It’s nice to hear someone struggling to speak your language with a foreign accent, isn’t it? Sometimes it sounds funny or can lead to misunderstandings. But it’s a normal part of the learning process. If you’re an English speaker and have been learning Spanish for a while, it’s almost certain that you’ve also made a few mistakes along the way.
In this article, we’ll go over the 10 most common mistakes made by English speakers that we’ve noticed in our Spanish courses. If any of them sound familiar, congratulations, you already know where to start.
1. “Ser” or “estar”?
This might be the first major dilemma a Spanish learner faces. In English, there’s only one verb for both temporary and permanent states: “to be.” In Spanish, there are two different verbs: ser and estar.
“Ser” is used with relatively fixed characteristics such as identity, nationality, time, physical description, etc. “Estar” relates to temporary states, momentary emotions, and location.
A common mistake that can lead to laughter in a conversation: “Soy aburrido” (I am a boring person) versus “Estoy aburrido” (I’m bored right now, simply a state). One verb with different consequences.
If you don’t end up insulting anyone with mistakes like this, you might come across as funny.
Check Spanish game: ser and estar.
2. False friends: The wolf in sheep’s clothing
Sometimes Spanish and English sound so similar that you let your guard down. Be careful… Some words sound the same or similar but mean completely different things. These are called “false friends” or false cognates, and they deserve their own section on any list of common mistakes made by English speakers.
And why does this happen? Well, many countries with different languages share a common history – such as Spain and the United Kingdom, or the United Kingdom and France – which means many words are derived from the other language. It’s also because some words share a common etymology, especially those that come from Greek or Latin.
A classic example of false friends in Spanish is “embarazada.” In English, “embarrassed” means “estoy avergonzado/a,” but in Spanish, “embarazada” means “pregnant.” Imagine saying that at a work meeting. Or worse, if you’re a guy and you say that at the family Christmas dinner.
To mention a few more: “constipado” isn’t what it seems in English (constipation). It means you have a cold, not that you’re constipated. “Éxito” is about achieving what you’re after, “success”, while “exit” in English is “salida” in Spanish.
A while back, we covered this topic in the lesson “False Friends and Cognates”, where you can find many examples of false friends. Write down all the ones you find on your own list, and review them from time to time. That way, you’ll gradually become familiar with these words, and the wolf won’t seem so scary anymore.
3. The H is ALWAYS silent
In English, the H sounds like the “J” in Spanish, a slightly guttural sound, as in “Hello,” “house,” and “hospital.” But in Spanish, the H is completely silent, no matter where it appears in a word.
“Hola” is pronounced like “ola.” “Hotel” is pronounced “otel.” “Hablar” is “ablar.” In other words, mentally remove the H from the word and pronounce it. You’ll probably get it right. Just be very careful with your spelling when writing, because even though the H isn’t pronounced, it still matters.
The Spanish “H” is there for reasons related to the history of the language, a reason similar to what we discussed earlier about false friends. For example, many Spanish words come from Arabic, and when they were adapted into Spanish, the “H” remaining from the original words. Some examples:
- Almohada (pillow): comes from the Arabic al mukhadda, which means the same thing.
- Ahorro (savings): from the Arabic verb hurr (free), which later became ahorrar.
- Alcohol: from the Arabic al-kuhúl, or “the subtle dust,” which later gave rise to the myth of a spirit-devouring demon.
4. The vibrant R: Like a motorcycle!
The pronunciation of the R is a hallmark of any language or dialect. Even within the same country, we can find different ways of pronouncing it depending on the region or cultural group. Along with other elements such as vocal inflection, phonetics shapes the accent and its peculiarities.
In Spanish, the R can have two different pronunciations depending on the word: the simple trill or “vibrante simple” (as in “caro”) and the double trill (vibrante doble o múltiple), as in “carro.”
That sound – produced by the tip of the tongue brushing against the roof of the mouth at full speed – doesn’t exist in English (or in several other languages) and requires muscle training. Understandably, it’s more difficult for English speakers, French speakers, Brazilians, and learners of other nationalities. I can attest to that.
The trick is to practice slowly. Either with tongue twisters or by repeating words like “rápido” or “ferrocarril” until your brain registers it. It also helps if you place two fingers under your neck behind your chin and gently push them upward while pronouncing a word like that. It takes time, but you’ll get there.
The problem isn’t just the complicated pronunciation. It’s that the difference matters. “Perro” (dog) and “pero” (but) are two very different things. Mixing them up results in sentences that, taken out of context, make no sense at all.
Resources to learn Spanish online
5. J and G: From the throat, not the teeth
In English, the J sounds soft and dental, as in “juice” or “jam.” In Spanish, the J and the G when followed by an E or I are a completely different sound. It comes from the throat, somewhat like the Scottish “ch” in “Loch Ness” or the German “ch” in “Bach.”
It’s hard at first, but once you learn to produce that sound, your ear picks it out perfectly.
“Jamón” isn’t pronounced “yamon.” It’s pronounced JJJJamón, with all the energy you can muster from your throat. The same goes for “jirafa,” “general,” or “gente.” But at first, it’s hard.
Try practicing with a few words right now, and you’ll see how easy it is: carcajada, gesto, sujetar, agente, jengibre. Then try this phrase, which includes the multiple vibrant R:
“El agente hizo un gesto sujetando un jengibre y nos reímos a carcajadas.”
6. Por and para: What “for”?
In English, “for” does almost all the work in countless contexts. In Spanish, that job is shared by two prepositions, each with its own domain: “por” and “para.”
The difference may seem subtle, but in some sentences it completely changes the meaning. For example, “lo hice por ti” (I did it for you) has a nuance of cause or benefit. “Lo hice para ti” implies that the result was a gift or something intended for you, even though they’re translated the same way into English.
With practice and plenty of reading, your brain eventually internalizes which one to use in each case. It takes time, but you can start right now. Let’s see:
“Por” is associated with causes, means, duration, and exchanges.
Examples:
- Algo ocurrió por una razón (Something happened for a reason).
- Se hizo por cierto canal (It was done through a certain channel).
- Duró por cierto tiempo (It lasted for a time).
- Se cambió por otra cosa (It was replaced by something else).
“Para” refers to the future: goals, destinations, deadlines, opinions.
Examples:
- Este regalo es para ti (This gift is for you).
- Estoy estudiando para el examen (I am studying for the exam).
- La tarea es para el lunes (The homework is for Monday).
7. The Subjunctive: That greatly overlooked tense
The subjunctive exists in English, but it’s on its way to becoming a thing of the past. In Spanish, on the other hand, it’s very much a part of everyday language, and not using it can actually sound strange.
Most English speakers learn the indicative in Spanish and stop there. Then they reach an intermediate level, and suddenly the subjunctive appears: “Espero que seas feliz” (I hope you’re happy), “No creo que él venga” (I don’t think he’s coming), “Quiero que lo sepas” (I want you to know). It’s not optional, it’s structural.
The trick to learning it isn’t memorizing abstract rules, but recognizing the contexts where it appears: wishes, doubts, subjective opinions, emotions. Once the pattern sinks in, the subjunctive stops feeling like an obstacle. That’s how you’ll get the magic key to move past the B1 level in Spanish.
To practice it better, go to https://dle.rae.es/, type in any verb, and click on the “Conjugación” tab. You’ll see all the verb tenses, including the subjunctive. You have to memorize it and repeat it; there’s no way around it.
8. Translating literally from English
English and Spanish don’t work the same way. Sentence structures are different, idiomatic expressions don’t correspond, and translating word for word often produces strange or downright incomprehensible results.
It’s hard to suddenly stop thinking in English and start thinking in Spanish. The key is to learn complete sentences in context, not just isolated vocabulary.
There are harmless literal translations, like saying “hacer sentido” instead of “tener sentido” (a direct calque of “make sense”). Other cases are more striking, like saying “I’m hot.” It translates literally as “estoy caliente.” It doesn’t mean you’re physically hot (“tengo calor”). It means exactly what you’re thinking…
9. Accents aren’t just for decoration
For many English speakers, written accents seem optional, as if they were embellishments that Spanish adds out of tradition but that, in practice, don’t matter much. But they do matter, and they change the meaning of words.
In written messages, omitting accents can change the intended meaning or simply confuse the reader.
“Si” (if) and “sí” (yes) are different words. “El” (the) and “él” (he) are not the same. “Mas” (“but”, archaic) and “más” (more) have completely different uses.
10. Adjective order and double negation
Word order
Double Negation
In English, two negatives cancel each other out, resulting in a positive: “I don’t want nothing” is incorrect in formal English. In Spanish, negatives can be stacked without any problem: “No quiero nada” (I don’t want anything) is perfectly correct. In fact, it’s the standard form. “No quiero algo” sounds strange.
These are rules that at first seem illogical from an English perspective. But they are consistent within the Spanish language system itself.
Note: It’s one thing to use a grammatically correct Spanish expression, such as “no quiero nada”; it’s another for it to be redundant, as many people tend to do, even native Spanish speakers. For example: “subir arriba” (or worse, “subir p’arriba”), “su proprio coche,” or “salir afuera.” This is called pleonasm, and it’s also inelegant in English.
The good news at the end
Speaking of friends, sign up for one of our TANDEM language exchanges. You’ll meet people who want to learn English and can teach you Spanish while enjoying a drink in a relaxed setting. You’ll learn to avoid these common mistakes naturally and be one step closer to making new friends.
