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    Resources Articles Improve your english El 40 de las palabras en ingles tienen connotaciones en espanol false friends
Texts in English

False cognates or false friends

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
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