What it's NOT
billion does NOT translate to billón.
To say "billón" in English, use trillion.
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False cognate · False friend
billion
Does NOT mean billón
It means a thousand million (1,000,000,000)
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
What it IS
billion means a thousand million (1,000,000,000).
Why it's confused
On the traditional Spanish numeric scale, a "billón" is a million million (10¹²). English "billion" is only a thousand million (10⁹). The difference is a factor of a thousand, which can cause serious errors in financial or scientific contexts.
How it's pronounced
billionBÍ-lion
Tap the button to hear the real pronunciation.
Examples of correct use
English
The company is worth a billion dollars.
Spanish
La empresa vale mil millones de dólares.
English
There are billions of stars.
Spanish
Hay miles de millones de estrellas.
A trick to remember it
Billion = a thousand million. Spanish "billón" (a million million) = trillion.
Mini quiz
"One billion" in English is...
Frequently asked questions
What does "billion" mean in English?
"Billion" means "a thousand million (1,000,000,000)". It looks a lot like "billón", which is exactly why it gets confused, but they don't mean the same thing.
How do you say "billón" in English?
To say "billón" in English, use "trillion". If you use "billion" instead, you would actually be saying "a thousand million (1,000,000,000)".
Do "billion" and "billón" mean the same thing?
On the traditional Spanish numeric scale, a "billón" is a million million (10¹²). English "billion" is only a thousand million (10⁹). The difference is a factor of a thousand, which can cause serious errors in financial or scientific contexts.
Other confusing false friends
More confusing false friends
Library, embarrassed, actually... the full list of words that look the same but mean something different.
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