{"id":2679,"date":"2019-03-08T09:00:42","date_gmt":"2019-03-08T14:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.pimsleur.com\/?p=2679"},"modified":"2025-11-19T14:35:16","modified_gmt":"2025-11-19T19:35:16","slug":"spanish-cognates-words-you-already-know-from-english-plus-false-cognates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/blog\/spanish-cognates-words-you-already-know-from-english-plus-false-cognates\/","title":{"rendered":"Common Spanish Cognates You Already Know"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Wouldn\u2019t it be great, as you\u2019re <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/learn-spanish-latin-american\/\">learning Spanish<\/a>, to have a key that automatically matches English words to Spanish? As it happens, the two languages have many shared words. These words, called cognates, are the ultimate hack for accelerating your language learning curve.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s examine what they are, some examples (including a few \u201cperfect\u201d ones), and how they can help anyone learn Spanish more quickly and efficiently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-are-spanish-english-cognates\"><strong>What are Spanish English Cognates?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to learn Spanish or any language for that matter, a good tip is to identify the language\u2019s cognates \u2013 the vocabulary you <em>already<\/em> know! Cognates are words that have common etymological origins, a.k.a. words that are spelled the same in Spanish and English or have only slight alterations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Spanish cognates are a useful tool for new language learners. For native English speakers in particular, Spanish cognates examples, which we\u2019ll show below, are able to contextualize similar words and phrases between the two languages. Anyone looking to learn Spanish should use cognate-heavy sentences to accelerate and solidify their newfound language knowledge!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These Spanish cognates will become your very best friends, holding your hand and building up your confidence throughout the whole language-learning process!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this article, we will identify:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>What cognates are<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Where cognates come from<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The most common Spanish and English cognates&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Before we get into the Spanish words you already know from English, let\u2019s take a look at why different languages have the same words in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-are-spanish-cognates\"><strong>What are Spanish Cognates?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Languages are living systems that are constantly evolving. English is unique in that while it derives from the Germanic branch of Indo-European languages, it still has many words borrowed from Latin, due mostly to the Norman invasion of England in 1066 AD. The Normans spoke a language much closer to Latin than modern-day <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/learn-french\/\">French<\/a>, and the English language evolved to accommodate the lexicon of the Normans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Listen up English speakers! This gives us a great advantage when it comes to learning other languages because while we have Germanic words, we also have an abundance of Latin words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, the English word \u201c<strong>father\u201d<\/strong> comes from German <strong><em>vater<\/em><\/strong>, but we also have the word \u201c<strong>paternal,\u201d<\/strong> from Latin <strong><em>pater<\/em><\/strong>. Or take the word<strong> \u201cspeak\u201d <\/strong>from the German <strong><em>sprechen<\/em><\/strong>. We also have a similar verb \u201c<strong>narrate,\u201d<\/strong> from Latin <strong><em>narro<\/em><\/strong>.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first step to learning Spanish is realizing the similarities between the two languages \u2013 both English and Spanish are full of cognates, words derived from Latin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-list-of-spanish-cognates\"><strong>List of Spanish Cognates<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In a perfect world, wouldn\u2019t it be nice to have words that are spelled the same for two different languages? Well, perfect cognates are just what the (language learning) doctor ordered!&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These Spanish cognate examples aren\u2019t just spelled the same \u2013 they have the exact same meaning as their English counterparts. Perfect Spanish cognate examples are listed below by their common suffixes with English. If you\u2019re trying to learn Spanish, it\u2019s a great idea to speak and listen to sentences that have cognates, as they have a unique way of putting into context other words you\u2019re trying to acquire.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Words ending in -or :<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>actor, anterior, doctor, director, exterior, interior, factor, horror, inferior, inspector, pastor, protector, superior, terror<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Words ending in -al :<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>artificial, brutal, capital, colonial, cordial, criminal, cultural, diagonal, electoral, experimental, fatal, federal, festival, final, formal, fundamental, general, global, hospital, ideal, individual, industrial, ilegal, liberal, literal, local, marginal, mental, metal, normal, original, penal, personal, plural, principal, regional, ritual, social, superficial, total, tropical, universal, visual, vital<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Words ending in \u2013<\/strong><strong><em>\u00f3n<\/em><\/strong><strong>:&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>conclusi\u00f3n, confusi\u00f3n, decisi\u00f3n, dimensi\u00f3n, divisi\u00f3n, explosi\u00f3n, extensi\u00f3n, invasi\u00f3n, regi\u00f3n, religi\u00f3n, reuni\u00f3n, televisi\u00f3n, versi\u00f3n<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Words ending in -ble<\/strong>:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>abominable, admirable, flexible, horrible, invisible, terrible<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-english-to-spanish-near-perfect-cognates\"><strong>English to Spanish \u201cNear Perfect\u201d Cognates<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes, Spanish cognate examples don\u2019t always match their English version with spelling and meaning. But hey, even if they\u2019re not perfect, Spanish English cognates can achieve \u201cnear perfect\u201d status. The list below are mostly similar \u2013 a letter or two differ, but the root meaning of the words is the same. Pay attention to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/blog\/spanish-accent-marks-rules\/\">Spanish accent marks<\/a> to get the pronunciation right!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Incorporate these near-perfect Spanish cognates as you\u2019re learning the language \u2013 practice makes perfect, after all!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Words ending in \u2013<\/strong><strong><em>ary<\/em><\/strong><strong> in English, \u2192 end in \u2013<\/strong><strong><em>ario<\/em><\/strong><strong> in Spanish:<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>adversario, comentario, contrario, necesario, ordinario, salario, secretario, vocabulario, temporario<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Words ending in -tion in English \u2192 end in -ci\u00f3n in Spanish:&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>administraci\u00f3n, aplicaci\u00f3n, asociaci\u00f3n, atenci\u00f3n, autorizaci\u00f3n, celebraci\u00f3n, colecci\u00f3n, colaboraci\u00f3n, concentraci\u00f3n, dedicaci\u00f3n, educaci\u00f3n, formaci\u00f3n, manipulaci\u00f3n, naci\u00f3n<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Words ending in -ic in English \u2192 end in -ico in Spanish:<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>acad\u00e9mico, aut\u00e9ntico, cl\u00e1sico, din\u00e1mico, diplom\u00e1tico, dram\u00e1tico, econ\u00f3mico, \u00e9tnico, fant\u00e1stico, m\u00e1gico, org\u00e1nico, pl\u00e1stico, p\u00fablico, rom\u00e1ntico, t\u00f3xico<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Words ending in -ious in English<\/strong> <strong>\u2192 end in -oso in Spanish:&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>aventuroso, curioso, delicioso, misterioso, precioso, religioso<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Words ending in -ct in English \u2192 end in -cto in Spanish:&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>abstracto, artefacto, conflicto, contacto, correcto, dialecto, efecto, exacto, excepto, insecto, perfecto, producto<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-spanish-to-english-greek-words\"><strong>Spanish to English Greek Words<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Some Spanish and English words were actually borrowed from Greek. Here are some Greek cognates that both English and Spanish share.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Words ending in -ema in Spanish:<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>crema, esquema (scheme), poema, problema, sistema<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Words ending in -ma in Spanish:<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>aroma, asma, dilema, dogma, drama, sigma<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-spanish-false-cognates-examples\"><strong>Spanish \u201cFalse Cognates\u201d Examples<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Unlike perfect and near-perfect cognates for Spanish, false cognates are the fool\u2019s gold of language learning. These words look the same, but they often have totally different meanings. Keep these false Spanish cognates on your radar.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Spanish<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>English Translation<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Common Mistake<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Embarazada<\/em><\/td><td>Pregnant<\/td><td>Often mistaken for the English word \u201cembarrassed.\u201d To say embarrassed in Spanish, use <strong><em>avergonzado<\/em><\/strong>.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Sensible<\/em><\/td><td>Sensitive&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/td><td>Often mistaken for the English word \u201csensible.\u201d In Spanish, someone sensible would be <strong><em>sensato<\/em><\/strong> or <strong><em>razonable<\/em><\/strong>.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Molestar<\/em><\/td><td>Bother<\/td><td>Often mistaken for the English word \u201cmolest,\u201d it simply means \u201cto inconvenience\u201d in Spanish.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>F\u00e1brica<\/em><\/td><td>Factory<\/td><td>Often mistaken for the English word \u201cfabric.\u201d In Spanish, use <strong><em>tela<\/em><\/strong> to mean \u201ccloth\u201d or \u201cfabric.\u201d<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Realizar<\/em><\/td><td>To perform\/ carry out<\/td><td>Often mistaken for the English word \u201crealize.\u201d To say \u201crealize\u201d in the English sense, use <strong><em>darse cuenta<\/em><\/strong><em> (<\/em><strong><em>yo<\/em><\/strong><em> <\/em><strong><em>me doy cuenta<\/em><\/strong><em>)<\/em>.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Recordar<\/em><\/td><td>To remember\/ recall<\/td><td>Often mistaken for the English word \u201crecord.\u201d To say \u201crecord\u201d in Spanish, use the verb <strong><em>grabar<\/em><\/strong>.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Actual<\/em><\/td><td>Current<\/td><td>Often mistaken for the English word \u201cactual.\u201d Use <em>actual<\/em> in Spanish to mean current, i.e. <strong><em>el presidente actual<\/em><\/strong> (the current or acting president).<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>\u00c9xito<\/em><\/td><td>Success<\/td><td>Often mistaken for the English word \u201cExit.\u201d To say \u201cexit\u201d in Spanish, use <strong><em>salida<\/em><\/strong>.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-you-know-more-spanish-than-you-think\"><strong>You Know More Spanish Than You Think!<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>See? Your Spanish lexicon is much bigger than you could ever have imagined, and it\u2019s all thanks to the Normans (That was a test to see if you were paying attention!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Feeling confident and ready to take the next steps in your Spanish learning process? Sign up with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/learn-spanish-latin-american\/lifetime-subscription\/\">Premium<\/a> or All Access subscription. You can start speaking Spanish after your first lesson, and Pimsleur will get you speaking the language conversationally within weeks \u2013 all it takes is 30 minutes per day! We offer both <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/learn-spanish-spain-castilian\/\">Castilian <\/a>and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/learn-spanish-latin-american\/\">Latin American Spanish<\/a> courses.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Wouldn\u2019t it be great, as you\u2019re learning Spanish, to have a key that automatically matches English words to Spanish? As it happens, the two languages have many shared words. These words, called cognates, are the ultimate hack for accelerating your language learning curve. Let\u2019s examine what they are, some examples (including a few \u201cperfect\u201d ones), <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/blog\/spanish-cognates-words-you-already-know-from-english-plus-false-cognates\/\">Read More >><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":29608,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[28,1378],"class_list":["post-2679","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-language-learning","tag-english","tag-spanish"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v26.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Common Spanish Cognates You Already Know | The Pimsleur Language Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Accelerate your language learning with English and Spanish cognates, words that are similar in both languages. 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