Spanish Vocabulary

Spanish vocabulary is the body of words a learner needs to understand and speak the language, and for English speakers it comes with a built-in head start. Because both languages draw heavily on Latin and Greek roots, they share a large common vocabulary: linguists estimate that between 30 and 40 per cent of English words have a related word in Spanish, and researchers have catalogued more than 20,000 English-Spanish cognates. Building Spanish vocabulary is therefore less about memorising from zero and more about recognising patterns, using the words you already half-know, and sidestepping the few that mislead.

This section links to a clear guide for each part of building your Spanish vocabulary.

Explore Spanish vocabulary

Cognates and false friends - the thousands of words English speakers already recognise, and the false friends that mislead.

Suffixes, prefixes and diminutives - how Spanish builds new words from familiar roots.

The most common Spanish words - the high-frequency core that carries everyday conversation.