How to Say Similar in Spanish
If you’d like to say the word “similar” in Spanish, you’d generally use the word “similar.” Yes, it’s the exact same word as in English. That said, there are synonyms—such as “semejante,” and “parecido” —that may be more appropriate in some contexts.
Getting down all the little nuances of Spanish can definitely feel intimidating to a new learner. Fortunately, becoming comfortable with the language comes naturally as you pick up the basics—especially for those who already speak a related language like English, French, or Italian. Just as is the case with Spanish, these languages each come directly from Latin or have been heavily influenced by it. This is why you’ll find English words like “hospital” that look and sound remarkably similar in French (hôpital), Italian (ospedale), and Spanish (hospital). In addition to the thousands of highly similar words, you are sure to find that Spanish has a clear and simple system of pronunciation—completely unlike French and English, where spelling and pronunciation seem to follow different sets of rules.
Rosetta Stone’s Dynamic Immersion® methodology teaches you the language, not just the words. What makes it effective is that we prepare you to use your new language in your everyday life. So, it’s not just about the features, but what you’re able to do because of them. That way, you’ll be ready to handle situations with ease and confidence.
Learn Spanish Words and Phrases
Many people choose to learn Spanish because they frequently encounter the Spanish language in their everyday life. This makes sense, as Spanish is spoken across the United States, and is prominent in TV, movies, music, and restaurant fare. Other individuals decide to learn Spanish because they plan to vacation, do business, or volunteer in any one of the 20 countries around the world where Spanish is the official language. So no matter your reason, you can get off to a great start by first learning basic and commonly used Spanish words and phrases. Starting here is important in understanding how Spanish is used in everyday, real-word conversation—by approximately 437 million Spanish speakers worldwide.
Too often, new language learners get sidetracked trying to memorize long lists of vocabulary words and phrases. This leads to frustration, when they find that they are not able to understand or speak in everyday Spanish conversations. That’s why it’s so very important to learn to understand and properly pronounce basic Spanish words and phrases. This approach to learning will help you to develop the confidence to engage in everyday conversation with locals.
Please take note; Spanish does have some unique characteristics that can make correct pronunciation of some words a bit of a challenge for new learners. As one very common example, the Spanish letter r is pronounced quite differently than the English letter r and can take practice for new Spanish language learners. The distinct sound of the Spanish letter r is made by tapping the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth, about a third of the way back in your mouth. Some language experts recommend that new Spanish learners practice making the English “tt” sound, as heard in the English word butter.
Acquiring the skills to properly pronounce Spanish requires immediate and precise feedback on your pronunciation efforts. This timely and specific feedback will allow you to make corrections to your pronunciation. From there, you can practice speaking.
Rosetta Stone helps you get the pronunciation right in a snap with our TruAccent™ speech-recognition engine. Our patented technology compares your voice to native and non-native speakers in real-time, so you get immediate feedback for the most accurate pronunciation. It’s also adjustable, which allows you to tweak your accent as needed. TruAccent is a powerful tool for helping you learn and speak the Spanish language.
After you have acquired basic and commonly used Spanish words, short phrases, and their correct pronunciation, you will be able to move onto learning longer Spanish phrases that make up much of everyday, real-world conversation. Rosetta Stone’s brief and digestible language lessons help you learn in exactly this way—teaching the basics of Spanish first, then moving onto longer phrases. Each Spanish language lesson emphasizes proper pronunciation, so you can develop the skills you need to comfortably understand and confidently speak Spanish.
Try Our Award-Winning App
Surround yourself with Spanish whenever, wherever with the Rosetta Stone app .
Download a unit and knock it out on the train or a flight. Select a 5-10 minute lesson and sneak it in while you wait in line or for your ride to show up. And explore dynamic features, like Seek and Speak, where you can point at an object in the real world and get a translation.
The best part? You don’t have to choose between app or desktop. Both come with your subscription and sync, so you can switch between devices seamlessly.
