---
title: "Cognates and False Friends"
description: "Many words look or sound like words you already know, because languages borrow from each other and share ancestors. Some of those lookalikes mean something else entirely, so a resemblance is a first g"
canonical: https://lightmysky.com/learn/languages/cognates-and-false-friends-mt_5UdrDnwYCD
source: https://lightmysky.com/learn/languages/cognates-and-false-friends-mt_5UdrDnwYCD.md
retrieved: 2026-09-12
---

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# Cognates and False Friends

Many words look or sound like words you already know, because languages borrow from each other and share ancestors. Some of those lookalikes mean something else entirely, so a resemblance is a first guess and not an answer.

Subject: Languages · Area: Language Learning · Ages 8 to 10
Page: https://lightmysky.com/learn/languages/cognates-and-false-friends-mt_5UdrDnwYCD

## Ready when they can

- Guess an unfamiliar word from its likeness to a known one, then check the guess against the sentence
- Give an example of a lookalike word that means something different in the two languages
- Say why a guess from a lookalike still needs checking

## Lesson: Friendly lookalikes and false friends

Languages borrow from each other. Spanish animal, hospital and idea look like English words. These true friends, called cognates, give you free words.

**Example.** Bat can mean a flying animal or a stick for balls. Words like this are called homonyms. False friends look the same across languages but mean something else. Looks can trick you.

Treat each lookalike as a guess, not an answer. Read the whole sentence. Ask which meaning fits there. The sentence is your detective kit.

**Tip.** Grow words like a garden, a little each day. Write each new word with the sentence you found it in. Use it aloud. Words you use are words you keep.

**Recap.** Take the free cognates, doubt the lookalikes, and let the sentence decide.

## Practice

8 questions on this page, each with its working shown.

## Needs first

- [Sound and Spelling in a New Language](https://lightmysky.com/learn/languages/sound-and-spelling-in-a-new-language-mt_aLRdIL4V2_)
- [Reading and Vocabulary in a New Language](https://lightmysky.com/learn/languages/reading-and-vocabulary-in-a-new-language-mt_chlXo6jI0U)
- [Knowing What You Don't Know](https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/knowing-what-you-dont-know-mt_LH714Riydn)

## Opens up

- [Building a Word Bank That Sticks](https://lightmysky.com/learn/languages/building-a-word-bank-that-sticks-mt_gGV99k0ZpI)