What is the term for words in Spanish that look similar to English words but have different meanings?

What is the term for words in Spanish that look similar to English words but have different meanings?

• A. False cognates
• B. Cognates
• C. Borrowings
• D. False friends

Answer: (A)

False cognates are words that look similar in Spanish and English but have different meanings, often because their forms come from shared history while their senses diverge. This makes them tricky for learners, since the surface resemblance can suggest a meaning that isn’t accurate. For example, embarazada in Spanish looks like embarrassed in English but actually means pregnant; actual in Spanish means current, not real. Cognates share both origin and meaning, so they aren’t the right label here. Borrowings refer to words taken from one language into another, which isn’t about similarity in form and meaning. “False friends” is another common way to describe them in language teaching, but the precise linguistic term is false cognates.

False cognates are words that look similar in Spanish and English but have different meanings, often because their forms come from shared history while their senses diverge. This makes them tricky for learners, since the surface resemblance can suggest a meaning that isn’t accurate. For example, embarazada in Spanish looks like embarrassed in English but actually means pregnant; actual in Spanish means current, not real. Cognates share both origin and meaning, so they aren’t the right label here. Borrowings refer to words taken from one language into another, which isn’t about similarity in form and meaning. “False friends” is another common way to describe them in language teaching, but the precise linguistic term is false cognates.