What are cognates and why use them in teaching ESL to Spanish Speakers? – The Best Online ESL Courses for Hispanics

What are cognates and why use them in teaching English to Spanish Speakers?

Cognates are words in different languages that have a similar form and meaning because they share a common origin. These words may have evolved differently over time in each language, but their similarities make them recognizable to speakers of both languages. Cognates can be particularly useful when teaching English to Spanish speakers for several reasons:

Vocabulary Expansion: Cognates allow Spanish-speaking learners to quickly expand their English vocabulary. Since many English words have Latin or Greek roots, which are also present in Spanish, learners can easily recognize and understand the meaning of these words without having to memorize them individually.

Comprehension: By recognizing cognates, Spanish-speaking learners can understand written and spoken English more easily. When they encounter cognates in English texts or conversations, they can make educated guesses about the meaning of unfamiliar words based on their knowledge of Spanish.

Confidence Boost: Cognates provide a sense of familiarity and confidence to Spanish-speaking learners as they begin to explore and communicate in English. Recognizing similar words in both languages can make the learning process less daunting and motivate learners to continue expanding their language skills.

Reading and Writing Skills: Cognates can help Spanish speaking learners improve their reading and writing skills in English. By identifying cognates, learners can decipher the meaning of new words in English texts, allowing them to comprehend the content more effectively. Similarly, they can use cognates when writing in English to express ideas with words that are similar to those they already know in Spanish.

Pronunciation and Spelling: Cognates often have similar spelling patterns and pronunciations in both languages. By focusing on cognates, Spanish speaking learners can improve their English pronunciation and spelling skills more efficiently, as they can transfer the knowledge of corresponding sounds and spelling rules from Spanish.

It’s important to note that while cognates can be helpful, not all words that look or sound similar in Spanish and English are true cognates. Some words may have similar forms but have different meanings, so learners should be aware of false cognates (known as “false friends”) and learn to distinguish between them.

Here’s a list of English Spanish cognates that could be taught in an ESL class for Beginners:

Perfect Cognates

Actor Actor

Admirable Admirable

Agenda Agenda

Alcohol Alcohol

Altar Altar

Animal Animal

Area Area

Artificial Artificial

Auto Auto

Balance Balance

Bar Bar

Base Base

Brutal Brutal

Cable Cable

Canal Canal

Cáncer Cancer

Canon Canon

Capital Capital

Carbón Carbon

Cartón Carton

Central Central

Cerebral Cerebral

Cheque Cheque

Chocolate Chocolate

Circular Circular

Civil Civil

Club Club

Collar Collar

Colonial Colonial

Coma Coma

Combustión Combustion

Conclusión Conclusion

Conductor Conductor

Confusión Confusion

Considerable Considerable

Control Control

Cordial Cordial

Criminal Criminal

Crisis Crisis

Cultural Cultural

Debate Debate

Decisión Decision

Diagonal Diagonal

Dimensión Dimension

Director Director

Disco Disco

División Division

Doctor Doctor

Drama Drama

Durable Durable

Editorial Editorial

Electoral Electoral

Elemental Elemental

Enigma Enigma

Error Error

Excursión Excursion

Experimental Experimental

Explosión Explosion

Expulsión Expulsion

Extensión Extension

Exterior Exterior

Factor Factor

Familiar Familiar

Fatal Fatal

Federal Federal

Festival Festival

Final Final

Flexible Flexible

Formal Formal

Fórmula Formula

Frontal Frontal

Fundamental Fundamental

Gala Gala

Gas Gas

General General

Génesis Genesis

Global Global

Grave Grave

Habitual Habitual

Hobby Hobby

Horizontal Horizontal

Horror Horror

Hospital Hospital

Hotel Hotel

Idea Idea

Ideal Ideal

Imperial Imperial

Implacable Implacable

Incursión Incursion

Individual Individual

Industrial Industrial

Inevitable Inevitable

Inferior Inferior

Informal Informal

Inseparable Inseparable

Inspector Inspector

Interminable Interminable

Invasión Invasion

Invisible Invisible

Irregular Irregular

Judicial Judicial

Kilo Kilo

Lateral Lateral

Legal Legal

Liberal Liberal

Literal Literal

Local Local

Macho Macho

Maestro Maestro

Mango Mango

Manía Mania

Manual Manual

Marginal Marginal

Material Material

Matrimonial Matrimonial

Medieval Medieval

Mediocre Mediocre

Melón Melon

Mental Mental

Menú Menu

Metal Metal

Miserable Miserable

Moral Moral

Mortal Mortal

Motel Motel

Motor Motor

Múltiple Multiple

Municipal Municipal

Musical Musical

Natural Natural

Noble Noble

Normal Normal

Nostalgia Nostalgia

Ópera Ópera

Oral Oral

Oriental Oriental

Original Original

Panorama Panorama

Particular Particular

Pasta Pasta

Pastor Pastor

Patio Patio

Patrón Patron

Peculiar Peculiar

Penal Penal

Perfume Perfume

Personal Personal

Peseta Peseta

Piano Piano

Plaza Plaza

Plural Plural

Popular Popular

Pretensión Pretension

Principal Principal

Probable Probable

Propaganda Propaganda

Protector Protector

Provincial Provincial

Radical Radical

Radio Radio

Región Region

Regional Regional

Regular Regular

Religión R eligion

Reunión Reunion

Revisión Revision

Ritual Ritual

Rural Rural

Secular Secular

Sentimental Sentimental

Serial Serial

Sexual Sexual

Similar Similar

Simple Simple

Singular Singular

Social Social

Solar Solar

Solo Solo

Subversión Subversion

Superficial Superficial

Superior Superior

Taxi Taxi

Televisión Television

Terrible Terrible

Terror Terror

Total Total

transcendental Transcendental

Triple Triple

Tropical Tropical

Unión Union

Universal Universal

Usual Usual

Verbal Verbal

Versión Version

Vertical Vertical

Violín Violin

Visible Visible

Visual Visual

Vital Vital

Vulgar Vulgar

Vulnerable Vulnerable

Near perfect Cognates

Here the near perfect cognates are divided into separate lists based on their behavior:

The following near perfect cognates follow the rule for nouns ending ‘tion’ in English can be converted to Spanish by replacing with a ‘ción’.

Abstracción

Abstraction

Acción Action

Acusación Accusation

Adaptación Adaptation

Admiración Admiration

Aplicación Application

Apreciación Appreciation

Asociación Association

Aspiración Aspiration

Atención Attention

Atracción Attraction

Autorización Authorization

Celebración Celebration

Circulación Circulation

Civilización Civilization

Clasificación Classification

Colaboración Collaboration

Colección Collection

Combinación Combination

Compensación Compensation

Composición Composition

Concentración Concentration

Concepción Conception

Condición Condition

Conservación Conservation

Consideración Consideration

Constitución Constitution

Construcción Construction

Exposición Exposition

Ficción Fiction

Formación Formation

Nación Nation

Simplificación Simplification

The following near perfect cognates follow the rule for English nouns ending ‘ary’ can be converted to Spanish by replacing with a ‘ario’.

Adversario Adversary

Aniversario Anniversary

Arbitrario Arbitrary

Comentario Commentary

Complementario Complementary

Contrario Contrary

Diario Diary

Glosario Glossary

Estuario Estuary

Primario Primary

Rosario Rosary

Salario Salary

Secretario Secretary

Solitario Solitary

Vocabulario Vocabulary

Temporario Temporary

The following near perfect cognates follow the rule for English adjectives ending ‘ic’ can be converted to Spanish by replacing with a ‘ico’.

Académico Academic

Alcohólico Alcoholic

Artístico Artistic

Auténtico Authentic

Automático Automatic

Básico Basic

Característico Characteristic

Clásico Classic

Cómico Comic

Democrático Democratic

Dinámico Dynamic

Diplomático Diplomatic

Doméstico Domestic

Dramático Dramatic

Económico Economic

Electrónico Electronic

Erótico Erotic

Exótico Exotic

Fantástico Fantastic

Genérico Generic

Genético Genetic

Geométrico Geometric

Heroico Heroic

Irónico Ironic

Mágico Magic

Médico Medic

Mosaico Mosaic

Orgánico Organic

Pánico Panic

Plástico Plastic

Poético Poetic

Público Public

Romántico Romantic

Sistemático Systematic

Trágico Tragic

The following near perfect cognates follow the rule for English adjectives ending ‘ous’ can be converted to Spanish by replacing with a ‘oso’.

Curioso Curious

Delicioso Delicious

Glorioso Glorious

Misterioso Mysterious

Numeroso Numerous

Precioso Precious

Religioso Religious

Tedioso Tedious

The following near perfect cognates follow the rule for nouns ending ‘ct’ in English can be converted to Spanish by replacing with a ‘cto’.

Abstracto Abstract

Acto Act

Artefacto Artefact

Compacto Compact

Conflicto Conflict

Contacto Contact

Correcto Correct

Exacto Exact

Excepto Except

Insecto Insect

Perfecto Perfect

Producto Product

absolutely absolutamente

accident accidente

accidental accidental

accompany (to) acompañar

acrobatic acrobático(a)

active activo (a)

activities actividades

activity actividad

actor actor/actriz

admire (to) admirar

admit (to) admitir

adopt (to) adoptar

adoption adopción

adult adulto

adventure aventura

advertisement anuncio

african africano

agent agente

air aire

airplane avión

airport aeropuerto

alarm alarma

album álbum

alcohol alcohol

allergic alérgico

ambulance ambulancia

anaconda anaconda

animal animal

announce (to) anunciar

apartment apartamento

appear (to) aparecer

appetite apetito

apple manzana

area área

arithmetic aritmética

art arte

artist artista

association asociación

astronomer astrónomo

atmosphere atmósfera

attention atención

audience audiencia

august agosto

autograph autógrafo

automatic automático/a

automobile automóvil

airplane avión

baby bebé

background fondo

baggage equipaje

balance balance

banana banana

banjo banjo

bank banco

bar bar

base base

baseball béisbol

basket canasta

bath baño

bathroom baño

beach playa

beauty belleza

beer cerveza

bicycle bicicleta

big grande

bike bicicleta

bill factura

biography biografía

biology biología

bird pájaro

birthday cumpleaños

black negro/a

block bloque

blouse blusa

blue azul

board tablero

boat barco

body cuerpo

book libro

boss jefe/a

box caja

boy niño

brain cerebro

break romper

breakfast desayuno

bridge puente

brilliant brillante

brochure folleto

brother hermano

brown marrón

bus autobús

business negocio

button botón

cabin cabina (de teléfono,

cable cable

café café

cafeteria cafetería

calendar calendario

camera cámara

camouflage camuflaje

camp campamento

campaign campaña

campus campus

canyon cañón

capital capital

captain capitán

capture (to) capturar

car coche, carro

career carrera

cartoon dibujo animado

cash efectivo

casual casual

cat gato

catalog catálogo

catastrophe catástrofe

cause causa

celebrate (to) celebrar

cement cemento

center centro

century siglo

ceramic cerámica

cereal cereal

ceremony ceremonia

chair silla

change cambio

character personaje

chart gráfico

cheese queso

chef chef

chemistry química

chess ajedrez

chicken pollo

chimney chimenea

chimpanzee chimpancé

chocolate chocolate

cholera cólera

church iglesia

cinema cine

circle círculo

circular circular

city ciudad

class clase

classic clásico/a

clean limpio/a

clear claro/a

client cliente

climate clima

clinic clínica

clock reloj

close cerrar

club club

coast costa

coffee café

colony colonia

color color

committee comité

common común

compact compacto

company compañía

complete completo(a)

completely completamente

complex complejo

concert concierto

confetti confeti

confusing confuso

confusion confusión

constellation constelación

construction construcción

contagious contagioso(a)

continent continente

continue (to) continuar

contract contrato

contribution contribución

control control

cost costo

coyote coyote

crime crimen

crocodile cocodrilo

cultural cultural

curious curioso(a)

data datos

day día

debate debate

decade década

december diciembre

decibel decibelio

decide (to) decidir

decision decisión

decoration decoración

deficit déficit

delegation delegación

delicate delicado(a)

democracy democracia

demonstration demostración

dentist dentista

depend (to) depender

dependent dependiente

deport (to) deportar

describe (to) describir

desert desierto

design diseño

desire deseo

destroy (to) destruir

detain (to) detener

extraordinary extraordinario(a)

detective detective

determine (to) determinar

development desarrollo

diagram diagrama

diamond diamante

dictator dictador

dictionary diccionario

different diferente

digital digital

dinosaur dinosaurio

direct directo

direction dirección

directions direcciones

directly directamente

director director

disappear (to) desaparecer

disaster desastre

discovery descubrimiento

discrimination discriminación

discuss (to) discutir

disgrace desgracia

disk disco

distance distancia

distribute (to) distribuir

doctor doctor

dollar dólar

double doble

dragon dragón

drama drama

due debido

duration duración

dynamic dinámico

dynamite dinamita

ecology ecología

economy economía

editor editor

education educación

efficiency eficiencia

elastic elástico

electric eléctrico

elephant elefante

elevator elevador

emergency emergencia

emission emisión

emotional emocional

empire imperio

employee empleado

energy energía

engineer ingeniero

enormous enorme

enter (to) entrar

envelope sobre

environment medio ambiente

episode episodio

equal igual

equation ecuación

error error

escape (to) escapar

especially especialmente

essential esencial

event evento

evidence evidencia

evolution evolución

exact exacto

examine (to) examinar

example ejemplo

excellent excelente

exclaim exclamar

exotic exótico

expansion expansión

experience experiencia

experiment experimento

explore explorar

explosion explosión

export exportación

expression expresión

extra extra

extreme extremo

fabric tela

fact hecho

factory fábrica

family familia

famous famoso

fan ventilador

fantastic fantástico

fascinate (to) fascinar

fashion moda

fatal fatal

favorite favorito

federal federal

ferocious feroz

festival festival

fiction ficción

figure figura

film película

final final

finally finalmente

firm firme

fitness aptitud

flavor sabor

flexible flexible

flower flor

focus enfoque

force fuerza

form forma

formal formal

formula fórmula

fortunately afortunadamente

forum foro

forward adelante

frame marco

free libre

frequency frecuencia

fresh fresco

friendship amistad

front frente

fruit fruta

fuel combustible

full lleno

function función

funeral funeral

funny divertido

furious furioso(a)

future futuro

galaxy galaxia

gallery galería

gallon galón

garage garaje

garden jardín

gas gas

gender género

general general

generation generación

genetic genético

genuine genuino

geography geografía

gesture gesto

giant gigante

giraffe jirafa

global global

glorious glorioso(a)

goal gol

gold oro

golf golf

gorilla gorila

government gobierno

gradual gradual

grammar gramática

grand grande

gravity gravedad

group grupo

guide guía

guitar guitarra

habit hábito

habitat hábitat

handle manija

happy feliz

harmony armonía

hazard peligro

health salud

heart corazón

helicopter helicóptero

help ayuda

hero héroe

hippopotamus hipopótamo

historic histórico

history historia

holiday vacaciones

honey miel

honor honor

hope esperanza

horizon horizonte

hospital hospital

host anfitrión

hotel hotel

hour hora

house casa

huge enorme

human humano

humor humor

hypothesis hipótesis

idea idea

identical idéntico

identification identificación

illegal ilegal

imagine (to) imaginar

immediately inmediatamente

immigrants inmigrantes

impact impacto

import importar

importance importancia

important importante

impossible imposible

impressed impresionando(a)

impression impresión

inclusion inclusión

incredible increíble

incurable incurable

independence independencia

index índice

individual individual

information información

innovation innovación

insects insectos

inseparable inseparable

insist (to) insistir

inspection inspección

instant instante

intelligence inteligencia

intelligent inteligente

interesting interesante

international internacional

internet internet

interrupt (to) interrumpir

introduction introducción

introduce (to) introducir

invent (to) inventar

investigate (to) investigar

investigation investigación

invitation invitación

invite (to) invitar

island isla

isolate aislar

issue problema

jacket chaqueta

jam mermelada

jazz jazz

jealous celoso

jet jet

job trabajo

journal diario

journey viaje

joy alegría

judge juez

juice jugo

junior júnior

language lenguaje

leader líder

lemon limón

lens lente

leopard leopardo

lesson lección

lessons lecciones

line línea

lion león

list lista

locate (to) localizar

machine máquina

magic magia

magician mago

magnificent magnífico(a)

manner manera

manual manual

map mapa

march (to) marchar, caminar

march marzo

marionettes marionetas, títeres

material material

maximum máximo

medal medalla

medical medico

medicine medicina

memory memoria

menu menú

metal metal

method método

microscope microscopio

million millón

miniature miniatura

minimum mínimo

minute minuto

minute minute

minutes minutos

moment momento

monument monumento

moutain montana

much mucho

music música

natural natural

nature naturaleza

necessary necesario

necessity necesidad

nectar néctar

nervous nervioso(a)

no no

normal normal

north norte

notice noticia

number número

obedience obediencia

object objeto

observatory observatorio

occasion ocasión

ocean océano

october octubre

office oficina

operation operación

opinion opinion

or o

ordinary ordinario

original original

palace palacio

panic pánico

paper papel

pardon perdón

park parque

part parte

past pasado

patience paciencia

penguin pingüino

perfect perfecto

perfume perfume

period período

permanent permanente

person persona

phone teléfono

photo foto

photograph fotografía

photographer fotógrafo(a)

physical físico

piano piano

pioneer pionero

pirate pirata

planet planeta

planetarium planetario

plans planes

plants plantas

plates platos

police policía

popular popular

position posición

possible posible

practice (to) practicar

practice práctica

prepare (to) preparar

present presente

present (to) presentar

price precio

problem problema

professional profesional

program programa

project proyecto

quality calidad

radio radio

ranch rancho

real real

really realmente

regular regular

repeat repetir

restaurant restaurante

retire (to) retirar

return retorno

reunion reunión

rich rico(a)

rock roca

route ruta

science ciencia

second segundo

secret secreto

section sección

september septiembre

series serie

service servicio

simple simple

situation situación

social social

sofa sofá

solar solar

space espacio

special especial

sport deporte

standard estándar

state estado

station estación

statistics estadística

stomach estómago

story historia

student estudiante

study (to) estudiar

surprise sorpresa

system sistema

Tarantula tarantula

taxi taxi

tea té

telephone teléfono

telescope telescopio

television televisión

terminal terminal

terrible terrible

theater teatro

time tiempo

tomato tomate

total total

totally totalmente

tourist turista

tradition tradición

traffic tráfico

train tren

transport transporte

trap (to) atrapar

triple triple

trumpet trompeta

tube tubo

uniform uniforme

universal universal

university universidad

urban urbano

urgent urgent

use uso

use usar

vacation vacación

value valor

vegetables vegetales

vegetal vegetal

version versión

video video

village villa

vision visión

visit (to) visitar

visit vistar

vocabulary vocabulario

volleyball voleibol

vote (to) votar

weekend fin de semana

world mundo

zone zona

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