20 popular Spanish words used in English

Learning to speak Spanish is a fun and exciting journey. Many learners of Spanish enjoy being able to communicate with Spanish friends and family, as well as learning to correspond with business associates. When learning Spanish as an English speaker, you will soon pick up that there are many Spanish words used in English. This is a very interesting fact and one that most students really enjoy!

20 Spanish words used in English

Let’s take a look at a list of English words of Spanish origin:

• Adobe: it means “mudbrick” in Spanish. It is an air-dried brick. This word refers to a particular type of building material that is used mostly in the Southwestern United States
• Burrito: it means “little donkey” in Spanish.
• Breeze: from “briza” in Spanish
• Caballero: from Spanish caballero meaning “knight” or “gentleman”, from “caballo”, horse.
• Canyon: From the Spanish word cañon that means “gorge”, which comes from caño (tube). It comes from the Latin word canna (reed).
• Plaza: a plaza is an open square in a city.
• Mosquito: it means literally, “little fly” in Spanish.
• Tornado: influenced by Spanish tornar “to twist, turn”.
• Hurricane: from “huracán” in Spanish, which means tornado
• Rodeo: literally “a going round,” from rodear “go-round, surround”.
• Cigarette: Although it comes from the French word cigarette, cigarette comes from the Spanish word cigarro that means “stogie”.
• Canoe: it comes from “canoa” in Spanish.
• Macho: “tough guy,” from Spanish macho “male animal,” noun use of adjective meaning “masculine, virile”.
• Mojito: type of rum-based Cuban cocktail, a diminutive of mojo, a word for certain sauces and marinades.
• Tomato: from Spanish tomate, from Aztecan tomatl.
• Fiesta: from Spanish, literally “feast”.
• Patio: an inner court open to the sky.
• Guerrilla: literally “little war,” diminutive of guerra “war”.
• Stampede: it comes from the Spanish word “estampida”.
• Coyote: from Mexican Spanish coyote, from Aztecan coyotl.

The use of Spanish in the English language

As you can tell, you probably already use these Spanish words in the English language you use every day. Another fact that you will be able to pick up is that there are many English and Spanish cognates. (If you didn’t know a cognate is a word that is pronounced in a similar way and also has a similar or the same meaning in another language).

If you are considering learning Spanish, this is a great opportunity to discover whether or not you like to romantic sound of the language! Chances are, you like the way the above words sound when you use them in English so just imagine how they would sound if you could pronounce them with a proper Spanish accent!

Do you know the colors in Spanish? Check our list of colors in Spanish and English.

Learning some basic words like in the above list is the perfect way to start your Spanish language learning journey. Since learning a new language requires small steps taken on a regular basis, this is the perfect opportunity for you to begin learning Spanish! The Spanish language is becoming more and more popular, and it’s influence on the rise. Here you can see some facts.

Did you enjoy reading through this list of Spanish words used in English? Why not take the plunge and start learning Spanish today? We offer fun, interactive and informative online Spanish lessons that are given by qualified Spanish teachers and we would love to teach you how to speak Spanish! Contact us today to find out more!