About Spanish and English Cognates

SpanishCognates.org contains a comprehensive list of Spanish cognates. If you are trying to learn Spanish fast, you're in luck. Spanish cognates are the best way to learn spanish fast and easy. About 90% of Spanish cognates have the same meaning in English. The similarity gives you a built-in vocabulary base that transfers over when learning Spanish vocabulary. However, you should be careful to note that not all Spanish cognates have the same meaning in English.

There are two kinds of Spanish cognates: true cognates and false cognates/false friends. Each kind of cognate will be discussed in more detail below:

True cognates are every your best friend when trying to learn Spanish fast. They help you learn Spanish vocabulary words faster. True cognates are words in Spanish and English that share the same Latin root and are very similar in spelling and have the same meaning. If you are trying to learn Spanish, you are fortunate that the English language borrows many words from Spanish. Spanish cognates are an excellent language tool for you to build off of when learning Spanish vocabulary. Simply identifying the cognates that transfer over gives you the knowledge of thousands of Spanish vocabulary words that you already know, albeit with minor differences in spelling and pronunciation. Once you learn the spelling and pronunciation rules, Spanish cognates can be an invaluable learning tool for learning Spanish vocabulary words fast.

False cognates/false friends are where learning Spanish vocabulary gets tricky. False cognates/false friends are Spanish or English vocabulary words that sound the same, but do not have the same meaning. Many Spanish cognates do not transfer over to English exactly. One common false cognate is the Spanish word “embarazada,” which means “pregnant” in Spanish. Many English speakers mistake this false cognate for “embarrassed,” with – ironically – often embarrassing results.
If true cognates are every student’s best friend, then false cognates/false friends are every student’s worst nightmare: words that look the same in Spanish and English, but with either significant or completely different meanings. Our extensive list of cognates – both true and false – makes it easier for you to learn which Spanish cognates are false cognates/false friends.

On the flip side, Spanish cognates are the ultimate learning tool for you to learn Spanish fast. Spanishcognates.org has sought to collect a complete list of the most commonly used English and Spanish cognates. We hope that teachers, students, and you will find this website useful in learning Spanish vocabulary fast.