Cognados engañosos
Palabras que se parecen pero no significan lo mismo: embarazada, éxito, carpeta, ropa.
Drop here
Drop here
0/12 sorted
How to run it
Sort first, then give the real meaning of each false cognate and a sentence that shows it. Éxito means success and not exit; librería is a bookshop and not a library; asistir is to attend and not to assist. The pattern worth naming is that false cognates are usually the more advanced vocabulary, which is exactly where a student reaching for a sophisticated word is most likely to be caught. Twelve minutes covers all twelve with the corrections.
Cueing ladder
Start at the top. Add support one step at a time.
- IndependentPresent the item and wait 5 seconds of quiet before helping.Log as correct
- HintGive a clue about the word's category, what it does, or where you find it.Log as cued
- Two choicesOffer two answers, the right one not always second.Log as cued
- ModelGive the answer in a sentence; the student says it back and uses it once more.Log as cued
Adjust it
Use fewer items and start with the ones the student already knows.
Ask for the word in a sentence of the student's own, or a second example from the same group.
Matching IEP goal
Given vocabulary cards, Student will name, sort or define target words in 8 of 10 opportunities across 3 consecutive sessions, given no more than an indirect cue.
Send it home through the parent portal →About this activity
Twelve words sorted into cognado verdadero and cognado falso. Familia, animal, hospital and doctor really do mean what they look like. Embarazada, éxito, carpeta, ropa, sopa, librería, asistir and realizar do not — and each of them is a trap a bilingual student will fall into at some point, usually in writing, usually in front of a class.
What to listen for
Watch for over-correction after the lesson. A student who has just learned that some cognates lie will sometimes start distrusting the true ones, and hospital and doctor start getting second-guessed. Notice which errors show up in writing rather than speech: false cognates are a written-language problem more than a conversational one, because writing is where students reach for the fancier word.
Carrying it home
When a family is helping with English homework, an unexpected word is worth checking rather than assuming. The false cognates in this set are common enough that they will come up.
What's in this activity
- cognado verdadero
- cognado falso
Questions
- What grades is this for?
- Fourth through sixth, once students have enough academic vocabulary in both languages for the traps to be live.
- Is it free to use?
- Yes, no account or card needed.
- Does teaching false cognates undermine cognate strategy?
- Not if both are taught. The strategy is still worth having — most academic cognates are genuine — and knowing that a small set are exceptions makes the strategy safer to use rather than weaker.
Use this board with your caseload
With a free account, every correct, cued and incorrect mark is saved to the student and scored against their IEP goal, with the data written up for you. Assign it as home practice through the parent portal.
Track progress freeFree for SLPs. No card, no trial clock.