What it's NOT
ingenuity does NOT translate to ingenuidad.
To say "ingenuidad" in English, use naivety.
ESEN
False cognate · False friend
ingenuity
Does NOT mean ingenuidad
It means cleverness / inventiveness
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
What it IS
ingenuity means cleverness / inventiveness.
Why it's confused
Spanish "ingenuidad" is a lack of malice or excessive innocence. English "ingenuity" is creativity and the ability to solve problems in innovative ways. Same origin, opposite meanings in practice.
How it's pronounced
ingenuityin-ye-NÚ-i-ti
Tap the button to hear the real pronunciation.
Examples of correct use
English
She solved it with great ingenuity.
Spanish
Lo resolvió con mucho ingenio.
English
Human ingenuity is amazing.
Spanish
El ingenio humano es asombroso.
A trick to remember it
Ingenuity = cleverness/inventiveness. Naivety/innocence (Spanish "ingenuidad") = naivety.
Mini quiz
"Great ingenuity" is a lot of...
Frequently asked questions
What does "ingenuity" mean in English?
"Ingenuity" means "cleverness / inventiveness". It looks a lot like "ingenuidad", which is exactly why it gets confused, but they don't mean the same thing.
How do you say "ingenuidad" in English?
To say "ingenuidad" in English, use "naivety". If you use "ingenuity" instead, you would actually be saying "cleverness / inventiveness".
Do "ingenuity" and "ingenuidad" mean the same thing?
Spanish "ingenuidad" is a lack of malice or excessive innocence. English "ingenuity" is creativity and the ability to solve problems in innovative ways. Same origin, opposite meanings in practice.
Other confusing false friends
More confusing false friends
Library, embarrassed, actually... the full list of words that look the same but mean something different.
Publicidad