|
 Spanish-English
Spelling Equivalents
Because Spanish and English both have a lot of Latin influence, there are a
number of spelling tricks that can help you to:
- Recognize Spanish words (cognates)
- Spell Spanish words (common spelling equivalents)
But be careful - this chart is just a guideline. As always, there are
thousands of exceptions. In addition, you need to watch out for
falsos amigos.
|
SUFFIXES |
|
| Spanish |
English |
Spanish
ex. |
English |
Lesson |
-ado
-ido |
-ed |
hablado
asistido |
talked
helped |
Past participle |
| -al |
-al |
personal
infernal |
personal
infernal |
|
-ando
-iendo |
-ing |
entrando
ocurriendo |
entering
occurring |
Present participle |
| -ano/ana |
-an |
americano
mejicano |
American
Mexican |
Nationalities |
| -ante |
-ant |
militante
|
militant
|
|
-ar
-er
-ir |
to + verb |
entrar
depender
ocurrir |
to enter
to depend
to occur |
Infinitives |
| -arquía |
-archy |
anarquía
monarquía |
anarchy
monarchy |
|
| -ción |
-tion |
nación
tradición |
nation
tradition |
|
| -cracia |
-cracy |
democracia
teocracia |
democracy
theocracy |
| -dad |
-ty |
finalidad
nacionalidad |
finality
nationality |
| -dor |
-tor |
educador
narrador |
educator
narrator |
|
| -encia |
-ence |
dependencia
violencia |
dependence
violence |
|
-ente |
-ent |
aparente
permanente |
apparent
permanent |
| -eza |
-ness |
tristeza
franqueza |
sadness
frankness |
|
| -filo/a |
-phile |
hispanófilo |
Hispanophile |
| -fobo/a |
-phobe |
hispanófobo |
Hispanophobe |
-ica
-ico |
-ic
-ical |
música
lírico |
music
lyrical |
|
| -ificar |
-ify |
identificar
verificar |
identify
verify |
|
-ismo
-isma |
-ism |
modernismo
cisma |
modernism
schism |
| -ista |
-ist |
lista
purista |
list
purist |
|
| -ivo |
-ive |
votivo
pensativo |
votive
pensive |
|
| -izar |
-ize
[a]
-ise [b] |
idealizar
realizar |
idealize/idealise
realize/realise |
| -mente |
-ly |
rápidamente
posiblemente |
rapidly
possibly |
Adverbs |
-mento
-miento |
-ment |
pavimento
adelantamiento |
pavement
advancement |
| -no |
-nal |
nocturno
eterno |
nocturnal
eternal |
|
| -or(a) |
-er
-or |
cantor
jugador
autor |
singer
player
author |
Professions |
-oria
-orio |
-ory |
obligatorio
memoria |
obligatory
memory |
|
-osa
-oso |
-ous |
nervioso
famoso |
nervous
famous |
|
| -ro |
-er [a]
-re [b] |
metro
teatro |
meter/metre
theater/theatre |
| -sión |
-sion |
conclusión
tensión |
conclusion
tension |
| -tud |
-tude |
plenitud
latitud |
plenitude
latitude |
|
|
PREFIXES
|
| es- |
s- |
especial
estupendo |
special
stupendous |
| inm- |
imm- |
inmediato
inmigrar |
immediate
immigrate |
|
trans-
tras- |
trans- |
transportación
trasplantar |
transportation
transplant |
|
ANYWHERE IN WORD
|
-c-
-qu- |
-k- |
quiosco |
kiosk |
|
| -cu- |
-qu- |
ecuador
cuantificar |
equator
quantify |
|
| -f- |
-ph- |
teléfono
fotografía |
telephone
photograph |
| -t- |
-th- |
teatro
mito |
theater
myth |
|
Symbol key:
(x) The letters in (parentheses) indicate extra letter needed for the
feminine form of the Spanish suffix.
/xx The letters after the /slash indicate that the feminine noun or
adjective has a different suffix.
[a] Applies mainly to American English.
[b] Applies to British English.
Spanish Vocabulary
Spanish for Beginners
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Laura
K. Lawless
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