or injured | Casualidad | Coincidence |
| Collar | Collar (of clothes) | Collar | Necklace |
| College | University, faculty | Colegio | School |
| Complexion | Skin tone | Complejo | Complex |
| Conductor | Orchestra conductor | Conductor | Driver |
| to be Constipated | To be constipated | Estar constipado | To have a cold |
| Contest | Contest | Contestar | To answer |
| Deception | Deceit | Decepción | Disappointment |
| Dessert | Dessert | Desierto | Desert |
| Embarrassed | Embarrassed | Embarazada | Pregnant |
| Exit | Exit | Éxito | Success |
| Fabric | Fabric | Fábrica | Factory |
| Idiom | Idiom | Idioma | Language |
| Intoxicated | Drunk | Intoxicado | Food poisoning |
| Jam | Jam | Jamón | Ham |
| Large | Large | Largo | Long |
| Lentil | Lentil | Lentilla | Contact lens |
| Letter | Letter | Letra | Lyrics |
| Library | Library | Librería | Bookstore |
| Mayor | Mayor | Mayor | Older |
| Notice | To notice, announcement | Noticia | News |
| Office | Office | Oficio | Job or trade |
| Pan | Pan | Pan | Bread |
| Pie | Pie (dessert) | Pie | Foot |
| Place | Place | Plaza | Square |
| Prize | Prize | Precio | Price |
| to Quit | To abandon | Quitar | To remove |
| Quote | Quote/estimate | Cuota | Fee |
| to Realize | To realize | Realizar | To do/make |
| to Record | To record | Recordar | To remember |
| Relative | Relative | Relativo | Relative |
| Remove | To remove | Remover | To stir |
| Rope | Rope | Ropa | Clothes |
| Sane | Sane | Sano | Healthy |
| Sensible | Sensible | Sensible | Sensitive |
| Soap | Soap | Sopa | Soup |
| Spade | Spade | Espada | Sword |
| Stranger | Stranger | Extranjero | Foreigner |
| to Stretch | To stretch | Estrechar | To become narrow |
| Suburb | Affluent city district | Suburbio | Poor district (slum) |
| to Support | To support | Soportar | To endure |
| Sympathetic | Sympathetic | Simpático | Nice |
| Target | Target | Tarjeta | Card |
| Terrific | Terrific | Terrorífico | Terrifying |
| to Translate | To translate | Trasladarse | To move (house) |
| Vacuum | Vacuum | Vacuna | Vaccine |