Italian and Spanish are siblings. Learn their shared vocabulary and avoid the traps of falsi amici / falsos amigos.
Contents
What Are Italian–Spanish Cognates?
Italian and Spanish both descend from Latin. That means thousands of words are similar or identical in both languages. These are cognates.
- Perfect twins: same spelling and meaning (musica ↔ música).
- Pattern cognates: predictable endings (nazione ↔ nación).
- False friends: look the same, mean something else (calcio ≠ calcio).
Cognate Patterns (10 Examples Each)
Spot the patterns and you unlock thousands of words across both languages. Accent and spelling changes are predictable.
Italian -zione ↔ Spanish -ción
- nazione ↔ nación
- informazione ↔ información
- educazione ↔ educación
- situazione ↔ situación
- creazione ↔ creación
- produzione ↔ producción
- direzione ↔ dirección
- opinione ↔ opinión
- applicazione ↔ aplicación
- decisione ↔ decisión
False friends nearby: illusione (illusion) vs Spanish ilusión (hope/excitement).
Italian -tore ↔ Spanish -dor
- attore ↔ actor
- pittore ↔ pintor
- scrittore ↔ escritor
- lettore ↔ lector
- direttore ↔ director
- inventore ↔ inventor
- dottore ↔ doctor
- senatore ↔ senador
- ambasciatore ↔ embajador
- narratore ↔ narrador
Italian -ale ↔ Spanish -al
- nazionale ↔ nacional
- sociale ↔ social
- generale ↔ general
- naturale ↔ natural
- personale ↔ personal
- culturale ↔ cultural
- digitale ↔ digital
- speciale ↔ especial
- centrale ↔ central
- animale ↔ animal
Italian -oso ↔ Spanish -oso
- famoso ↔ famoso
- curioso ↔ curioso
- delizioso ↔ delicioso
- ambizioso ↔ ambicioso
- glorioso ↔ glorioso
- misterioso ↔ misterioso
- invidioso ↔ envidioso
- prezioso ↔ precioso
- noioso ↔ tedioso
- generoso ↔ generoso
Italian -ista ↔ Spanish -ista
- artista ↔ artista
- pianista ↔ pianista
- giornalista ↔ periodista
- ottimista ↔ optimista
- realista ↔ realista
- turista ↔ turista
- dentista ↔ dentista
- violinista ↔ violinista
- florista ↔ florista
- regista ↔ director (note: not “regista” in Spanish)
Perfect Twins
- musica ↔ música
- hotel ↔ hotel
- radio ↔ radio
- taxi ↔ taxi
- capitale ↔ capital
- idea ↔ idea
- normal ↔ normal
- università ↔ universidad
- internet ↔ internet
- video ↔ vídeo
Themed Mini-Lists
Food & Drink
- chocolate ↔ chocolate
- banana ↔ banana
- tomate ↔ tomate
- caffè ↔ café
- olio ↔ óleo/aceite
- minestrone ↔ menestra
- latte ↔ leche
- pollo ↔ pollo
- formaggio ↔ queso (false friend: not “formaje”)
- pane ↔ pan
Travel
- treno ↔ tren
- stazione ↔ estación
- passaporto ↔ pasaporte
- aeroporto ↔ aeropuerto
- metro ↔ metro
- turista ↔ turista
- guida ↔ guía
- mappa ↔ mapa
- motore ↔ motor
- biglietto ↔ billete
False Friends (Falsi Amici / Falsos Amigos)
Italian |
Spanish |
Actually means |
|---|---|---|
calcio |
calcio |
Italian = football, Spanish = calcium |
burro |
burro |
Italian = butter, Spanish = donkey |
salire |
salir |
Italian = go up, Spanish = go out |
ropa |
roba |
Italian = stuff, Spanish = clothes |
attendere |
atender |
Italian = wait, Spanish = attend/look after |
camera |
cámara |
Italian = room, Spanish = camera/chamber |
sensible |
sensible |
Italian = sensitive, Spanish = sensible/reasonable |
largo |
largo |
Italian = long, Spanish = wide |
eventualmente |
eventualmente |
Italian = possibly, Spanish = eventually |
fabrica |
fábrica |
Italian = fabric, Spanish = factory |
Pronunciation Tips
- Italian double consonants aren’t pronounced the same way in Spanish.
- Accent syllable often shifts between the two languages (università → universidad).
How To Use Cognates
- Always confirm false friends — they’re numerous.
- Focus on endings first (-zione ↔ -ción).
Further Reading
- List of Italian–Spanish cognates
- False friends overview
- Falsos amigos (Spanish Wikipedia)
- Falsi amici (Italian Wikipedia)
FAQ
Do Spanish and Italian share more cognates than English and Spanish?
Yes. Both Romance languages, they overlap much more heavily than Spanish–English.
Are false friends common between Spanish and Italian?
Yes. Words like burro or calcio trip up learners constantly.
Do pronunciation rules differ?
Yes. Italian doubles consonants and stresses vowels differently; Spanish has accent marks and softer consonants.
Can Italians and Spaniards understand each other without studying?
Often at a basic level — especially in writing. But false friends and pronunciation quickly cause confusion.
What’s the best way to learn?
Start with the big patterns (-zione/-ción, -tore/-dor), then tackle false friends directly.