false friend



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false friend

A phrase, word, or letter that sounds or looks similar to one in another language or dialect but has a significantly different meaning. I used the word "embarazada" to tell my Spanish friend I was embarrassed, not knowing that it was a false friend and actually means "pregnant"—now I'm even more embarrassed!
See also: false, friend

Common Names:

NameGenderPronouncedUsage
Bernie['bə:ni]
Almon['ælmən]
Tudor (1)-Welsh
Renatare-NAH-tah (Italian, Spanish, German, Polish)Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Polish, Czech, Croatian, Slovene, Late Roman
FernFURNEnglish
Saffira-Biblical Latin