We previously discussed here how Spanish and English differ and how these differences impact learners in daily life. In Spanish, you pronounce words as they are written. However, in English, it’s not always like this. Sometimes, English words sound different from how they appear.

Additionally, the way you arrange words in a sentence often differs in English compared to Spanish (and we haven’t even started talking about idioms and phrasal verbs!).

But it’s okay to make mistakes when you’re learning a new language. Let’s look at the most common errors by Spanish speakers and how to get better at them!

Common mistakes made by Spanish speakers

1.Confusing ‘Make’ and ‘Do’

The Spanish verb ‘hacer’ translates to both ‘make’ and ‘do’ in English, which can be confusing.

Use ‘do’ for actions, obligations, or repetitive tasks, like “I do my homework.” But use ‘make’ when referring to creating or producing something, as in “She makes cakes.” It’s crucial to understand the situation to use these verbs correctly.

For example, you ‘do’ a job, but you ‘make’ a cup of coffee.

2. Mixing Up ‘Much’ and ‘Many’

In English, ‘much‘ and ‘many‘ are used differently depending on the countability of the noun they are describing, which can be a source of confusion for Spanish speakers.

‘Much‘ is used with uncountable nouns, like “much information,” while ‘many‘ is used with countable nouns, such as “many apples.” In Spanish, ‘mucho’ can be used for both countable and uncountable nouns, leading to errors like saying “much apples” instead of the correct “many apples” in English.

3. Word Order Errors

In English, the structure of, for example, questions often involves inverting the order of the subject and verb compared to a statement.

“He can swim” becomes “Can he swim?” in a question. This inversion is a fundamental rule in English, unlike in Spanish where the order often remains the same with a change in intonation.

Other examples are adjectives. In English, they follow a specific order, different from Spanish. For example, we say “big blue car,” not “car blue big.” Understanding this order is important for speaking English correctly.

4. Misusing Verbs with ‘to’

In English, some verbs require ‘to’ before the pronoun, unlike in Spanish. This includes verbs like ‘to listen,’ ‘to explain,’ and ‘to say.’ For instance, say “Please listen to me,” not “Please listen me.”

Understanding which verbs need ‘to’ will improve your sentence construction.

5. Misunderstanding -ed and -ing Endings

Yes, we´ve seen this before, right? Distinguishing between ‘-ed’ and ‘-ing’ endings is important.

‘-Ed‘ is used for temporary states, while ‘-ing‘ describes more permanent conditions. For example, ‘bored‘ (a temporary feeling) versus ‘boring‘ (a constant trait). Similarly, ‘interested‘ (temporary interest) versus ‘interesting‘ (permanently engaging).

6. Overusing Personal Pronouns

In Spanish, it’s common to omit personal pronouns because the verb conjugation often makes it clear who the subject is. However, in English, the subject pronoun is usually necessary for clarity.

Spanish speakers might say “Voy a la tienda” without the pronoun ‘yo,’ but in English, it’s important to say “I am going to the store” instead of just “Going to the store.” This difference can lead to Spanish speakers omitting necessary pronouns in English.

7. Direct Translation of Idiomatic Expressions

Idioms in English often don’t have a direct Spanish equivalent. Phrases like “It’s raining cats and dogs,” meaning heavy rain, can confuse Spanish speakers if translated literally.

Another example is “to kick the bucket,” which means to die, and has no direct equivalent in Spanish.

8. Incorrect Use of Prepositions

The use of prepositions can be tricky as they don’t always translate directly from Spanish to English.

In English, we say “in the morning,” but a direct Spanish translation might lead to “on the morning.” Another example is “on the weekend” in English, which differs from the Spanish “en el fin de semana.“

9. Pluralizing Uncountable Nouns

In English, uncountable nouns like ‘information,’ ‘advice,’ and ‘furniture‘ don’t take a plural form.

Spanish speakers might mistakenly say “informations” or “advices.” It’s important to recognize which nouns are uncountable in English to avoid this error.

10. Ignoring the Definite Article

The use of definite articles in English is different from Spanish. While Spanish might use articles less frequently, in English, we often use ‘the‘ for specific references, as in “I love the beach,” compared to the general “I love beach.”

This difference can lead to Spanish speakers omitting ‘the’ where it is needed in English.

Additional Example:

The Verb ‘To Be’

In Spanish, ‘ser‘ and ‘estar‘ both mean ‘to be‘ in English, but they’re used differently, which is one of the common English errors by Spanish speakers.

‘Ser‘ is used for permanent states, like “Soy profesor” (I am a teacher), while ‘estar’ is for temporary conditions, such as “Estoy cansado” (I am tired). In English, we use ‘to be’ for both situations. Thus, “I am a teacher” and “I am tired” both utilize ‘am.’

This distinction can be challenging for Spanish speakers as they navigate when to use ‘to be‘ in English, highlighting one of the common English errors by Spanish speakers. Understanding the difference is essential, whether it’s for expressing something permanent or temporary.

Getting More English Practice

If you’re a Spanish speaker looking to improve your English and avoid common English errors by Spanish speakers, consider downloading ELSA Speak. This engaging app is designed with advanced AI to help you enhance your English pronunciation in a fun and interactive manner.

ELSA’s technology, created using voice data from a range of English accents, is specially adapted to comprehend and aid non-native speakers. It offers real-time speech recognition feedback, providing you with immediate advice on your pronunciation.

This helps you learn not only the correct way to speak English but also assists in understanding grammar, a crucial aspect of tackling common English errors by Spanish speakers.