Catalan and Spanish: 89 words that are the same
Among the two thousand words each language uses most, these are written identically and carry the same meaning in both. If you have one of the two, this is the part you do not have to learn.
A shared word is not proof of a shared root. Two languages can land on the same spelling by borrowing from a third — that is all tren and bomba are — and a word that looks the same can still be said quite differently. What this list is good for is the head start.
| Word | In English | Catalan | Spanish |
|---|---|---|---|
| vaca [ˈba]es /ˈba/ | to go | #18 | #100 |
| aquíca [əˈki]es /aˈki/ | here | #31 | #33 |
| oca [ˈo]es /o/ | or | #65 | #61 |
| vasca [ˈbas]es /ˈbas/ | to go | #83 | #155 |
| vanca [ˈban]es /ˈban/ | to go | #93 | #277 |
| casaca [ˈka.zə]es /ˈkasa/ | to marry, wed someone to | #97 | #91 |
| dosca [ˈdos]es /ˈdos/ | two | #118 | #96 |
| vidaca [ˈbi.ðə]es /ˈbida/ | life | #121 | #122 |
| ohca /ˈɔ/es /ˈo/ | oh | #173 | #101 |
| maneraca [məˈne.ɾə]es /maˈneɾa/ | way; manner; method; style | #199 | #307 |
| tresca [ˈtɾɛs]es /ˈtɾes/ | three | #212 | #201 |
| horaca [ˈɔ.ɾə]es /ˈoɾa/ | hour | #244 | #244 |
| solca [ˈsɔl]es /ˈsol/ | sun | #249 | #813 |
| amorca [əˈmor]es /aˈmoɾ/ | love | #253 | #249 |
| morirca [muˈɾi]es /moˈɾiɾ/ | to die | #257 | #482 |
| entreca [ˈen.tɾə]es /ˈentɾe/ | between | #273 | #250 |
| ah/ˈa/ | ah | #324 | #274 |
| personaca [pərˈso.nə]es /peɾˈsona/ | person | #343 | #309 |
| aquellaca /əˈkɛʎə/es /aˈkeʝa/ | that | #377 | #1,610 |
| reinaca [ˈrej.nə]es /ˈreina/ | queen | #436 | #1,063 |
| finalca [fiˈnal]es /fiˈnal/ | end | #455 | #444 |
| papaca [ˈpa.pə]es /ˈpapa/ | pope | #485 | #1,545 |
| preguntaca [pɾəˈɣun.tə]es /pɾeˈɡunta/ | to ask | #506 | #469 |
| dormirca [durˈmi]es /doɾˈmiɾ/ | to sleep | #524 | #553 |
| explicarca [əks.pliˈka]es /eɡspliˈkaɾ/ | to explain | #635 | #1,909 |
| comprarca [kumˈpɾa]es /komˈpɾaɾ/ | to buy | #652 | #808 |
| enviarca [əm.biˈa]es /emˈbjaɾ/ | to send | #667 | #1,872 |
| especialca [əs.pə.siˈal]es /espeˈθjal/ | special | #672 | #610 |
| hospitalca [us.piˈtal]es /ospiˈtal/ | hospital | #673 | #591 |
| pagarca [pəˈɣa]es /paˈɡaɾ/ | to pay | #683 | #765 |
| oficinaca [u.fiˈsi.nə]es /ofiˈθina/ | office | #685 | #534 |
| milca [ˈmil]es /ˈmil/ | thousand | #693 | #708 |
| errorca [əˈror]es /eˈroɾ/ | error | #704 | #699 |
| sistemaca [sisˈte.mə]es /sisˈtema/ | system | #707 | #744 |
| prometoca /pɾuˈmɛtu/es /pɾoˈmeto/ | to promise | #719 | #894 |
| marca [ˈmar]es /ˈmaɾ/ | sea | #722 | #1,016 |
| oficialca [u.fi.siˈal]es /ofiˈθjal/ | official | #749 | #778 |
| idiotaca /iðiˈɔtə/es /iˈdjota/ | idiotic | #756 | #560 |
| estaca [ˈes.tə]es /ˈesta/ | this | #823 | #45 |
| amigaca [əˈmi.ɣə]es /aˈmiɡa/ | friend | #832 | #680 |
| preguntarca [pɾə.ɣunˈta]es /pɾeɡunˈtaɾ/ | to ask | #842 | #1,462 |
| músicaca [ˈmu.zi.kə]es /ˈmusika/ | music | #870 | #572 |
| jugarca [ʒuˈɣa]es /xuˈɡaɾ/ | to play | #883 | #633 |
| pobreca [ˈpɔ.βɾə]es /ˈpobɾe/ | poor | #888 | #746 |
| aireca [ˈaj.ɾə]es /ˈaiɾe/ | air | #898 | #732 |
| batallaca [bəˈta.ʎə]es /baˈtaʝa/ | battle | #907 | #1,337 |
| tocarca [tuˈka]es /toˈkaɾ/ | to touch | #914 | #1,232 |
| trenca [ˈtɾɛn]es /ˈtɾen/ | train | #922 | #932 |
| hotelca [uˈtɛl]es /oˈtel/ | hotel | #924 | #754 |
| planetaca [pləˈnɛ.tə]es /plaˈneta/ | planet | #931 | #1,139 |
| clubca /ˈklup/es /ˈklub/ | club | #950 | #889 |
| alegroca /əˈleɣɾu/es /aˈleɡɾo/ | to make happy | #952 | #951 |
| causaca [ˈkaw.zə]es /ˈkausa/ | cause | #976 | #1,076 |
| víctimaca [ˈbik.ti.mə]es /ˈbiɡtima/ | victim | #977 | #1,021 |
| sorpresaca [surˈpɾɛ.zə]es /soɾˈpɾesa/ | surprise | #995 | #965 |
| baseca [ˈba.zə]es /ˈbase/ | basis | #1,065 | #1,086 |
| informeca /iɱˈformə/es /inˈfoɾme/ | report | #1,074 | #1,228 |
| horribleca [uˈrib.blə]es /oˈrible/ | horrible | #1,098 | #875 |
| jesúsca [ʒəˈzus]es /xeˈsus/ | bless you, gesundheit | #1,112 | #1,138 |
| tocaca [ˈtɔ.kə]es /ˈtoka/ | to touch | #1,130 | #1,369 |
| coronelca [ku.ɾuˈnɛl]es /koɾoˈnel/ | colonel | #1,135 | #1,097 |
| inspectorca [in.spəkˈto]es /inspeɡˈtoɾ/ | inspector | #1,150 | #1,565 |
| visitaca [biˈzi.tə]es /biˈsita/ | to visit | #1,153 | #1,353 |
| bombaca [ˈbom.bə]es /ˈbomba/ | bomb | #1,179 | #1,260 |
| líderca [ˈli.ðər]es /ˈlideɾ/ | leader | #1,188 | #1,708 |
| escenaca [əˈsɛ.nə]es /esˈθena/ | scene | #1,189 | #986 |
| crearca [kɾeˈa]es /kɾeˈaɾ/ | to create | #1,250 | #1,908 |
| princesaca [pɾinˈsɛ.zə]es /pɾinˈθesa/ | princess | #1,289 | #1,647 |
| ofertaca [uˈfɛr.tə]es /oˈfeɾta/ | offer | #1,293 | #1,685 |
| preguntoca /pɾəˈɣuntu/es /pɾeˈɣunto/ | to ask | #1,300 | #996 |
| caminarca [kə.miˈna]es /kamiˈnaɾ/ | to walk | #1,318 | #1,514 |
| políticaca [puˈli.ti.kə]es /poˈlitika/ | politics | #1,335 | #1,553 |
| casosca [ˈka.zus]es /ˈkasos/ | case | #1,362 | #1,712 |
| blancaca [ˈblaŋ.kə]es /ˈblanka/ | white | #1,433 | #1,358 |
| obraca [ˈɔ.βɾə]es /ˈobɾa/ | work | #1,470 | #1,223 |
| estrellaca [əsˈtɾe.ʎə]es /esˈtɾeʝa/ | star | #1,472 | #1,157 |
| imaginoca [i.məˈʒi.nu]es /imaˈxino/ | to imagine | #1,506 | #1,786 |
| gasca [ˈɡas]es /ˈɡas/ | gas | #1,563 | #1,991 |
| pagaca [ˈpa.ɣə]es /ˈpaɡa/ | to pay | #1,582 | #1,723 |
| calorca [kəˈlo]es /kaˈloɾ/ | heat | #1,624 | #1,333 |
| alcaldeca [əlˈkal.də]es /alˈkalde/ | mayor | #1,629 | #1,878 |
| militarca [mi.liˈtar]es /miliˈtaɾ/ | military | #1,644 | #1,851 |
| cantarca [kənˈta]es /kanˈtaɾ/ | to sing | #1,671 | #1,570 |
| negraca [ˈnɛ.ɣɾə]es /ˈneɡɾa/ | black | #1,705 | #1,803 |
| animalca [ə.niˈmal]es /aniˈmal/ | animal | #1,714 | #1,666 |
| dobleca [ˈdob.blə]es /ˈdoble/ | double | #1,747 | #1,284 |
| perfectaca [pərˈfɛk.tə]es /peɾˈfeɡta/ | perfect | #1,866 | #1,588 |
| internetca [in.tərˈnɛt]es /inteɾˈnet/ | internet | #1,952 | #1,928 |
| sexualca [sək.suˈal]es /seɡˈswal/ | sexual | #1,978 | #1,777 |
The speaker plays the voice the LangX app uses for that language — synthesised, not a native speaker, so treat it as a guide. Voices for Catalan (upc_ona (ca_ES), CC BY-SA 4.0).
The overlap is the easy part.
The rest comes from using it with someone who speaks it.