English and Spanish false friends

A false friend is a word in English that looks or sounds like a Spanish word, but means something completely different: library is not librería (bookstore), it is biblioteca; embarrassed is not embarazada (pregnant), it means feeling ashamed. They are a very common mistake precisely because they look easy, and they can completely change the meaning of what you are trying to say.

Every word on this list comes with its real meaning, the correct Spanish translation of the word it gets confused with, and usage examples, so next time you recognize it right away instead of translating it wrong by instinct.

Step by step

1. 1

   Look up the word you are unsure about. Use the alphabetical order or search directly if you already know which word is confusing you.

2. 2

   Read the real meaning first. Before comparing anything, understand what the English word actually means.

3. 3

   Compare it with the similar Spanish word. That is where the mistake happens: see why they get confused and what the correct Spanish word is for what you thought it meant.

4. 4

   Use it in your own sentence. Write a sentence with the real meaning. Making the mistake once and correcting it sticks better than just reading about it.

Tips to progress faster

• Do not study the whole list in one sitting: review a small group and come back another day for more, they blur together if you see too many at once.
• Before an exam or an important conversation, review the false friends most common in your topic (business, travel, food).
• Pair this with Which one: many false friend mistakes and confusable word mistakes are fixed with the same logic.