False cognate

A false cognate is like when someone calls a dog a cat. They sound kind of similar, but they mean very different things. In other words, when two words look or sound alike, but they have different meanings, they are called false cognates.

For example, the Spanish word “embarazada” looks and sounds like the English word “embarrassed”, but actually means “pregnant”. So, if you use the word “embarazada” in English thinking it means “embarrassed”, people might be confused or think you are saying something strange.

It’s important to be careful with false cognates so that you don’t use the wrong word and end up saying something you don’t mean.