SPANISH-ENGLISH
COGNATES
The languages are more alike than most people
think. Many of the words from the English
language stem from the Spanish language.
MORE ALIKE THAN WE THINK
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There are some Spanish words that when you
see them, you know (or think you know) what
they mean. They may be spelled exactly
alike—or similar to—an English word. An
example would be capital.
These words are called cognates. Although
cognates may be spelled like English words,
they are not pronounced the same.
Cognates are words that look alike and have
similar meanings in English and Spanish.
MORE ALIKE THAN WE THINK
4. 30-40% of all English words are related in
some way to Spanish words.
5. Cognates are words that look alike and
have similar meanings in English and
Spanish.
6. We use many Spanish words in English.
Here are some simple Spanish spelling rules, to help you
correctly spell cognates.
9-7-12
7. Except for cc, rr, ll, and nn double consonants
are not used.
Examples: professor=profesor, class=clase
8. Words that end in –tion in English, end in sión or ción
in Spanish.
Examples: television=televisión, information=información
Here are some simple Spanish spelling rules, to help you
correctly spell cognates.
9. Spanish words do not start in s followed by
another consonant.
Examples: special becomes especial
state becomes estado
10. Words that end in --ty will end in –dad in Spanish.
Examples: university=universidad, reality=realidad
Here are some simple Spanish spelling rules, to help you
correctly spell cognates.
11. Words that end in –ly, in Spanish end in –
mente.
Examples: rapidly=rápidamente, finally=finalmente
12. Words that end in –ant or –ent, in Spanish add an e.
Examples: restaurant=restaurante, president=presidente
Here are some simple Spanish spelling rules, to help you
correctly spell cognates.
Words that end in –ce, will end in –cia in
Spanish.
Examples: ambulance=ambulancia,
audience=audiencia
14. Words that end in –em or –am in English, in
Spanish end in –ema, or –ama.
Examples: program=programa,
problem=problema
13.
15. estudiante
16.
excelente
17. familia
18. estado
A
19. accidente
20. accidental
21. acompañar
22. activo (a)
23. actividades
24. admirar
25. admitir
B
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
banana
banjo
bicicleta
biografía
blusa
brillante
C
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
cabina
cable
cafetería
cámara
cañón
capitán
causa
centro
C-CONTINUED
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círculo
circular
clase
costa
colonia
color
comité
común
completo(a)
completamente
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circle
circular
class
coast
colony
color
committee
common
complete
completely
D
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diciembre
determinar
diamante
dictador
diferente
directamente
director
desaparecer
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December
Determine
diamond
dictator
different
directly
director
disappear
You can read Spanish!
You may not know it, but if I tell you that
el=the
and hay = there is or there are
you can read a whole paragraph in
Spanish. Let’s try it!
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El elefante es un animal inteligente.
The elephant is an intelligent animal.
Hay muchos elefantes en África.
There are many elephants in Africa.
El camello es un animal enorme.
The camel is an enormous animal.
Hay camellos en el desierto.
There are camels in the desert.
El tigre es un animal feroz.
The tiger is a ferocious animal.
E
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eléctrico(a)
elefante
enorme
energía
entrar
escapar
especialmente
examinar
explosión
extraordinario
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electric
elephant
enormous
energy
enter
escape
especially
examine
explosion
extraordinary
A-CONTINUED
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Anaconda-anaconda
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Animal-animal
announce (to)-anunciar
appear (to)-aparecer
Appetite-apetito
Area-área
Arithmetic-aritmética
Artist-artista
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Association-asociación
Astronomer-astrónomo
Atmosphere-atmósfera
Attention-atención
August-agosto
Autograph-autógrafo
Automobile-automóvil
C-CONTINUED
 Contract-contrato
 Contribution-contribución
 Coyote-coyote
 Crocodile-cocodrilo
 Curious-curioso(a)
D-CONTINUED
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Disaster-desastre
Discrimination-discriminación
discuss (to)-discutir
Disgrace-desgracia
Distance-distancia
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distribute (to)-distribuir
Dollar-dólar
Double-doble
Dragon-dragón
Dynamite-dinamita
F
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Family-familia
Famous-famoso(a)
fascinate (to)-fascinar
Favorite-favorito(a)
Ferocious-feroz
Finally-finalmente
Firm-firme
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Flexible-flexible
Flower-flor
Fortunately-afortunadamente
Fruit-fruta
Funeral-funeral
Furious-furioso(a)
G
Galaxy-galaxia
 Gallon-galón
 Garden-jardín
 Gas-gas
 Giraffe-jirafa
 Golf-golf
Glorious-glorioso(a)
 Gorilla-gorila
 Group-grupo
 Guide-guía
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H
Helicopter-helicóptero
Hippopotamus-hipopótamo
 History-historia
 Honor-honor
 Hospital-hospital
 Hotel-hotel
 Hour-hora
 Human-humano(a)
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I
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Idea-idea
Identification-identificación
imagine (to)-imaginar
Immediately-inmediatamente
Immigrants-inmigrantes
Importance-importancia
Important-importante
Impressed-impresionando(a)
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Impression-impresión
Incredible-increíble
Incurable-incurable
Independence-independencia
Information-información
Insects-insectos
Inseparable-inseparable
insist (to)-insistir
I-CONTINUED
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Inspection-inspección
Intelligence-inteligencia
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Interesting-interesante
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Interrupt (to)-interrumpir
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Introduce (to)-Introducir
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Introduction-introducción
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invent (to)-inventar
investigate (to)-investigar
Invitation-invitación
invite (to)-invitar
Island-isla
J&K
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There are no cognates in the Spanish or
English languages for the letters J and K.
L
Leader-líder
 Lemon-limón
 Lens-lente
 Leopard-leopardo
 Lesson-lección
 Lessons-lecciones
 Line-línea
 Lion-león
 List-lista
 locate (to)-localizar
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M
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Machine-máquina
Magic-magia
Magician-mago
Magnificent-magnífico(a)
Manner-manera
Map-mapa
March-marzo
march (to)-marchar or
caminar
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Marionettes-marionetas or
títeres
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Medal-medalla
Memory-memoria
Metal-metal
Microscope-microscopio
Million-millón
Miniature-miniatura
Minute-minuto
M-CONTINUED
 Minutes-minutos
 Moment-momento
 Monument-monumento
 Much-mucho
 Music-música
N
 Natural-natural
 Necessity-necesidad
 Nectar-néctar
 Nervous-nervioso(a)
 Notice-noticia
O
Obedience-obediencia
 Object-objeto
Observatory-observatorio
 Occasion-ocasión
 Ocean-océano
 October-octubre
 Office-oficina
 Operation-operación
 Ordinary-ordinario
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P
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Palace-palacio
Panic-pánico
Paper-papel
Park-parque
Part-parte
Patience-paciencia
Penguin-pingüino
Perfect-perfecto (a)
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Perfume-perfume
Permanent-permanente
Photo-foto
Photograph-fotografía
Photographer-fotógrafo
Piano-piano
Pioneer-pionero
Pirate-pirata
P-CONTINUED
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Planet-planeta
Planetarium-planetario
Plans-planes
Plants-plantas
Plates-platos
Police-policía
Practice-práctica
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practice (to)-practicar
prepare (to)-preparar
present (to)-presentar
Problem-problema
Professional-profesion
Q
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There are no cognates for the letter Q.
R
Radio-radio
 Ranch-rancho
 Really-realmente
Restaurant-restaurante
 retire (to)-retirar
 Reunion-reunión
 Rich-rico(a)
 Rock-roca
 Route-ruta
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S
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Secret-secreto
September-septiembre
Series-serie
Sofa-sofá
Special-especial
Splendid-espléndido(a)
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Statistics-estadística
Stomach-estómago
study (to)-estudiar
Surprise-sorpresa
T
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Telephone-teléfono
Telescope-telescopio
Television-televisión
Terrible-terrible
Tomato-tomate
Totally-totalmente
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Tourist-turista
Traffic-tráfico
trap (to)-atrapar
Triple-triple
Trumpet-trompeta
Tube-tubo
U
Uniform-uniforme
V
 Vegetables-vegetales
 Version-versión
 visit
(to)-visitar
 Volleyball-voleibol
 vote (to)-votar
W, X, Y, AND Z
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There are no cognates for the letters of
W, X, Y, and Z because these letters
are often combined with other letters.
Example—z-words are used mainly
under the letter C
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THANKS---GRACIAS
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Thanks to the following website we are
able to give you this list of cognates—
http://www.colorincolorado.org/cognate
s.pdf