Recognize familiar roots while learning Spanish endings, articles and pronunciation.
Spanish cognates with familiar spellings
A cognate shares a historical root with a word in another language. Similar spelling is a clue, but Spanish pronunciation and noun gender still need practice.
Compare these nouns with common Spanish nouns.
Spanish adjective cognates
Many adjectives keep recognizable endings: natural, normal and popular. They do not change for gender, but add -es in the plural.
Final -e in importante is pronounced. See adjectives for agreement.
English and Spanish cognate ending patterns
English -tion often corresponds to Spanish -ción. These nouns are usually feminine, and the written accent marks the stressed final syllable.
Patterns help recognition; they are not automatic translation rules. Learn each whole word and its meaning.
Learning Learnt Mastered Struggling
Pick a word to hear it and see when it's due next.
Review the meanings, pronunciation and usage notes, then use the printable worksheet to recall the Spanish.
Quick answer: animal is el animal, hospital is el hospital, hotel is el hotel, actor is el actor, error is el error, color is el color, motor is el motor, and metal is el metal.
| English | Spanish | Say it | Changes to |
|---|---|---|---|
| information | la información | lah een-for-mah-SYOHN | |
| education | la educación | lah eh-doo-kah-SYOHN | |
| communication | la comunicación | lah koh-moo-nee-kah-SYOHN | |
| organization | la organización | lah or-gah-nee-sah-SYOHN | |
| culture | la cultura | lah kool-TOO-rah | |
| music | la música | lah MOO-see-kah | |
| family | la familia | lah fah-MEE-lyah | |
| university | la universidad | lah oo-nee-behr-see-DAHD | |
| opportunity | la oportunidad | lah oh-por-too-nee-DAHD |
A cognate shares a historical root with a word in another language. Spanish animal and English animal are an easy example.
No. Some related words have developed different meanings, and some similarities are accidental. Check the meaning before using a lookalike.
English -tion often corresponds to Spanish -ción, as in information and información. This is a useful pattern, not a rule for inventing translations.
They are normally feminine: la información and la educación. Learn the article together with the noun.
No. Spanish hotel has a silent h and final stress; animal also has final stress. Follow Spanish sounds and stress patterns.
53 everyday nouns for people, time, places, things and ideas, each with el or la and its plural, with practice.
72 everyday adjectives for people, feelings and things, how they change, and practice that tracks every word.
School supplies, classroom objects, people at school and school subjects, with practice for every word.
Hear and practice ñ in everyday nouns, descriptions and verbs, from año to acompañar.
Express how much, how many and what proportion, with agreement patterns for people and things.
Decode informal shorthand and everyday clippings while keeping the full Spanish meaning in view.
Follow the small words and conversation markers that give speakers time and organize ideas.
Lists by level and topic, from beginner to advanced.
Updated · Pronunciation guides use Latin American Spanish.