Learn a few patterns and thousands of Spanish words unlock: actor, hotel, animal, información, universidad…
Contents
Cognates are your fastest vocabulary wins. Pair this guide with related topics like loanwords, false friends, and calques to cover the whole “borrowings & word-hacks” toolkit.
Be sure to check out our cognates guides for Italian, French and Portuguese, too.
What Are Spanish Cognates?
Cognates are words that look and mean the same across languages because they share roots (often Latin/Greek). We group them into:
- Perfect twins: same spelling/meaning (actor, hotel, animal, doctor).
- Pattern cognates: predictable endings (información ↔ information).
- False friends: look friendly, betray you (embarazada ≠ embarrassed).
Cognate Patterns (with 10 Examples Each)
Memorize these and you’ll start “auto-reading” Spanish. Accent marks matter (e.g., información stresses the last syllable). Where useful, we add small regional notes.
-ción ↔ -tion
- información ↔ information
- educación ↔ education
- nación ↔ nation
- situación ↔ situation
- conversación ↔ conversation
- creación ↔ creation
- producción ↔ production
- dirección ↔ direction
- opinión ↔ opinion (note accent shift)
- aplicación ↔ application
False friends nearby: decepción = disappointment, not “deception”. See False Friends.
-sión ↔ -sion
- televisión ↔ television
- decisión ↔ decision
- conclusión ↔ conclusion
- expresión ↔ expression
- profesión ↔ profession
- confusión ↔ confusion
- tensión ↔ tension
- versión ↔ version
- erosión ↔ erosion
- fusión ↔ fusion
-idad/-dad ↔ -ity/-ty
- universidad ↔ university
- actividad ↔ activity
- realidad ↔ reality
- posibilidad ↔ possibility
- estabilidad ↔ stability
- diversidad ↔ diversity
- capacidad ↔ capacity
- ciudad ↔ city
- libertad ↔ liberty
- calidad ↔ quality
False friends nearby: actualidad = the present/current affairs, not “actuality”.
-mente ↔ English adverbs in -ly
- rápidamente ↔ rapidly
- obviamente ↔ obviously
- especialmente ↔ especially
- exactamente ↔ exactly
- generalmente ↔ generally
- finalmente ↔ finally
- normalmente ↔ normally
- naturalmente ↔ naturally
- positivamente ↔ positively
- tradicionalmente ↔ traditionally
-oso/-osa ↔ -ous
- famoso ↔ famous
- peligroso ↔ dangerous
- curioso ↔ curious
- delicioso ↔ delicious
- ambicioso ↔ ambitious
- glorioso ↔ glorious
- misterioso ↔ mysterious
- envidioso ↔ envious
- victorioso ↔ victorious
- fabuloso ↔ fabulous
-al ↔ -al (often identical)
- animal ↔ animal
- hospital ↔ hospital
- cultural ↔ cultural
- central ↔ central
- natural ↔ natural
- social ↔ social
- personal ↔ personal
- ideal ↔ ideal
- general ↔ general
- digital ↔ digital
-ico/-ica ↔ -ic
- público ↔ public
- básico ↔ basic
- histórico ↔ historic
- lógico ↔ logic/logical
- tóxico ↔ toxic
- crítico ↔ critical
- eléctrico ↔ electric
- político ↔ political
- clásico ↔ classic
- médico ↔ medical/medic
Regional note: psicología (Spain/most countries) also appears as sicología in some places; both understood.
-ario/-aria ↔ -ary
- diccionario ↔ dictionary
- veterinario ↔ veterinary/veterinarian
- necesario ↔ necessary
- secretario ↔ secretary
- salario ↔ salary
- calendario ↔ calendar
- comentario ↔ commentary/comment
- itinerario ↔ itinerary
- vocabulario ↔ vocabulary
- prefinanciario ↔ prefinancery (finance; specialized)
-ente/-ante ↔ -ent/-ant
- diferente ↔ different
- importante ↔ important
- estudiante ↔ student
- presidente ↔ president
- resistente ↔ resistant
- elegante ↔ elegant
- interesante ↔ interesting
- brillante ↔ brilliant
- constante ↔ constant
- tolerante ↔ tolerant
-ivo/-iva ↔ -ive
- activo ↔ active
- creativo ↔ creative
- productivo ↔ productive
- selectivo ↔ selective
- efectivo ↔ effective
- alternativo ↔ alternative
- colectivo ↔ collective
- competitivo ↔ competitive
- negativo ↔ negative
- positivo ↔ positive
-ista ↔ -ist (same form; article marks gender)
- artista ↔ artist
- pianista ↔ pianist
- periodista ↔ journalist
- optimista ↔ optimist
- realista ↔ realist
- turista ↔ tourist
- dentista ↔ dentist
- florista ↔ florist
- violinista ↔ violinist
- guitarrista ↔ guitarist
-ismo ↔ -ism
- turismo ↔ tourism
- realismo ↔ realism
- capitalismo ↔ capitalism
- organismo ↔ organism
- periodismo ↔ journalism
- optimismo ↔ optimism
- escepticismo ↔ skepticism
- nacionalismo ↔ nationalism
- feminismo ↔ feminism
- socialismo ↔ socialism
Verbs: -ate ↔ -ar
- celebrar ↔ celebrate
- comunicar ↔ communicate
- dedicar ↔ dedicate
- activar ↔ activate
- educar ↔ educate
- navegar ↔ navigate
- separar ↔ separate
- crear ↔ create
- locate → ubicar/localizar (use either)
- investigar ↔ investigate
Verbs: -ize ↔ -izar
- organizar ↔ organize
- modernizar ↔ modernize
- autorizar ↔ authorize
- finalizar ↔ finalize
- priorizar ↔ prioritize
- optimizar ↔ optimize
- legalizar ↔ legalize
- familiarizar ↔ familiarize
- personalizar ↔ personalize
- digitalizar ↔ digitize/digitalize
Verbs: -ify ↔ -ificar
- identificar ↔ identify
- clarificar ↔ clarify
- notificar ↔ notify
- simplificar ↔ simplify
- verificar ↔ verify
- modificar ↔ modify
- intensificar ↔ intensify
- solidificar ↔ solidify
- purificar ↔ purify
- diversificar ↔ diversify
-ence/-ance ↔ -encia/-ancia
- diferencia ↔ difference
- experiencia ↔ experience
- importancia ↔ importance
- tolerancia ↔ tolerance
- resistencia ↔ resistance
- inteligencia ↔ intelligence
- competencia ↔ competence/competition (context)
- evidencia ↔ evidence
- frecuencia ↔ frequency
- asistencia ↔ attendance/assistance (context)
False friends nearby: asistencia often = attendance; asistir = to attend (not “assist”).
-ment ↔ -mento/-miento (varies)
- documento ↔ document
- argumento ↔ argument/plot
- movimiento ↔ movement
- conocimiento ↔ knowledge
- alimento ↔ aliment/food
- crecimiento ↔ growth
- cumplimiento ↔ compliance/fulfilment
- equipamiento ↔ equipment
- tratamiento ↔ treatment
- desplazamiento ↔ displacement
-y ↔ -ia/-ío/-ía
- memoria ↔ memory
- historia ↔ history/story
- categoría ↔ category
- biología ↔ biology
- filosofía ↔ philosophy
- victoria ↔ victory
- tecnología ↔ technology
- psicología/sicología ↔ psychology (regional spelling)
- química ↔ chemistry
- energía ↔ energy
Regional note: computadora (widely in the Americas) vs ordenador (Spain). Both understood everywhere.
Perfect Twins You Already Know
- actor ↔ actor
- hotel ↔ hotel
- animal ↔ animal
- doctor ↔ doctor
- hospital ↔ hospital
- central ↔ central
- normal ↔ normal
- radio ↔ radio
- capital ↔ capital
- ideal ↔ ideal
Themed Cognate Mini-Lists
Travel
- hotel ↔ hotel
- taxi ↔ taxi
- turista ↔ tourist
- aeropuerto ↔ airport
- pasaporte ↔ passport
- metro ↔ metro/subway
- central ↔ central
- mapa ↔ map
- terminal ↔ terminal
- transporte ↔ transport
Food & Drink
- chocolate ↔ chocolate
- tomate ↔ tomato
- banana ↔ banana
- café ↔ coffee
- vegetal ↔ vegetable
- natural ↔ natural
- salsa ↔ salsa/sauce
- restaurante ↔ restaurant
- alcohol ↔ alcohol
- mineral (agua) ↔ mineral (water)
Work, Study, Science
- profesor ↔ professor/teacher
- universidad ↔ university
- experimento ↔ experiment
- biología ↔ biology
- química ↔ chemistry
- método ↔ method
- teoría ↔ theory
- tecnología ↔ technology
- laboratorio ↔ laboratory
- práctica ↔ practice/practicum
False Friends Hall of Shame (Learn These First!)
They look friendly. They are not. Save face with this shortlist. For more, see our full false friends guide.
Spanish (looks like…) | Actually means | Use this for the English meaning |
|---|---|---|
embarazada | pregnant | embarrassed = avergonzado/a |
actual | current, present | actual = real |
asistir | to attend | to assist = ayudar |
carpeta | folder | carpet = alfombra |
colegio | school (often primary) | college = universidad |
éxito | success | exit = salida |
ropa | clothes | rope = cuerda |
sopa | soup | soap = jabón |
constipado | stuffy, with a cold | constipated = estreñido/a |
pretender | to intend, to try | to pretend = fingir |
Pronunciation Quick Tips
- Accent marks = stress: educación stresses the last syllable.
- ph → f in many Greek-origin words: filosofía.
- c/g soften before e/i: nación, inteligente.
- h is silent: hotel, honesto.
How To Use Cognates (Safely)
- Spot the pattern first, confirm meaning second. A 5-second check beats a 5-minute apology.
- Read things you like (news, sports, recipes) and highlight every cognate you see.
- Say them out loud with Spanish pronunciation — muscle memory matters.
Further Reading
- Cognate (overview)
- List of English–Spanish cognates
- Wiktionary (root/etymology lookups)
- SpanishDict guide to Spanish cognates
FAQ
Do English and Spanish share a lot of vocabulary?
Yes — thanks to Latin/Greek roots, a big chunk of English has clear Spanish counterparts. Cognates give you a huge head start.
When do I use -dad vs -idad?
Most English -ity nouns map to -idad (actividad, realidad). A small group are shorter with -dad (libertad, ciudad).
Why do I see psicología and sicología?
Both appear. The spelling with ps- is more common, but some countries and publications allow sicología. Both are understood.
Do cognates differ by country?
Sometimes the preferred word differs (e.g., ordenador in Spain, computadora in much of the Americas). Both are widely understood.
Are cognates pronounced the same as in English?
No. Spellings often match, but you’ll use Spanish pronunciation rules (accents, vowel sounds, softer c/g before e/i, etc.).
How do I avoid false friends?
Learn the top offenders (embarazada, actual, asistir…) and confirm any new look-alike with a quick dictionary check. See our False Friends.
What about Greek/Latin spelling shifts?
Common changes include ph → f (filosofía) and sometimes ps- → s- (psicología/sicología).
Best way to study cognates efficiently?
Learn the patterns first; then read or listen in areas you enjoy. Make a short list of “new cognates this week” and say them aloud.
Can cognates make me fluent?
They supercharge reading and listening. Fluency still requires speaking and interaction, but cognates get you comfortable fast.
Are there “cognates” that don’t follow these endings?
Yes – many. This guide focuses on high-yield patterns, but you’ll find numerous perfect twins and near-cognates beyond these lists.