Spanish Cognates

Words You Already Know

See also 50 Most Common Spanish Words, Spanish Words & Phrases

Good news! Because you speak English, you already know quite a few Spanish words. You see, English and Spanish share a number of identical words. These words are called cognates.

Spanish cognates are words that are spelled the same and have the same meaning in English. Only the pronunciation is different. But even if you pronounce these words poorly, a Spanish speaker will likely still understand you.

Spanish words you already know

Here is a list of some common Spanish cognates. These words have the same meaning in English and in Spanish.

actor
animal
banana
chocolate
color
cruel
horrible
hospital
hotel
metal
motor
natural
opinion
radio
sofa
taxi
terrible
tropical