False Friends: Words That Don’t Mean What You Think
Some English words look almost identical to Spanish.
So they must mean the same thing… right?
Not always.
These are called false friends: words that look familiar but have a completely different meaning.
They don’t usually stop communication, but they instantly make your English sound translated.
Let’s test it.
Results
#1. I’m ___ working from home while the office is being reformed.
#2. I felt really ___ when I called my teacher “mum”.
#3. We need to ___ the problem calmly.
#4. I didn’t ___ the mistake at first.
#5. The ___ is next to the stairs.
#6. She’s very ___ and makes good decisions.
#7. I’ll ______when I get home.
#8. This room has a beautiful ___ on the floor.
#9. He ___ to be ill to avoid going to work.
#10. He arrived late but ___ came to the meeting.
Gap Fill Practice
Complete with the correct word in English.
- I was really __________ when I waved to the wrong person.
- We need to __________ this topic in the meeting.
- I didn’t __________ it was so late.
- He didn’t come immediately, but he arrived __________.
- The emergency door is the __________ on the left.
- She was very __________ and understood the situation.
Possible Answers
- embarrassed
- discuss
- realize
- eventually
- exit
- sensible
Translation Practice
Translate into natural English:
- Actualmente trabajo desde casa.
- No discutimos, solo hablamos del problema.
- Me di cuenta del error demasiado tarde.
- Llegó tarde, pero al final vino.
- La salida está al final del pasillo.
- Fingió estar enfermo.
Possible Answers:
- I currently work from home.
- We didn’t argue, we just discussed the problem.
- I realized the mistake too late.
- He arrived late but eventually came.
- The exit is at the end of the corridor.
- He pretended to be ill.
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