A lot of English words come from latin. So, if you are an English native speaker, you can learn a lot of Spanish vocabulary very easily thanks to “cognates”.
Real English cognates
The words below have the same etymological origin and are very similar in spelling and meaning.
Spanish | English |
el chocolate | chocolate |
el color | the colour |
el error | the error / the mistake |
esencial | essential |
global | global |
ilegal | illegal |
sólido | solid |
el teléfono | the telephone |
el tráfico | the traffic |
los votos | the votes |
False cognates
False cognates or false friends are spelled the same or similar but mean completely different things.
English | Confused with | Spanish |
the library | la librería | la biblioteca |
embarrassed | embarazada (= pregnant) | avergonzado/a |
actually | actualmente (currently) | en realidad |
As you can see, the Spanish language has traps there waiting for you, and if you’re not aware of them you could well end up feeling embarrassed.