Learning Spanish as an English speaker (or vice versa) can feel easy at first — both languages share thousands of words that look alike and even mean the same thing. These are called cognates: words like animal, hospital, or color.
But there’s a trap: not all similar-looking words have the same meaning. These misleading pairs are called false friends. They can lead to confusing, funny, or even embarrassing situations.
Here are 20 of the most common Spanish-English false friends, what they really mean, and how to use them correctly.
1. Actual vs. Actual
- Spanish: actual → means “current” or “present”
- English: actual → means “real” or “factual”
Example: - La situación actual es difícil. → “The current situation is difficult.”
2. Asistir vs. Assist
- Spanish: asistir → “to attend”
- English: assist → “to help”
Example: - Voy a asistir a la reunión. → “I’m going to attend the meeting.”
3. Embarazada vs. Embarrassed
- Spanish: embarazada → “pregnant”
- English: embarrassed → “ashamed” or “self-conscious”
Example: - María está embarazada. → “María is pregnant.”
4. Éxito vs. Exit
- Spanish: éxito → “success”
- English: exit → “way out”
Example: - El proyecto fue un gran éxito. → “The project was a great success.”
5. Ropa vs. Rope
- Spanish: ropa → “clothes”
- English: rope → “cord” or “string”
Example: - Necesito comprar ropa nueva. → “I need to buy new clothes.”
6. Sopa vs. Soap
- Spanish: sopa → “soup”
- English: soap → “substance for washing”
Example: - La sopa está caliente. → “The soup is hot.”
7. Carpeta vs. Carpet
- Spanish: carpeta → “folder”
- English: carpet → “floor covering”
Example: - Guarda los documentos en la carpeta. → “Put the documents in the folder.”
8. Constipado vs. Constipated
- Spanish: constipado → “having a cold”
- English: constipated → “unable to pass stool”
Example: - Estoy constipado. → “I have a cold.”
9. Realizar vs. Realize
- Spanish: realizar → “to carry out” or “to accomplish”
- English: realize → “to become aware”
Example: - Voy a realizar un proyecto importante. → “I’m going to carry out an important project.”
10. Fábrica vs. Fabric
- Spanish: fábrica → “factory”
- English: fabric → “material” or “cloth”
Example: - Trabajo en una fábrica de coches. → “I work in a car factory.”
11. Librería vs. Library
- Spanish: librería → “bookstore”
- English: library → “place where you borrow books”
Example: - Compré este libro en la librería. → “I bought this book at the bookstore.”
12. Salir vs. Salir (Exit vs. Go Out)
- Spanish: salir → “to go out” or “to leave”
- English: sale → often confused because of pronunciation but means “discount”
Example: - Vamos a salir esta noche. → “We’re going out tonight.”
13. Sensible vs. Sensible
- Spanish: sensible → “sensitive”
- English: sensible → “reasonable” or “practical”
Example: - Es una persona muy sensible. → “She’s a very sensitive person.”
14. Estampa vs. Stamp
- Spanish: estampa → “print” or “illustration”
- English: stamp → “postage mark” or “seal”
Example: - Me gusta la estampa de esta camiseta. → “I like the print on this T-shirt.”
15. Grosería vs. Grocery
- Spanish: grosería → “rudeness” or “offensive remark”
- English: grocery → “food store”
Example: - Decir eso fue una grosería. → “Saying that was rude.”
16. Introducir vs. Introduce
- Spanish: introducir → “to insert”
- English: introduce → “to present someone”
Example: - Introduce la tarjeta en la ranura. → “Insert the card into the slot.”
17. Constante vs. Constant
- Spanish: constante → “persistent” or “steady”
- English: constant → can match sometimes, but often implies “non-stop”
Example: - Tiene un esfuerzo constante. → “She makes a persistent effort.”
18. Pretender vs. Pretend
- Spanish: pretender → “to intend”
- English: pretend → “to act as if”
Example: - Pretendo estudiar medicina. → “I intend to study medicine.”
19. Actualizar vs. Actualize
- Spanish: actualizar → “to update”
- English: actualize → “to make real”
Example: - Debes actualizar tu software. → “You need to update your software.”
20. Suceso vs. Success
- Spanish: suceso → “event” or “incident”
- English: success → “achievement”
Example: - El suceso fue reportado en las noticias. → “The incident was reported in the news.”
Why False Friends Matter
False friends are one of the most common sources of miscommunication between Spanish and English speakers. They can:
- Lead to misunderstandings in everyday conversation.
- Cause embarrassing mistakes in professional settings.
- Make reading and writing in your target language confusing.
Learning them early helps you avoid these pitfalls and sound more natural.