Spanish–English false friends
57 words that look the same in Spanish and English but mean something else. Search the list, see the right word, copy the fix.
A false friend is an English word that looks like a Spanish word but means something else. The ones that cause the most trouble at work are actually (it means "en realidad", not "actualmente"), assist ("ayudar", not "asistir"), pretend ("fingir", not "pretender") and embarrassed ("avergonzado", not "embarazada").
Type a word in the search box, in Spanish or in English. Every row gives the Spanish word, what the English look-alike really means, the word to use instead, and a wrong → right example from a real kind of message.
The 5 that show up most in messages
These five appear in emails and chats to bosses, clients and landlords all the time, because they sound natural to a Spanish speaker and the keyboard never flags them. They're all spelled correctly.
- actualmente → currently. "Actually I work at a bank" tells the reader you're correcting something. Say "I currently work at a bank" or "Right now I work at a bank".
- asistir → attend. "I can't assist the meeting" means you can't help the meeting. Say "I can't attend the meeting" or "I can't make it to the meeting".
- pretender → plan, intend. "We pretend to finish in May" sounds like you're lying. Say "We plan to finish in May" or "We aim to finish in May".
- realizar → carry out, do, make. "We realized a survey" means you suddenly understood a survey. Say "We carried out a survey" or "We did a survey". Realizar un pago is "make a payment".
- molestar → bother. This one matters most. "Sorry to molest you" means sexual abuse in English. Always write "Sorry to bother you".
All 57 Spanish–English false friends
| Spanish word | The English look-alike means | Say instead | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| actualmente ≠ actually You mean: currently, at the moment | actually = in fact, really (en realidad) | currently, at the moment, now | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ I currently work for a bank in Bogotá. |
| asistir ≠ assist You mean: to attend (asistir a una reunión) | assist = to help (ayudar) | attend, go to | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ I can't attend the meeting tomorrow. |
| pretender ≠ pretend You mean: to intend, to plan, to aim to | pretend = to act as if something is true when it isn't (fingir) | intend, plan, aim | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ We plan to finish the project in May. |
| embarazada ≠ embarrassed You mean: pregnant | embarrassed = ashamed or awkward (avergonzado) | pregnant | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ My wife is pregnant. The baby is due in March. |
| realizar ≠ realize You mean: to carry out, to do, to make (realizar un pago) | realize = to understand or notice something (darse cuenta) | carry out, do, make | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ We carried out a survey with our clients. |
| librería ≠ library You mean: bookstore | library = a place where you borrow books (biblioteca) | bookstore, bookshop | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ I bought it at the bookstore near my office. |
| éxito ≠ exit You mean: success | exit = the way out (salida) | success, hit | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ The launch was a big success. |
| sensible ≠ sensible You mean: sensitive | sensible = practical and reasonable (sensato) | sensitive | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ This is sensitive information, please don't share it. |
| carpeta ≠ carpet You mean: folder | carpet = a cloth that covers the floor (alfombra) | folder | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ I put the contract in the shared folder. |
| molestar ≠ molest You mean: to bother, to annoy | molest = to abuse someone sexually (a very serious word) | bother, disturb | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ Sorry to bother you on a Sunday. |
| recordar ≠ record You mean: to remember, to remind | record = to save sound or video (grabar), or to write down | remember, remind | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ Can you remind me to send the invoice? |
| advertir ≠ advertise You mean: to warn | advertise = to promote a product or a job (anunciar) | warn | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ I warned him that the deadline was Friday. |
| aviso ≠ advice You mean: notice, warning | advice = a recommendation (consejo); it has no plural | notice, warning, notification | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ The landlord sent a notice about the water cut. |
| avisar ≠ advise You mean: to let someone know | advise = to recommend; in formal letters, to inform. In a chat it sounds stiff | let (someone) know, tell | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ Please let me know when you arrive. |
| lectura ≠ lecture You mean: reading | lecture = a talk to students or an audience (conferencia, clase) | reading | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ I have a lot of reading for the course this week. |
| compromiso ≠ compromise You mean: commitment, engagement, obligation | compromise = an agreement where each side gives up something (acuerdo, concesión) | commitment, engagement, plans | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ Thank you for your commitment to the team. |
| eventualmente ≠ eventually You mean: occasionally, possibly, if needed | eventually = in the end, after a long time (al final) | occasionally, possibly, if needed | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ Occasionally I work on Saturdays, but not often. |
| fábrica ≠ fabric You mean: factory | fabric = cloth, material (tela) | factory, plant | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ My father works in a car factory. |
| largo ≠ large You mean: long | large = big (grande) | long | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ It was a long meeting. It lasted three hours. |
| suceso ≠ success You mean: event, incident | success = a good result (éxito) | event, incident | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ The police are investigating the incident. |
| colegio ≠ college You mean: school (primary or secondary) | college = studies after high school (universidad, instituto superior) | school | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ My son goes to school. He is in fourth grade. |
| decepción ≠ deception You mean: disappointment | deception = lying or tricking someone (engaño) | disappointment | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ The results were a disappointment for the whole team. |
| argumento ≠ argument You mean: plot (of a movie or a book) | argument = a fight, or the reasons for an opinion | plot, storyline | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ The movie has a very original plot. |
| atender ≠ attend You mean: to serve, to help, to answer (the phone) | attend = to go to an event (asistir) | serve, help, answer | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ Nobody helped me at the front desk. |
| casualidad ≠ casualty You mean: coincidence, chance | casualty = a person hurt or killed in an accident or a war (víctima) | coincidence, by chance | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ What a coincidence to see you here! |
| en absoluto ≠ absolutely You mean: not at all | absolutely = completely, yes, definitely (totalmente) | not at all | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ “Is it a problem if I leave early?” “Not at all.” |
| injuria ≠ injury You mean: insult, offense | injury = physical harm to the body (lesión, herida) | insult, slander | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ His comment was an insult to the whole team. |
| parientes ≠ parents You mean: relatives | parents = your mother and father (padres) | relatives, family | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ All my relatives came to the wedding: cousins, aunts, uncles. |
| preservativo ≠ preservative You mean: condom | preservative = a chemical that keeps food fresh (conservante) | condom | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ I need to buy condoms at the pharmacy. |
| quitar ≠ quit You mean: to remove, to take off, to take away | quit = to stop doing something, or to leave a job (renunciar, dejar) | remove, take off | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ Please remove my name from the list. |
| resumir ≠ resume You mean: to summarize | resume = to start again after a pause (reanudar) | summarize, sum up | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ Can you summarize the report in two lines? |
| sano ≠ sane You mean: healthy | sane = not mentally ill (cuerdo) | healthy | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ I try to eat healthy food during the week. |
| simpático ≠ sympathetic You mean: nice, friendly | sympathetic = showing that you understand someone's problems (comprensivo) | nice, friendly, easygoing | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ My new boss is very nice. She always smiles. |
| soportar ≠ support You mean: to put up with, to stand | support = to help or back someone (apoyar) | stand, put up with | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ I can't stand the noise from my neighbors. |
| vaso ≠ vase You mean: a glass (for drinking) | vase = a container for flowers (florero, jarrón) | glass | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ Can I have a glass of water, please? |
| agenda ≠ agenda You mean: planner, datebook, schedule | agenda = the list of topics for a meeting (orden del día), or a hidden plan | planner, calendar, schedule | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ I wrote your number in my planner. |
| disgusto ≠ disgust You mean: an upset, an argument, a bad moment | disgust = a strong feeling that something is revolting (asco) | upset, argument, disagreement | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ We had a disagreement with the landlord about the deposit. |
| noticia ≠ notice You mean: a piece of news | notice = a written announcement, or a warning that something will end (aviso) | news (always singular) | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ I have good news: we got the contract! |
| jubilación ≠ jubilation You mean: retirement | jubilation = great happiness (júbilo) | retirement | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ My father's retirement party is on Saturday. |
| billón ≠ billion You mean: a million millions (1,000,000,000,000) | billion = a thousand millions (1,000,000,000, mil millones) | trillion | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ The project costs 3 trillion pesos. |
| demandar ≠ demand You mean: to sue | demand = to ask for something firmly (exigir) | sue, take to court | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ My neighbor wants to sue the landlord. |
| intoxicado ≠ intoxicated You mean: poisoned (by food or gas) | intoxicated = drunk, or high on drugs (ebrio) | poisoned, have food poisoning | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ I got food poisoning from some bad shrimp yesterday. |
| procurar ≠ procure You mean: to try to, to make sure | procure = to get or buy something, usually for a company (adquirir) | try to, make sure | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ I will try to arrive early. |
| últimamente ≠ ultimately You mean: lately, recently | ultimately = in the end, finally (en última instancia) | lately, recently | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ Lately I've been very busy at work. |
| envolver ≠ involve You mean: to wrap | involve = to include, to be part of (involucrar, implicar) | wrap | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ Can you wrap the gift in red paper? |
| notorio ≠ notorious You mean: obvious, clear, well known | notorious = famous for something bad (de mala fama) | obvious, clear, noticeable | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ Her improvement is obvious. She's our best seller now. |
| particular ≠ particular You mean: private (clases particulares) | particular = specific, or fussy (específico, exigente) | private | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ I give private English classes on weekends. |
| dormitorio ≠ dormitory You mean: bedroom | dormitory = a big room or building where students sleep (residencia estudiantil) | bedroom | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ The apartment has two bedrooms and one bathroom. |
| propaganda ≠ propaganda You mean: advertising, ads, flyers | propaganda = political information made to manipulate people | advertising, ads, flyers | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ We need more advertising for the new store. |
| receta ≠ receipt You mean: recipe, prescription | receipt = the paper that proves you paid (recibo, comprobante) | recipe, prescription | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ The doctor gave me a prescription for antibiotics. |
| grabar ≠ grab You mean: to record | grab = to take something quickly (agarrar) | record | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ I will record the meeting so you can watch it later. |
| educado ≠ educated You mean: polite, well-mannered | educated = having studied a lot (culto, instruido) | polite, well-mannered | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ Your son is very polite. He always says thank you. |
| familiar ≠ familiar You mean: a relative (un familiar) | familiar = known, easy to recognize (conocido) | relative, family member | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ A relative of mine is sick, so I need the day off. |
| fastidioso ≠ fastidious You mean: annoying | fastidious = very careful about small details, fussy (meticuloso) | annoying, irritating | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ The noise from the construction is very annoying. |
| retirar ≠ retire You mean: to take out (money), to remove, to pick up | retire = to stop working because of your age (jubilarse) | withdraw, take out, pick up | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ I need to withdraw money from the ATM. |
| introducir ≠ introduce You mean: to put in, to insert, to enter (data) | introduce = to present a person, or to bring in something new (presentar) | enter, insert, put in | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ Enter your password and press OK. |
| carrera ≠ career You mean: a degree program (carrera universitaria) | career = all the jobs you do in your working life (trayectoria profesional) | degree, major, program | Wrong: ✗ Right: ✓ I'm in the third year of my engineering degree. |
The list uses Latin American Spanish. We left out words whose meaning changes by country, like constipado, which means a cold in some countries and constipation in others. When in doubt, use the English word in the "Say instead" column. It works everywhere.
Why Spanish speakers fall for these
Spanish and English share thousands of words from Latin, and most of them really do match: información is "information", importante is "important". That's why your brain trusts the look-alikes. The false friends are the words where the two languages took the Latin root in different directions. Pretender kept the old meaning "to aim for"; English pretend moved to "to fake".
A few patterns help:
- -izar verbs. Realizar is "carry out", not "realize". Introducir is "enter" or "insert", not "introduce" (you introduce people).
- Family words. Parientes are "relatives"; "parents" are only your mother and father. Un familiar is "a relative"; "familiar" is an adjective meaning "known".
- Time words. Actualmente is "currently", eventualmente is "occasionally" or "possibly", and últimamente is "lately". Their English twins (actually, eventually, ultimately) all mean something else.
- Numbers. Un billón is a million millions, which is "a trillion" in English. "A billion" is mil millones. Check this twice in any report or invoice.
For mistakes that come from Spanish grammar rather than single words ("I am agree", "explain me"), see 10 English mistakes Spanish speakers make. If you prefer to read in Spanish, there's errores comunes en inglés. Writing to a landlord or a boss? Start from a ready-made message template. And if you also speak Portuguese, the Portuguese list has its own traps.
Questions
What is a false friend in English?
A false friend is a word that looks or sounds like a word in your language but has a different meaning. Actually looks like actualmente, but it means "en realidad". Teachers also call them false cognates.
Is "actually" ever the right translation of "actualmente"?
No. Actualmente is "currently", "now" or "at the moment". Actually is used to correct or add surprise: "I thought it was Monday, but actually it's Tuesday."
How do I say "asistir a una reunión" in English?
Say "attend a meeting", or in a chat, "go to the meeting" or "make it to the meeting". "Assist" means to help.
Are all words that look alike false friends?
No. Most Spanish–English look-alikes are true friends: problema and "problem", hospital and "hospital". The false ones are a small group, but they're common words, so they come up in almost every email.
Can a grammar checker find false friends?
A spell checker can't, because the words are spelled correctly. A checker that reads the whole sentence can catch many of them, because "assist the meeting" or "my parents: cousins and uncles" doesn't make sense in context.
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