Spanish vs. English: The Hardest and Easiest Parts of Learning the Language

Learning a new language is always a journey filled with challenges and rewards. For English speakers diving into Spanish, some aspects feel intuitive, while others might make you question everything you know about language. Spanish is often considered one of the easiest languages to learn for English speakers, but certain grammatical rules and pronunciation quirks can still trip you up. In this article, we’ll explore the hardest and easiest parts of learning Spanish and provide useful tips to help you on your language learning journey.

The Easiest Aspects of Learning Spanish

1. Similar Vocabulary and Cognates

One of the best things about learning Spanish as an English speaker is the sheer number of cognates—words that are similar in both languages. Thanks to Latin roots, many words in Spanish and English look and sound alike, making it easier to build your vocabulary quickly.

Examples:

• Hospital = Hospital
• Animal = Animal
• Problem = Problema

Pro Tip:

Be careful with false cognates (words that look similar but mean something completely different). For instance, embarazada means “pregnant,” not “embarrassed!

2. Straightforward Pronunciation

Unlike English, which has many inconsistent pronunciation rules, Spanish pronunciation is highly predictable. Each letter generally makes one sound, and once you learn how the letters sound, you can read almost any Spanish word correctly.

Examples:

• The letter “J” sounds like an English “H” (e.g. jalapeño).
• The letter “V” is pronounced like a soft “B.”

Pro Tip:

Practice rolling your R’s early on—it’s one of the few pronunciation challenges for English speakers.

3. Consistent Spelling Rules

Spanish follows its spelling rules far more closely than English does. Once you learn how a word is spelled, you can pronounce it correctly without any surprises. No more guessing if “through,” “though,” and “tough” sound the same!

Pro Tip:

Master Spanish punctuation, as it differs from English (e.g., inverted question and exclamation marks).

4. Familiar Sentence Structure

Spanish follows a subject-verb-object word order, just like English. While some sentence structures can be flexible, the basic pattern remains familiar.

Example:

• English: I eat apples.
  Spanish: Yo como manzanas.

Pro Tip:

While the sentence structure is similar, Spanish often drops pronouns because the verb conjugation already implies the subject.

The Hardest Aspects of Learning Spanish

1. Verb Conjugations (and So Many Tenses!)

One of the biggest hurdles for English speakers is Spanish verb conjugation. Spanish verbs change depending on tense, subject, and even mood.

Example: The verb “to eat” in English stays the same for all subjects in the present tense:

• I eat
• You eat
• They eat

In Spanish, the verb comer changes:

• Yo como
• Tú comes
• Ellos comen

And that’s just in the present tense! Spanish also has the subjunctive mood, which can be difficult for English speakers.

Pro Tip:

Use verb conjugation apps and flashcards to practice.

2. Gendered Nouns

Unlike English, Spanish assigns gender to nouns. You must remember whether a word is masculine (el) or feminine (la), which affects articles and adjectives.

Examples:

• El libro (the book) → masculine
• La mesa (the table) → feminine

Pro Tip:

Many masculine words end in “o” and feminine words end in “a,” but there are exceptions (el problema is masculine!).

3. The Subjunctive Mood

The Spanish subjunctive mood is tricky because English rarely uses it. It’s used to express doubt, emotions, or hypothetical situations.

Example:

• Quiero que vengas. (I want you to come.)

Pro Tip:

Pay attention to trigger words like quiero que, es posible que, and dudo que, which often require the subjunctive.

4. False Friends and Regional Variations

Spanish varies widely across different countries, meaning vocabulary and accents can change depending on the region. Words used in Spain may not be the same in Mexico or Argentina.

Examples:

• Torta means cake in Mexico but sandwich in Argentina.
• Coche means car in Spain but baby stroller in Mexico.

Pro Tip:

Be open to learning different variations and ask locals about regional expressions.

Learning Spanish is a rewarding journey with plenty of easy aspects to keep you motivated and some tricky areas that require extra effort. By focusing on pronunciation, building your vocabulary with cognates, and mastering verb conjugations, you’ll be well on your way to Spanish fluency. Don’t be discouraged by challenges—embrace them, and soon, speaking Spanish will feel second nature!