Essential English Vocabulary: False Friends and Common Confusions

English Vocabulary: False Friends and Common Confusions

absolutely / totalmente / en absoluto
not at all, no way

actually / de hecho, en realidad
actualmente / nowadays, at present

advertise / anunciar
advertir / to warn

advice / consejo
aviso / warning, notice

application / solicitud
aplicación / practice, hard work

approve / dar por bueno, ratificar
aprobar (curso) / to pass

argument / discusión
argumento / plot

arm / brazo
arma / weapon

assist / ayudar, socorrer
asistir / to attend (a meeting)

attend / asistir
atender / to pay attention to

bachelor / bachelor's degree
soltero / licenciado
bachillerato / school leaving certificate

career / profesión, carrera
university degree, race

carpet / moqueta, alfombra
carpeta / folder, file

casual / informal, fortuito
casual / coincidental, by chance

casualty / víctima, pérdida humana
casualidad / coincidence, chance

college / facultad, colegio universitario
colegio / (high) school

concrete / hormigón, concreto
specific, definite, particular

conductor / revisor, director, presentador
conductor / driver

conference / congreso
conferencia / lecture, talk

constipated / estreñido
resfriado / to have a cold

crime / delito, crimen
murder

current / actual, presente
corriente / ordinary, habitual

customs / aduana
costumbre / tradition, celebration, habit

deception / engaño
decepción / disappointment

demonstration / manifestación
demostración / proof, show

dish / plato (gastronómico)
plato (objeto) / plate

economic / rentable (economía)
económico (barato) / cheap, economical

editor / corrector, redactor, director
editorial / publisher

embarrassed / cohibido, tímido, desconcertado
embarazada / pregnant

employer / empresario
empleado / employee

eventually / finalmente
eventualmente / possibly, temporarily, by chance

exciting / divertido, emocionante
excitante / sexy, sexually provocative

exit / salida
éxito / success

expectation / expectativa
expectación / eagerness, hope, excitement

fabric / tejido, tela
fábrica / factory

familiar / conocido, común
familiar / relatives, homely

fault / defecto, culpa
falta / error, mistake

figure / figura, cifra
figura / shape, form

idiom / frase hecha, modismo
idioma / language

illusion / espejismo
ilusión / hope, dream

introduce / presentar
introducir / to insert

involve / implicar
envolver / to cover, to wrap up