Similarities Between English and Spanish

Spanish and English are similar in many respects. Both languages have been significantly influenced by Romance/Latin languages. In Türkiye, English is typically learned first, and individuals often feel the need to acquire a second foreign language afterward. Like English, Spanish is among the most widely spoken languages in the world. In the United States, Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language, which makes it an attractive option for Turks considering a life in the U.S. For these reasons, we increasingly encounter learners who are interested in studying Spanish. In universities, Spanish is offered both as an elective course and as a degree program in Spanish Language and Literature (currently available in three universities). Additionally, platforms such as Easy Spanish on YouTube provide accessible learning resources. As a result of this growing interest and demand, many young people are now turning to this language.

Following this introduction, I would like to outline the similarities between English and Spanish:

1. Both English and Spanish use the Latin alphabet, which facilitates the learning process for those who already know one of the two languages.

Me gusta mucho el chocolate.
“I like chocolate very much.”
As seen here, Spanish is written using the Latin alphabet.

2. English and Spanish share the same basic sentence structure.

Both languages follow the SVO (Subject + Verb + Object) pattern. Turkish, by contrast, typically follows a different structure. In most cases, English and Spanish word order aligns.

Example:

• The boy reads a book.

• El niño lee un libro.

The sentence structure is nearly identical. However, there is one key difference: in English, adjectives precede nouns, whereas in Spanish, adjectives generally follow nouns.

• Delicious food → Comida deliciosa
  The word delicious is nearly identical in both languages, while food (comida) means “food.” Thus, the phrase translates to “delicious food.”

3. A significant proportion of vocabulary in both languages derives from Latin.

Approximately 85% of Spanish vocabulary comes from Romance/Latin languages, making English and Spanish lexical “cousins.” Likewise, 65% of English vocabulary originates from Romance/Latin languages, with French acting as a “sister language” to both.

There are many cognates—words that appear similar and share the same meaning. However, learners must be cautious of false friends, where words resemble one another but differ in meaning. For example:

• Exit (English: “to leave”)

• Éxito (Spanish: “success”)

Examples of English–Spanish cognates:

There are over 1,000 commonly used cognates, and a more detailed study may be carried out in the future.

4. Both languages use prepositions, and in many cases, their functions are quite similar. Certain prepositions are even phonetically close. For example, the English preposition “in” corresponds to Spanish “en.”

Examples:

• He lives in New York.
  Él vive en Nueva York.

• She is at the park.
  Ella está en el parque.

5. The process of forming plural nouns is also similar.

In English, the plural is generally formed by adding -s, while in Spanish, plurals are formed using -s or -es, depending on the word.

• Book – books
  Libro – libros

• House – houses
  Casa – casas

As in English, some Spanish words require -es instead of -s.

6. Neither English nor Spanish uses an extensive “case system.”

This absence greatly simplifies the learning process. In languages such as Russian, the case system significantly increases grammatical complexity. Turkish uses cases such as “ev-e” or “ev-i,” but English and Spanish do not rely on such inflections, making them comparatively easier to learn.

7. There is a sociolinguistic parallel:

In the United States and the United Kingdom, Spanish is the most commonly learned foreign language, whereas in Latin America and Spain, English is the most studied foreign language. While this is not a grammatical similarity, it reflects a shared global linguistic relationship.

8. Both languages use definite articles.

English has a single definite article—“the”—as it does not distinguish grammatical gender.
Spanish, however, has four definite articles, depending on number and gender:

• El → masculine singular

• La → feminine singular

• Los → masculine plural

• Las → feminine plural

Examples:

• El libro — “The book”

• La casa — “The house”

Conclusion

Spanish is among the easiest languages for English speakers to learn due to these numerous similarities. Although both languages still require consistent effort and practice, the overlap in vocabulary, alphabet, and certain grammatical features eases the learning process. Naturally, Spanish also presents differences—such as grammatical gender—that require study. Yet, compared to languages with unfamiliar vocabulary or complex grammatical systems (for example, Russian, with its extensive case system), Spanish is more accessible.

Pronunciation further contributes to this accessibility. English often requires learning how a word is written and then separately how it is pronounced, whereas Spanish is largely phonetic and pronounced as it is written. Ultimately, while learning Spanish requires dedication, its similarities to English make it more approachable than many other languages.

Note:
In recognition of the significance of today, I would like to dedicate this piece to all our teachers.

References

https://learninglanguages.quora.com/Why-is-Spanish-similar-to-English

https://www.lingoda.com/blog/en/syntax-spanish-vs-english/

https://srpubliclibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2016/08/RFS-Spanish-Cognates.pdf

https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/capitalizing-similarities-and-differences-between-spanish-and-english

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/spanish/similarities-between-spanish-and-english/

Ozan Dur