Italian and Spanish: 44 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 | Italian | Spanish |
|---|---|---|---|
| eit /ˈe/es /e/ | and | #1 | #435 |
| la/la/ | the | #5 | #5 |
| un/un/ | a, an | #7 | #11 |
| noit /ˈnɔ/es /ˈno/ | not | #23 | #3 |
| oh/ˈo/ | oh | #59 | #101 |
| okit /oˈkɛ.i/es /ˌoˈkei/ | OK | #62 | #455 |
| vait /ˈva/es /ˈba/ | to go | #63 | #100 |
| oit /ˈɔ/es /o/ | or | #68 | #61 |
| unoit /ˈu.no/es /ˈuno/ | one | #106 | #135 |
| madreit /ˈma.dre/es /ˈmadɾe/ | mother | #198 | #174 |
| manoit /ˈma.no/es /ˈmano/ | hand | #350 | #372 |
| papait /ˈpa.pa/es /ˈpapa/ | pope | #396 | #1,545 |
| pocoit /ˈpɔ.ko/es /ˈpoko/ | little, not much | #492 | #133 |
| guerrait /ˈɡwɛr.ra/es /ˈɡera/ | war, warfare | #530 | #421 |
| pistolait /pisˈtɔ.la/es /pisˈtola/ | pistol, handgun | #608 | #1,262 |
| causait /ˈkaw.sa/es /ˈkausa/ | cause | #616 | #1,076 |
| vivoit /ˈvi.vo/es /ˈbibo/ | to live; to be alive | #628 | #567 |
| libroit /ˈli.bro/es /ˈlibɾo/ | book | #666 | #607 |
| cieloit /ˈt͡ʃɛ.lo/es /ˈθjelo/ | sky | #706 | #618 |
| futuroit /fuˈtu.ro/es /fuˈtuɾo/ | future | #752 | #704 |
| detectiveit /deˈtɛk.tiv/es /deteɡˈtibe/ | detective | #822 | #874 |
| salait /ˈsa.la/es /ˈsala/ | room | #977 | #858 |
| bastardoit /basˈtar.do/es /basˈtaɾdo/ | bastard | #1,004 | #1,838 |
| viveit /ˈvi.ve/es /ˈbibe/ | to live; to be alive | #1,048 | #799 |
| regaloit /reˈɡa.lo/es /reˈɡalo/ | present, gift | #1,055 | #899 |
| durait /ˈdu.ra/es /ˈduɾa/ | hard | #1,067 | #1,728 |
| clubit /ˈklab/es /ˈklub/ | club | #1,102 | #889 |
| oroit /ˈɔ.ro/es /ˈoɾo/ | gold | #1,106 | #946 |
| duroit /ˈdu.ro/es /ˈduɾo/ | hard | #1,107 | #613 |
| vivait /ˈvi.va/es /ˈbiba/ | to live; to be alive | #1,162 | #1,100 |
| radioit /ˈra.djo/es /ˈradjo/ | radius | #1,274 | #1,127 |
| bombait /ˈbom.ba/es /ˈbomba/ | bomb | #1,287 | #1,260 |
| destinoit /desˈti.no/es /desˈtino/ | destiny, fate | #1,392 | #1,085 |
| edificioit /e.diˈfi.t͡ʃo/es /ediˈfiθjo/ | building | #1,397 | #1,018 |
| arteit /ˈar.te/es /ˈaɾte/ | art | #1,415 | #1,191 |
| usoit /ˈu.zo/es /ˈuso/ | to use | #1,530 | #1,683 |
| verdeit /ˈver.de/es /ˈbeɾde/ | green | #1,581 | #1,561 |
| magiait /maˈd͡ʒi.a/es /ˈmaxja/ | magic | #1,618 | #1,635 |
| taxiit /ˈtak.si/es /ˈtaɡsi/ | taxi | #1,656 | #1,460 |
| pagait /ˈpa.ɡa/es /ˈpaɡa/ | to pay | #1,684 | #1,723 |
| usandoit /uˈzan.do/es /uˈsando/ | to use | #1,719 | #1,355 |
| genioit /ˈd͡ʒɛ.njo/es /ˈxenjo/ | genius | #1,841 | #1,943 |
| polloit /ˈpol.lo/es /ˈpoʝo/ | chicken | #1,891 | #1,792 |
| universoit /u.niˈvɛr.so/es /uniˈbeɾso/ | universe | #1,927 | #1,637 |
The speaker plays the voice the LangX app uses for that language — synthesised, not a native speaker, so treat it as a guide.
The overlap is the easy part.
The rest comes from using it with someone who speaks it.