False friends are words that look similar in English and Spanish but have different meanings.
English meaning: "Actually" means in fact or really.
Spanish false friend: "Actualmente" means currently.
Actually example: Actually, I don’t like coffee. (En realidad, no me gusta el café.)
Actualmente example: Currently, he is studying French. (Actualmente, está estudiando francés.)
IPA: /ˈekʃʉəli/
English meaning: "Library" means a place to borrow books.
Spanish false friend: "Librería" means a bookstore.
Library example: I go to the library to study. (Voy a la biblioteca a estudiar.)
Librería example: I bought a novel at the bookstore. (Compré una novela en la librería.)
IPA: /ˈlaɪ.bɹi/
English meaning: "Embarrassed" means feeling ashamed or awkward.
Spanish false friend: "Embarazada" means pregnant.
Embarrassed example: He felt embarrassed after falling. (Se sintió avergonzado después de caerse.)
Embarazada example: She is pregnant with twins. (Está embarazada de gemelos.)
IPA: /ɪmˈbaɹəst/
English meaning: "Assist" means to help.
Spanish false friend: "Asistir" means to attend.
Assist example: The nurse assisted the patient. (La enfermera ayudó al paciente.)
Asistir example: She attended the wedding. (Ella asistió a la boda.)
IPA: /əˈsɘst/
English meaning: "Realize" means to become aware of something.
Spanish false friend: "Realizar" means to carry out or perform.
Realize example: I realized I forgot my keys. (Me di cuenta de que olvidé mis llaves.)
Realizar example: We will carry out the plan. (Vamos a realizar el plan.)
IPA: /ˈɹɪəlaɪz/
English meaning: "Exit" means a way out.
Spanish false friend: "Éxito" means success.
Exit example: The exit is on the left. (La salida está a la izquierda.)
Éxito example: She achieved great success. (Ella tuvo mucho éxito.)
IPA: /ˈɛɡzɘt/
English meaning: "Introduce" means to present someone.
Spanish false friend: "Introducir" means to insert.
Introduce example: Let me introduce my friend. (Déjame presentarte a mi amigo.)
Introducir example: He inserted the card. (Introdujo la tarjeta.)
IPA: /ˌɪntɹɘˈdʉːs/
English meaning: "Sensible" means reasonable or practical.
Spanish false friend: "Sensible" means sensitive.
Sensible example: That’s a sensible decision. (Esa es una decisión sensata.)
Sensible example: She is very sensitive. (Ella es muy sensible.)
IPA: /ˈsɪnsɘbɘl/
English meaning: "Eventually" means in the end.
Spanish false friend: "Eventualmente" means occasionally.
Eventually example: Eventually, they found the answer. (Finalmente, encontraron la respuesta.)
Eventualmente example: Occasionally, I go hiking. (Eventualmente hago senderismo.)
IPA: /ɪˈvɛnʧʉəli/
English meaning: "Molest" means to assault or abuse.
Spanish false friend: "Molestar" means to annoy or bother.
Molest example: He was charged with molesting a child. (Fue acusado de abusar de un menor.)
Molestar example: Don’t bother the dog. (No molestes al perro.)
IPA: /mɘˈlɛst/
English meaning: "Resume" means a document summarising experience.
Spanish false friend: "Resumen" means a summary.
Resume example: I sent my resume. (Envié mi currículum.)
Resumen example: Here’s a summary of the book. (Aquí tienes un resumen del libro.)
IPA: /ˈɹɛzjʉːmeɪ/
English meaning: "Deception" means the act of deceiving.
Spanish false friend: "Decepción" means disappointment.
Deception example: He was hurt by her deception. (Él fue herido por su engaño.)
Decepción example: I felt great disappointment. (Sentí una gran decepción.)
IPA: /dɘˈsɛpʃən/
English meaning: "Fabric" means cloth or material.
Spanish false friend: "Fábrica" means factory.
Fabric example: The fabric is soft. (La tela es suave.)
Fábrica example: He works at a factory. (Trabaja en una fábrica.)
IPA: /ˈfæbɹɘk/
English meaning: "Carpet" means a floor covering made from thick fabric.
Spanish false friend: "Carpeta" means folder.
Carpet example: We installed a new carpet in the living room. (Instalamos una alfombra nueva en la sala.)
Carpeta example: I put the documents in a folder. (Puse los documentos en una carpeta.)
IPA: /ˈkaːpɘt/
English meaning: "Contest" means a competition.
Spanish false friend: "Contestar" means to answer.
Contest example: She won the contest. (Ella ganó el concurso.)
Contestar example: I answered the phone. (Contesté el teléfono.)
IPA: /ˈkɒntɘst/