9 differences between the Spanish and English languages

If your goal is to learn Spanish but don’t know much about the language, this is for you.

Here are 9 main differences between both languages.

Phonetics: Spanish pronunciation is generally more phonetic than English. Each letter in Spanish has a consistent sound, whereas English pronunciation can be less predictable due to silent letters and varied sounds for the same letter in different words.Generally speaking, if you know the Spanish alphabet letters, you can say the words (with a few exceptions). I have a whole series dedicated to letter sounds and you can find it here.

Talking about the alphabet, there’s an additional letter in the Spanish alphabet. It’s the “ñ”.

Regional differences: The Spanish pronunciation can vary across different countries. One of the main differences is the pronunciation of the "s" sound. In Spain, the "s" is pronounced with a lisp, sounding closer to a "th" sound. In Latin American countries, the "s" is generally pronounced as a regular "s" sound. Additionally, there may be differences in the pronunciation of certain vowels and consonants, as well as variations in accents and intonation patterns.

These differences contribute to the rich diversity of the Spanish language across different regions.I have been asked which one is better to learn and my recommendation is based on your surroundings. If you’re in Europe, you’ll likely use Spanish from Spain. If you’re in the USA, it’ll most likely be Latin America Spanish.

• Cognates: Spanish and English share many cognates, words with similar roots and meanings. For example: actor, hospital.

• False friends: or false cognates are words that look similar but have different meanings, for example: library and librería (bookstore), éxito (success) and exit

Formal vs. Informal Address: Spanish has distinct formal and informal forms of address whereas English typically uses "you" for both formal and informal situations.

• Tú/vos informal singular you

• Usted formal singular you

• Vosotros/vosotras/ustedes plural you

- Él es inteligente (He is inteligente) Él está cansado (He is tired)used in specific contexts, indicating inherent qualities vs. temporary states, respectively. English uses only one verb for "to be."

- Él es inteligente (He is inteligente) - Él está cansado (He is tired)

Video of ser versus estar

Suffixes: Spanish frequently uses diminutive and augmentative suffixes to convey smallness or largeness, respectively, in a way that is less common in English.

For example: Chiquitito means very little, or grandotote means very big

Spanish: Spanish uses a preposition, "a," before a direct object that refers to a specific person or people.

Example: "Veo a Juan" (I see Juan).

English: English does not use a preposition in this context.

Example: "I see Juan."

Idiomatic Expressions: Both languages have unique idiomatic expressions and sayings influenced by their respective cultures.

Meter la pata

Literal Translation: To put the paw in. Meaning: To make a mistake or put one's foot in one's mouth.

Verb Conjugation: Spanish verbs are conjugated more extensively than English verbs. Conjugation in Spanish includes different forms for each person (I, you, he/she/it, we, you all, they) and various tenses.

For example: TO EAT in Spanish is COMER.

In presente tense, here are the conjugations: yo como, tú comes, usted/él/ella come, nosotros/nosotras comemos, ustedes/ellos/ellas comen.

In English, we just have I, you, we, they eat or he, she, and it eats.

Since the verbs are conjugated to the person in Spanish, the pronoun is not required.

Spanish nouns have gender (masculine or feminine), and adjectives must agree in gender and number with the nouns they modify. English does not have grammatical gender, and adjectives do not change based on the gender of the noun.

For example:

"The black shoes" becomes "Los zapatos negros" (where black is in plural since shoes is in plural)