False friends in English

English words that look familiar — and mean something else. Every language has its own traps, so every language gets its own list.

A false friend is an English word that looks or sounds like a word in your language but has a different meaning. They are dangerous because they don't feel like new words: you check an unfamiliar word in a dictionary, but not one you think you already know.

Each list below is written for speakers of one language, with translations, an example for every word and a short quiz.

Each list is written separately for its language — it is not one article translated.