False cognate

Cognate’s theory

List of false cognates Spanish vs. English



False cognates are pairs of words in the same or different languages that are similar in form and meaning but have different roots. That is, they appear to be, or are sometimes considered, cognates, when in fact they are not.

Ingles y español


Current: real cash (and not current, said current)


Actually: in reality(and currently, it is said nowadays, at present)


To advertise: announce (and not warning, which is said to warn)


Advice: advice (and no notice, said warning, notice)


Ailment: mild disease, ailment (not food, said food)


Apparel: apparel, clothing (and no apparatus, said apparatus, machine)


Application Form: Application Form (not form)
to apologize: apologize (and noapology, said defense)
apt: apt (and unfit, said qualified, able)
argument: argument, fight (and no plot of a book / movie, said plot)
Sandy: stadium, bullring (not sand, sand is said)
army: army (and unarmed, said navy)
aspersion: slander (not spray, said sprinkling)
assessment: Assessment (and not advice, said consultancy)
Assessor: assessor, appraiser (not advisor, said advisor or consultant)to assist: help (and not attend a place, which is said to Attend)
to Attain: achieve, achieve (and no tie, which is said to tie)
attempt: attempt (and not attack, said terrorist attack)
Attendance: attendance (and not care, said attention)
Avocado: Avocado (not lawyer, said lawyer)
balloon: balloon (not ball, said ball)
bank: bank - the institution (and no park bench, said bench)
bark: barkor bark (and not ship, said ship)
beef: beef (not steak, steak is said)
best: best (and no beast, said beast)
billet: barracks, military housing (and no ticket, said ticket or note)
billion: one billion (not trillion, said trillion)
body: body (and no wedding, said wedding)
Bomber: Bomber aircraft or person placing bombs (not firefighter, said fireman or firefighter)
brave: brave (andbravo, said fierce)
camp: military base camp (and not general field, said field)
can: the verb can or can (not cane, said white hair)
cap: cap (not layer, said layer)
career: career, occupation after the study (and not referring to the academic year career, said degree)
carpet: carpet (not folder, said folder)
cartoon: cartoon, comic strip (not cardboard, said cardboard)
casual: casual, casual,casual, superficial (and not coincidental, said accidental, chance)
Casualty: victim or injured (and not coincidentally, is said coincidence)
cave: cave (and not dig, which is said to dig)
Phones: cell on the cell (and cell phone, said mobile telephone)
chafed: brushed (rather flattened, said crushed or flattened)
cocoa: cocoa (not coconut, coconut is said)
collar: collar clothing (notcollar necklace is said)
to collapse: collapse, collapse (and not collapse, which is said to bring to a standstill)
college: college, college (not college, said school)
colored: color (not colored, said network)
command: command, command (and command, said commando unit)
commodity: commodity or raw material (and not comfort, comfort is said)
to complain: complain (and not to please, which issaid to please)
complexion: complexion, skin tone (not complexion, body type is said)
to compromise: assign, compromise, compromise (and no commitment, said Commitment, engagement or agreement)
conductor: a conductor or collector (not driver, said driver)
confident: confident (not confident, said confidant)
(To be) constipated: become constipated (and not be constipated, which is said to have acold / chill)
contest: contest (and not answering, said to answer)
to convene: to call, gather (and not agree, which is said to agree, to be advisable)
Costume: costume, costume (not custom that says custom, habit)
council: council (not reconcile, which is said to reconcile)
Crane: Crane (not skull skull is said)
curse: curse (not ongoing, said course)
date: date (and not data, said a...