Learning English for Spanish speakers can seem quite simple at first because as much as 40% of English words have cognates in Spanish. Cognates are words that sound similar, have similar spelling and have the same meaning in the two languages.
Examples of cognates are:
• teléfono- telephone
• persona- person
• invitar- invite
However, there are many words called false cognates or false friends. In the case of False Friends, the English word sounds and looks like a word in Spanish but the two words do NOT have the same meaning.
Here is an example of some false friends between Spanish and English:
- English Word
- Actually
- Agenda
- Deception
- Diversion
- Embarrassed
- Fabric
- Library
- Realise
- Sensible
- Emotional
- False Friend (in Spanish)
- Actualmente
- Agenda
- Decepción
- Diversión
- Embarazada
- Fábrica
- Librería
- Realizar
- Sensible
- Emocionante
- … which means …
- Nowadays
- Diary
- Disappointment
- Fun
- Pregnant
- Factory
- Bookshop
- To do
- Sensitive
- Exciting
Task 13
Can you identify the false friend in each of the following sentences?
