What Are False Friends?
False friends (or false cognates) are words that look similar in Spanish and English but have completely different meanings. Using them incorrectly can lead to awkward or even funny misunderstandings!
Why They Matter
- Can cause confusion in conversations
- May lead to embarrassing mistakes (e.g., saying “I’m pregnant” instead of “I’m embarrassed”)
- Often trip up beginners and intermediate learners
The Ultimate False Friends List
🔴 Top 10 Most Dangerous False Friends
| Spanish Word | Looks Like | Real Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Embarazada | Embarrassed | Pregnant | “Está embarazada” = She’s pregnant |
| Actual | Actual | Current | “El precio actual” = The current price |
| Constipado | Constipated | Has a cold | “Estoy constipado” = I have a cold |
| Sensible | Sensible | Sensitive | “Es muy sensible” = He’s very sensitive |
| Molestar | Molest | To bother | “No me molestes” = Don’t bother me |
| Realizar | Realize | To fulfill | “Realizar un sueño” = To fulfill a dream |
| Asistir | Assist | To attend | “Asistir a una reunión” = Attend a meeting |
| Recordar | Record | To remember | “Recordar algo” = To remember something |
| Largo | Large | Long | “Un vestido largo” = A long dress |
| Éxito | Exit | Success | “Gran éxito” = Great success |
🟠 20 More Tricky False Friends
| Spanish Word | False Meaning | Real Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carpeta | Carpet | Folder | “La carpeta azul” = The blue folder |
| Ropa | Rope | Clothes | “Lavar la ropa” = Wash the clothes |
| Sopa | Soap | Soup | “Sopa de pollo” = Chicken soup |
| Bizarro | Bizarre | Brave | “Un soldado bizarro” = A brave soldier |
| Fábrica | Fabric | Factory | “Trabajar en una fábrica” = Work in a factory |
| Mayor | Mayor | Older | “Mi hermano mayor” = My older brother |
| Colegio | College | High school | “Ir al colegio” = Go to high school |
| Lectura | Lecture | Reading | “La lectura es importante” = Reading is important |
| Tuna | Tuna | University music group | “La tuna canta bien” = The student band sings well |
| Grabar | Grab | To record | “Grabar una canción” = Record a song |
| Salado | Salad | Salty | “Comida salada” = Salty food |
| Pie | Pie | Foot | “Dolor en el pie” = Foot pain |
| Vaso | Vase | Glass | “Un vaso de agua” = A glass of water |
| Chocar | Choke | To crash | “Chocar el coche” = Crash the car |
| Enviar | Envy | To send | “Enviar un paquete” = Send a package |
| Nudo | Nude | Knot | “Hacer un nudo” = Tie a knot |
| Pan | Pan | Bread | “Comprar pan” = Buy bread |
| Parientes | Parents | Relatives | “Visitar a los parientes” = Visit relatives |
| Suceso | Success | Event | “Un suceso extraño” = A strange event |
| Trampa | Tramp | Trap | “Caer en una trampa” = Fall into a trap |
🎁 Bonus: 20 Extra False Friends
| Spanish Word | False Meaning | Real Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Once | Once | Eleven |
| Dormitorio | Dormitory | Bedroom |
| Disgusto | Disgust | Disappointment |
| Librería | Library | Bookstore |
| Pretender | Pretend | To attempt |
| Sano | Sanity | Healthy |
| Soportar | Support | To tolerate |
| Tinta | Tint | Ink |
| Últimamente | Ultimately | Lately |
| Visto | Visto | Seen |
| Campo | Camp | Countryside |
| Decepción | Deception | Disappointment |
| Educado | Educated | Polite |
| Firma | Firm | Signature |
| Introducir | Introduce | To insert |
| Jubilación | Jubilation | Retirement |
| Largo | Large | Long |
| Meter | Meter | To put |
| Oficina | Office | Office (but not always) |
| Preservativo | Preservative | Condom |
Practice time With Spanish English False Friends Flashcards
Embarazada
False Friend: Embarrassed
Click to flip
Real Meaning: Pregnant
Example: “Está embarazada” = She’s pregnant
Actual
False Friend: Actual
Click to flip
Real Meaning: Current
Example: “El precio actual” = The current price
Constipado
False Friend: Constipated
Click to flip
Real Meaning: Has a cold
Example: “Estoy constipado” = I have a cold
Sensible
False Friend: Sensible
Click to flip
Real Meaning: Sensitive
Example: “Es muy sensible” = He’s very sensitive
Molestar
False Friend: Molest
Click to flip
Real Meaning: To bother
Example: “No me molestes” = Don’t bother me
Realizar
False Friend: Realize
Click to flip
Real Meaning: To fulfill
Example: “Realizar un sueño” = Fulfill a dream
Asistir
False Friend: Assist
Click to flip
Real Meaning: To attend
Example: “Asistir a una reunión” = Attend a meeting
Recordar
False Friend: Record
Click to flip
Real Meaning: To remember
Example: “Recordar algo” = To remember something
Largo
False Friend: Large
Click to flip
Real Meaning: Long
Example: “Un vestido largo” = A long dress
Éxito
False Friend: Exit
Click to flip
Real Meaning: Success
Example: “Gran éxito” = Great success
Carpeta
False Friend: Carpet
Click to flip
Real Meaning: Folder
Example: “La carpeta azul” = The blue folder
Ropa
False Friend: Rope
Click to flip
Real Meaning: Clothes
Example: “Lavar la ropa” = Wash the clothes
Sopa
False Friend: Soap
Click to flip
Real Meaning: Soup
Example: “Sopa de pollo” = Chicken soup
Bizarro
False Friend: Bizarre
Click to flip
Real Meaning: Brave
Example: “Un soldado bizarro” = A brave soldier
Fábrica
False Friend: Fabric
Click to flip
Real Meaning: Factory
Example: “Trabajar en una fábrica” = Work in a factory
Mayor
False Friend: Mayor
Click to flip
Real Meaning: Older
Example: “Mi hermano mayor” = My older brother
Colegio
False Friend: College
Click to flip
Real Meaning: High school
Example: “Ir al colegio” = Go to high school
Lectura
False Friend: Lecture
Click to flip
Real Meaning: Reading
Example: “La lectura es importante” = Reading is important
Tuna
False Friend: Tuna
Click to flip
Real Meaning: University music group
Example: “La tuna canta bien” = The student band sings well
Grabar
False Friend: Grab
Click to flip
Real Meaning: To record
Example: “Grabar una canción” = Record a song
Salado
False Friend: Salad
Click to flip
Real Meaning: Salty
Example: “Comida salada” = Salty food
Pie
False Friend: Pie
Click to flip
Real Meaning: Foot
Example: “Dolor en el pie” = Foot pain
Vaso
False Friend: Vase
Click to flip
Real Meaning: Glass
Example: “Un vaso de agua” = A glass of water
Chocar
False Friend: Choke
Click to flip
Real Meaning: To crash
Example: “Chocar el coche” = Crash the car
Enviar
False Friend: Envy
Click to flip
Real Meaning: To send
Example: “Enviar un paquete” = Send a package
Nudo
False Friend: Nude
Click to flip
Real Meaning: Knot
Example: “Hacer un nudo” = Tie a knot
Pan
False Friend: Pan
Click to flip
Real Meaning: Bread
Example: “Comprar pan” = Buy bread
Parientes
False Friend: Parents
Click to flip
Real Meaning: Relatives
Example: “Visitar a los parientes” = Visit relatives
Suceso
False Friend: Success
Click to flip
Real Meaning: Event
Example: “Un suceso extraño” = A strange event
Trampa
False Friend: Tramp
Click to flip
Real Meaning: Trap
Example: “Caer en una trampa” = Fall into a trap
Once
False Friend: Once
Click to flip
Real Meaning: Eleven
Dormitorio
False Friend: Dormitory
Click to flip
Real Meaning: Bedroom
Disgusto
False Friend: Disgust
Click to flip
Real Meaning: Disappointment
Librería
False Friend: Library
Click to flip
Real Meaning: Bookstore
Pretender
False Friend: Pretend
Click to flip
Real Meaning: To attempt
Sano
False Friend: Sanity
Click to flip
Real Meaning: Healthy
Soportar
False Friend: Support
Click to flip
Real Meaning: To tolerate
Tinta
False Friend: Tint
Click to flip
Real Meaning: Ink
Últimamente
False Friend: Ultimately
Click to flip
Real Meaning: Lately
Visto
False Friend: Visto
Click to flip
Real Meaning: Seen
Campo
False Friend: Camp
Click to flip
Real Meaning: Countryside
Decepción
False Friend: Deception
Click to flip
Real Meaning: Disappointment
Educado
False Friend: Educated
Click to flip
Real Meaning: Polite
Firma
False Friend: Firm
Click to flip
Real Meaning: Signature
Introducir
False Friend: Introduce
Click to flip
Real Meaning: To insert
Jubilación
False Friend: Jubilation
Click to flip
Real Meaning: Retirement
Meter
False Friend: Meter
Click to flip
Real Meaning: To put
Oficina
False Friend: Office
Click to flip
Real Meaning: Office (but not always)
Preservativo
False Friend: Preservative
Click to flip
Real Meaning: Condom
Click on any card to flip it and see the real meaning
