false cognate

"False cognates" are pairs of words in different languages that look or sound similar but have different meanings and origins.

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Definition

(academic)Words in different languages that appear similar in form or sound but have different meanings and origins.

The English word 'actual' and the Spanish word 'actual' are false cognates; the former means 'real,' while the latter means 'current.'

Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "false cognate":