Introduction to False Friends
False friends are words in Spanish that look or sound similar to English words but have different meanings. These can cause confusion for learners and lead to mistakes in communication. This page highlights the most common false friends in Spanish to help you recognize and use them correctly.
False Friends: Basic Verbs
Asistir
ah-sees-TEER
to attend (not to assist)
Atender
ah-ten-DER
to assist or to attend to (someone)
Embarazada
em-bah-rah-THAH-dah
pregnant (not embarrassed)
These verbs and adjectives are often confused because their English-looking equivalents mean something else entirely.
False Friends: Adjectives
Actual
ahk-TOO-al
current, present (not actual)
Sensible
sen-SEE-bleh
sensitive (not sensible)
Raro
RAH-roh
strange, rare (not rare in the sense of valuable)
False Friends: Nouns
Éxito
EK-see-toh
success (not exit)
Librería
lee-breh-REE-ah
bookstore (not library)
Constipado
kohn-stee-PAH-doh
having a cold (not constipated)
False Friends: Prepositions and Connectors
Actualmente
ahk-too-ahl-MEN-teh
currently (not actually)
Después
des-PWES
after (not despite)
Asumir
ah-soo-MEER
to assume responsibility (not to assume as in suppose)
Usage Examples
Ella va a asistir a la reunión mañana.
EH-yah bah ah ah-sees-TEER ah lah rreh-oo-NEE-ohn mah-NYA-nah
She is going to attend the meeting tomorrow.
El doctor atenderá a los pacientes en breve.
El dok-TOR ah-ten-DEH-rah ah los pah-see-EN-tes en BREH-beh
The doctor will assist the patients shortly.
Estoy embarazada de seis meses.
Es-TOY em-bah-rah-THAH-dah deh seis MEH-ses
I am six months pregnant.
El éxito del proyecto fue inesperado.
El EK-see-toh del pro-YEK-toh fue in-eh-speh-RAH-doh
The success of the project was unexpected.
Tips to Avoid Mistakes
- Always check the context before assuming the meaning of a similar word.
- Practice with example sentences to internalize correct usage.
- Use dictionaries that specify false friends and their correct meanings.
- Listen to native speakers and note how they use these words naturally.
- Remember that pronunciation differences can also help distinguish meanings.