What it's NOT
prize does NOT translate to precio.
To say "precio" in English, use price.
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False cognate · False friend
prize
Does NOT mean precio
It means an award won in a competition
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
What it IS
prize means an award won in a competition.
Why it's confused
Spanish "precio" and English "prize" share the Latin root "pretium," meaning value or price. In Spanish, "precio" stayed as monetary value. In English, "prize" drifted toward the award won in a competition.
How it's pronounced
prizePRÁIS
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Examples of correct use
English
She won first prize.
Spanish
Ganó el primer premio.
English
The prize is a new car.
Spanish
El premio es un carro nuevo.
A trick to remember it
Prize = an award. Monetary cost (Spanish "precio") = price.
Mini quiz
"First prize" is...
Frequently asked questions
What does "prize" mean in English?
"Prize" means "an award won in a competition". It looks a lot like "precio", which is exactly why it gets confused, but they don't mean the same thing.
How do you say "precio" in English?
To say "precio" in English, use "price". If you use "prize" instead, you would actually be saying "an award won in a competition".
Do "prize" and "precio" mean the same thing?
Spanish "precio" and English "prize" share the Latin root "pretium," meaning value or price. In Spanish, "precio" stayed as monetary value. In English, "prize" drifted toward the award won in a competition.
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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