Meaning & use
cognates
Last updated
Words in different languages that share a common linguistic origin and often have similar spelling or meaning.
See it in a sentence
English "night" and German "Nacht" are cognates.
Spanish and Italian share many cognates, which makes learning one easier after the other.
A note on using this word
Cognates can help language learners, but "false cognates" look similar without sharing meaning or origin.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “cognates”, then compare your use with the examples above.