Advanced Spanish Grammar

Paronyms are pairs and sets of words in a language that may be easily confused because they are similar in form. Sometimes they are related in meaning and sometimes they are quite unrelated. Check them out!

1. abertura / apertura / obertura

Abertura = hole, gap, orifice. Hay una abertura en la pared. (There’s a hole in the wall.)
Apertura = act of opening (as in an inauguration). La apertura del congreso fue con una orquesta. (They opened the conference with an orchestra.)
Obertura = overture (music). La obertura de La Traviata. (The overtura of La Traviata).

2. abrevar / abreviar

Abrevar = to water, to drink. Los animals abrevan en el río. (The animals drink water from the river.)
Abreviar = to abbreviate, to shorten. Él tuvo que abreviar su tesis. (He had to shorten his thesis.)

3. acatar / catar

Acatar = to obey, to respect. Tienes que acatar la ley. (You have to obey the law.)
Catar = to taste (esp. wine). Su trabajo consiste en catar vinos. (His job is to taste wines.)

4. aderezar / enderezar
Aderezar = to prepare, to dress (salad). Aderezó la ensalada con sal y aceite. (He dressed the salad with salt and oil.)
Enderezar = to straighten, to set upright. Hay que enderezar esta verja. (We have to straighten this railing.)

5. afrentar / afrontar
Afrentar = to affront (insult). No me gusta que me afrentes así. (I don’t like you insulting me like this.)
Afrontar = to place (two people or things) face to face; to confront (danger, difficulties). Afrontar un peligro o una dificuldad. (Face up to a danger or difficulty)

6. agrupación / grupo
Agrupación = association, gathering (political, religious, etc.). Una agrupación política (a political group)
Grupo = a group (general). Un grupo de animales. (A group of animals.)

Spanish Homonyms