False friends in Spanish

False friends are pairs of words in two languages that appear or sound very similar, but differ in meaning. False friends can cause difficulty when learning a foreign language that is closely related to our native language. Typically we’ll misidentify the words due to linguistic interference, leading to misunderstandings while communicating, resulting in a number of unexpected outcomes: laughter, shock, disbelief or the occasional slap in the face!

The following is a list of a few words in English with their Spanish cousin and meaning in Spanish.

English, Spanish Cousin Meaning in Spanish

Actually, Actualmente Nowadays

Embarrassed, Embarazada Pregnant

Excited, Excitado Horny

Precise, Preciso Necessary