If you are a Spanish speaker learning English you are not alone in making certain mistakes. After years of teaching Spanish students in Madrid the same errors come up again and again — and the good news is that once you know what they are they are very fixable. Here are the five most common mistakes Spanish speakers make in English and exactly how to correct them.
Mistake 1 — False Friends
Spanish and English share thousands of similar looking words but many of them mean completely different things. Embarazada does not mean embarrassed — it means pregnant. Sensible does not mean sensible — it means sensitive. These false friends catch out even advanced Spanish speakers so always double check words that look familiar.
Key tip: When you see a word in English that looks similar to Spanish, pause and verify its meaning. Keep a list of the most common false friends you encounter:
- Éxito (success) ≠ Exit
- Constipado (has a cold) ≠ Constipated
- Conductor (driver) ≠ Conductor (music)
- Aplicación (job application) ≠ Application (software)
Make it a habit to be skeptical of words that seem too easy to understand.
Mistake 2 — Overusing the Present Continuous
Spanish speakers often say things like “I am thinking that you are right” or “I am wanting a coffee.” In English the present continuous is not used with stative verbs like think, want, know, believe and understand. The correct forms are “I think you are right” and “I want a coffee.”
Common stative verbs to remember:
- Think, believe, understand, know
- Want, like, love, prefer, need
- Have, own, belong, possess
- See, hear, smell, taste
- Seem, appear, look (in appearance), feel (emotion)
The rule: If the verb describes a state or feeling rather than an action, use the simple present, not the continuous.
Wrong: “I am understanding your point.” Right: “I understand your point.”
Mistake 3 — Forgetting the Third Person S
In English the third person singular always takes an S in the present simple. “He work” is wrong — it should be “He works.” “She go” is wrong — it should be “She goes.” This is one of the most automatic mistakes Spanish speakers make because Spanish verbs already change their ending to show who is doing the action.
Remember:
- I work / You work / He/She/It works / We work / They work
- I go / You go / He/She/It goes / We go / They go
- I have / You have / He/She/It has / We have / They have
The third person singular is the ONLY form that changes in English present simple. Write it on a sticky note and put it on your desk if you need to.
Mistake 4 — Direct Translation of Prepositions
Prepositions in English do not always translate directly from Spanish. You do not say “I depend of you” — you say “I depend on you.” You do not say “I am married with her” — you say “I am married to her.” Prepositions need to be learned in context rather than translated directly.
Common preposition mistakes:
- Depender de (Spanish) → Depend on (English)
- Casarse con (Spanish) → Be married to (English)
- Pensar en (Spanish) → Think of/about (English)
- Insistir en (Spanish) → Insist on (English)
- Acordarse de (Spanish) → Remember (English) — no preposition needed
The solution: Learn prepositions as part of the phrase, not as standalone words. Instead of learning “depend” + “de,” learn the complete phrase “depend on.”
Mistake 5 — Pronunciation of the Letter H
In Spanish the H is silent. Many Spanish speakers carry this into English and say “appy” instead of “happy” or “ouse” instead of “house.” In English the H is almost always pronounced so make sure to breathe it out clearly at the start of words.
Words where H is critical:
- Have, has, had
- Happy, help, hope, hold
- House, home, here
- Hear, heart
- Head, health
- Hand, hot, hungry
Practice tip: Place your hand in front of your mouth and feel the breath when you say these words. In English, you should feel a clear puff of air for the H sound. If you don’t, you’re not pronouncing it.
The exception: There are a few words where H is silent (honest, hour, heir), but these are rare. For 95% of English words with H, you should pronounce it clearly.
How to Fix These Mistakes for Good
The fastest way to fix these mistakes for good is to practice with a native English speaker who can catch them in real time and correct them naturally. At The Irish Classroom, one-to-one classes are tailored specifically to your personal errors so you stop making the same mistakes and start sounding more natural every session.
By understanding these five common mistakes and being intentional about correcting them, you’ll make rapid progress and gain confidence in your English. The key is awareness — once you know what to look for, you can catch yourself before you make these errors automatically.
Ready to fix your English mistakes? Book your free 30-minute trial class today and find out exactly which mistakes are holding your English back. We’ll work together to create a personalized plan that targets your specific challenges.
Good luck! 💪