Common English Mistakes for Spanish Speakers: The Ultimate Guide: Vocabulary, Context and Practice from the Episode

Discover how to easily correct common English mistakes for Spanish speakers.

Why Common English Mistakes for Spanish Speakers Matters

This guide helps you practise common English mistakes for Spanish speakers with the episode’s real vocabulary, pronunciation points and examples. This lesson features “The Show With No Name,” an interactive and dynamic English program focusing on corrections of common grammatical, lexical, and pronunciation errors made by Spanish speakers.

Common English Mistakes for Spanish Speakers: Fast Recap

The show teaches learners how to identify, explain, and correct common mistakes in English.

It focuses specifically on grammar (like verb agreement), vocabulary, and pronunciation errors unique to Spanish speakers.

Learning is presented through personal stories, word games, idioms, and cultural discussions.

What to Practise

• First, always use plural verbs with ‘people’, saying ‘people are’ or ‘people want’ rather than the incorrect singular forms ‘people is’ or ‘people wants’.
• Next, to express age, use ‘I am 30’ or ‘I am 30 years old’ instead of translating literally from Spanish as ‘I have 30 years’.
• Also, never combine ‘for’ and ‘to’ to show purpose; say ‘he is here to see you’ instead of ‘for to see you’.
• However, use ‘for’ to specify a duration of time (e.g. ‘for two hours’) and ‘during’ for events (e.g. ‘during dinner’).
• Therefore, use ‘like’ for comparisons (e.g. ‘work like a slave’) and ‘as’ to indicate a role, job, or function (e.g. ‘work as a teacher’).

Common English Mistakes for Spanish Speakers: Episode Roadmap

Prepositions: The Difference Between ‘For’ and ‘During’

This lesson corrects the confusion between ‘for’ and ‘during’. Use ‘for’ when describing a period or length of time (e.g. ‘for two hours’). Use ‘during’ only for specific, contained events or occurrences (e.g. ‘during dinner’).

Grammar Rule: Agreement with the Noun ‘People’

Correcting the common mistake of treating ‘people’ as a singular noun. Since ‘people’ is always plural, it must take plural verbs (e.g. ‘people are’, ‘people want’). This was noted as one of the most frequent errors made by Spanish speakers.

Purpose Phrases: Avoiding ‘for to’

Learners sometimes incorrectly combine ‘for’ and ‘to’ when stating a purpose (e.g. ‘here for to see you’). The correct, standard structure uses only ‘to’ (e.g. ‘here to see you’) to express the goal or intention.

Pronunciation Trap: Vowel Clarity (‘Beach’ vs. ‘Bitch’, etc.)

This lesson provides a highly practical guide to vowel length. Sounds, addressing how mispronouncing short and long vowels can lead to embarrassing misunderstandings when speaking common words or foreign phrases.

Vocabulary Challenge: Contextual Use of ‘call’

Teaches how the meaning of a single verb (‘call’) changes drastically based on context. It explains necessary native phrases like ‘call him back’ (phone call), ‘it’s your call’ (decision), or phrasal verbs like ‘call it off’ (cancel).

Group Size Phrases: Correcting ‘We are X’

Corrects the direct translation of group size (e.g. ‘we are six’). The correct formula uses ‘there are [number] of us’, or a context-specific phrase like ‘party of four please’ when ordering at a restaurant.

Key Ideas to Remember

• First, always use plural verbs with ‘people’ (e.g. ‘people are’), never treating it as singular.
• Next, to state age, say ‘I am 30 years old,’ not translating literally from Spanish.
• Also, use ‘to’ to show purpose (‘here to see you’), never combining ‘for’ and ‘to’.
• However, use ‘for’ for duration/span (e.g. ‘for two hours’) and ‘during’ only for events (e.g. ‘during dinner’).
• Therefore, remember the difference between comparison using ‘like’ (e.g. ‘work like a slave’) and role/function using ‘as’ (e.g. ‘work as a teacher’).

Common English Mistakes for Spanish Speakers: Vocabulary

English	Español	Note / Uso
to boot	además / encima	An idiom used to add extra facts or benefits. The lesson highlighted its use in context.
during	durante	Used specifically when referring to an event taking place inside a timeframe, contrasting with ‘for’.
wacky	chiflado	Describes something odd or crazy; used here for describing the English class atmosphere.
great crack	buen rollo	Irish slang meaning fun, good time, or great energy.
mildew	moho	A type of mold explained during a bar story.
beach vs. bitch	playa vs. perra	Discussed as two words that sound similar but have very different meanings and origins, emphasizing pronunciation differences.
fear	miedo	Directly translated by The episode as ‘Meo’ (a phonetic typo for ‘miedo’).
fur	pelaje / piel	Explained as a homophone of ‘fir’. the lesson has phonetic typos ‘p p’ (pelo) and ‘theel’ (piel).
fate	destino	Stated by The episode as ‘El Destino’ when talking about how Space Mountain saved the park’s future.
currency	moneda	Used to explain why Europeans reacted poorly to ‘Euro Disney’. the lesson has the typo ‘not Mona’ representing ‘not a moneda’.
eat us out of house and home	dejarnos sin comida	To consume an excessive, exhausting amount of food or resources.
touch base	ponerse en contacto / hablar brevemente	To make brief contact with someone to exchange updates (e.g. ‘Can we touch base next week?’).
that’s the way the ball bounces	así son las cosas	A phrase used to accept an unexpected or disappointing situation that cannot be changed.
the ball’s in your court	la pelota está en tu tejado / te toca a ti decidir	Used to say that it is now someone else’s turn or responsibility to make a decision or take action. This episode tells Damian: ‘If you don’t mind playing with a novice, the ball’s in your court, buddy’.
kick off	empezar / arrancar	To start or initiate an event or activity. Used in reference to starting a soccer match: ‘What time do we kick off? Perfect, and we’re kicking off at 9’.
par for the course	lo normal / lo esperado	What is typical, standard, or expected in a given situation. Mentioned during sports planning: ‘I might have to play some golf before It’s par for the course’.
behind the eightball	en una situación difícil / contra las cuerdas	To be in a highly disadvantageous, difficult, or tough situation. Stated in reference to playing billiards: ‘Right now I’m behind the eightball’.

Practice Ideas

Concept	Explanation	Why it matters
Plural Agreement for ‘People’	In English, ‘people’ is always treated as a plural collective noun. It must take plural verbs (e.g. ‘people are’, ‘people want’), even if Spanish treats the concept of people using a singular noun.	This is cited as one of the most frequent and noticeable grammatical errors, improving accuracy immediately.
Time Prepositions (‘For’ vs. ‘During’)	Use ‘for’ to denote an entire duration or length of time (e.g. a two-hour period). Use ‘during’ only for an event that happens within a timeframe (e.g. the time spent eating dinner).	Confusing these is a common structural error stemming from direct translation from Spanish (‘durante’).
Comparison vs. Role (‘Like’ vs. ‘As’)	Use ‘like’ when comparing two different things or actions (e.g. working like an employee). Use ‘as’ when defining the role, function, or status of a person or thing (e.g. working as a teacher).	Misusing these changes the grammatical relationship being expressed.
Expressing Purpose with ‘To’ (vs. ‘For to’)	To state a purpose or intention, English uses the single preposition ‘to’ followed directly by an infinitive verb (e.g. ‘here to see you’, ‘came here to eat’). Combining ‘for to’ (e.g. ‘here for to see you’) is a major structural error.	This error stems directly from translating ‘para + infinitive’ literally from Spanish. Eliminating the ‘for’ from this construction resolves a highly noticeable grammatical habit.
Group Sizes: ‘There are [X] of us’ (vs. ‘We are [X]’)	To state the total number of people in a group, English uses the structure ‘there are six of us’ or ‘there are three of us’. Translating the Spanish ‘somos seis’ or ‘somos tres’ literally as ‘we are six’ or ‘we are three’ is grammatically incorrect in English.	This is a highly frequent mistake made by learners of all levels when describing team sizes, families, or organizing dinner reservations.
Appearance vs. Character: ‘What does she look like?’ vs. ‘What is she like?’	The question ‘What does she look like?’ refers exclusively to a person’s physical characteristics, such as hair or eye color. In contrast, ‘What is she like?’ asks about a person’s inner qualities, character, and personality traits (e.g. ‘funny’, ‘charming’).	Confusing these two questions leads to incorrect conversational answers, such as responding with physical characteristics when asked about someone’s personality.
Homophones (e.g. ‘Fur’ and ‘Fir’)	Homophones are words that are spelled differently and have different meanings but share the exact same pronunciation, such as ‘fur’ (animal hair) and ‘fir’ (a type of tree/wood). These sound identical, unlike ‘fear’. This has a completely distinct vowel sound.	Identifying homophones prevents spelling errors and sharpens auditory comprehension, allowing learners to easily infer the correct word from the context of a conversation.

Examples From the Episode

Source / Moment	Why it helps	Review cue
Vaughan Radio Trivia Night announcement.	The upcoming trivia night is scheduled for April 1st, 2025. Will be Fitz from the Emerald Isle (Ireland) as a fun, interactive way for students to meet, socialize, and learn.	Use this as context while reviewing the video.
Pop Quiz audio segment on durations and comparative structures.	Teaches that ‘during’ is incorrect for specifying time spans (e.g. ‘during two hours’ must be corrected to ‘for two hours’). It also demonstrates that physical/identity comparisons use ‘like’ (e.g. ‘Spanish like me’) rather than ‘as’.	Use this as context while reviewing the video.
Literal translations regarding age, meals, and group sizes.	Corrects the literal translation of age from ‘he has 30 years’ to ‘he is 30’ or ‘he is 30 years old’. It also corrects incorrect word order for meals (e.g. ‘I have toast for breakfast’ instead of ‘I have for breakfast toast’). Establishes ‘there are six of us’ instead of ‘we are six’.	Use this as context while reviewing the video.
The collective plural verb agreement error with the word ‘people’.	Spanish speakers frequently make the error of treating ‘people’ as singular. It must always take a plural verb form (e.g. ‘people are’ or ‘people want’ rather than ‘people is’ or ‘people wants’).	Use this as context while reviewing the video.
The ‘Comma vs. Coma vs. Karma’ phonetic distinction discussed by Elena.	Elena shares a funny dictation error with her niece. ‘Comma’ is a punctuation mark, ‘coma’ is a medical state (and a Guns N’ Roses song), and ‘karma’ is a spiritual concept (featured in the Radiohead song ‘Karma Police’).	Use this as context while reviewing the video.
The phonetic pronunciation trap of ‘Beach’ and ‘Sheet’.	the conversation and listener Elena discuss how failing to distinguish vowel lengths can accidentally cause the words ‘beach’ or ‘sheet’ to sound like vulgar English words (‘bitch’ and ‘shit’).	Use this as context while reviewing the video.
Depeche Mode song lyrics quoted by Laura.	Laura quotes the lyrics of ‘People are People’ (‘People are people so why should it be’) to easily memorize that ‘people’ takes the plural verb ‘are’.	Use this as context while reviewing the video.
Guinness delivery trucks referred to as ‘Irish ambulances’.	During a Dublin river boat tour, the humorous local guide referred to passing Guinness trucks as ‘Irish ambulances’, introducing the hosts to local Irish humor (‘great crack’).	Use this as context while reviewing the video.

Common Learner Traps

Watch out for	Why it matters	Better move
beach vs. bitch	Discussed as two words that sound similar but have very different meanings and origins, emphasizing pronunciation differences.	Say it in a short sentence, then check whether the meaning changes if you translate it literally.
currency	Used to explain why Europeans reacted poorly to ‘Euro Disney’. the lesson has the typo ‘not Mona’ representing ‘not a moneda’.	Say it in a short sentence, then check whether the meaning changes if you translate it literally.
Time Prepositions (‘For’ vs. ‘During’)	Use ‘for’ to denote an entire duration or length of time (e.g. a two-hour period). Use ‘during’ only for an event that happens within a timeframe (e.g. the time spent eating dinner).	Confusing these is a common structural error stemming from direct translation from Spanish (‘durante’).
Comparison vs. Role (‘Like’ vs. ‘As’)	Use ‘like’ when comparing two different things or actions (e.g. working like an employee). Use ‘as’ when defining the role, function, or status of a person or thing (e.g. working as a teacher).	Misusing these changes the grammatical relationship being expressed.
Expressing Purpose with ‘To’ (vs. ‘For to’)	To state a purpose or intention, English uses the single preposition ‘to’ followed directly by an infinitive verb (e.g. ‘here to see you’, ‘came here to eat’). Combining ‘for to’ (e.g. ‘here for to see you’) is a major structural error.	This error stems directly from translating ‘para + infinitive’ literally from Spanish. Eliminating the ‘for’ from this construction resolves a highly noticeable grammatical habit.
Group Sizes: ‘There are [X] of us’ (vs. ‘We are [X]’)	To state the total number of people in a group, English uses the structure ‘there are six of us’ or ‘there are three of us’. Translating the Spanish ‘somos seis’ or ‘somos tres’ literally as ‘we are six’ or ‘we are three’ is grammatically incorrect in English.	This is a highly frequent mistake made by learners of all levels when describing team sizes, families, or organizing dinner reservations.

Try It Yourself

Use these prompts after reading the article. They are designed for active recall: say the answer aloud first, then check the tables above.

1. Explain this in your own words: Always use plural verbs with ‘people’, saying ‘people are’ or ‘people want’ rather than the incorrect singular forms ‘people is’ or ‘people wants’.
2. Explain this in your own words: To express age, use ‘I am 30’ or ‘I am 30 years old’ instead of translating literally from Spanish as ‘I have 30 years’.
3. Explain this in your own words: Never combine ‘for’ and ‘to’ to show purpose; say ‘he is here to see you’ instead of ‘for to see you’.
4. Make one original sentence with “to boot” without starting from “además / encima” in Spanish.
5. Make one original sentence with “during” without starting from “durante (para eventos)” in Spanish.
6. Make one original sentence with “like” without starting from “como (comparación)” in Spanish.

Common English Mistakes for Spanish Speakers: Glossary

Term	Meaning / Spanish
to boot	además / encima
during	durante (para eventos)
like	como (comparación)
as	como (función / profesión)
touch base	ponerse en contacto / hablar
that’s the way the ball bounces	así es la vida / así son las cosas
the ball’s in your court	te toca a ti / la pelota está en tu tejado
kick off	empezar / arrancar
par for the course	lo normal / lo esperado
behind the eightball	en una situación difícil / contra las cuerdas
great crack	buen rollo / gran ambiente
mildew	moho

Questions Learners Ask

Why is 'people is' incorrect in English, and what is the correct form?

In English, 'people' is a collective plural noun. This means it always requires plural verb forms. Using singular verbs in phrases like 'people is' or 'people wants' is incorrect; instead, you must say 'people are' and 'people want'.

What is the difference between 'during' and 'for' when talking about time in English?

You must use 'for' when specifying a duration or period of time (e.g. 'for two hours' or 'for years'). Conversely, 'during' is used only to indicate that an action occurred within the course of a specific event (e.g. 'during dinner' or 'during the game').

Is it grammatically correct to use 'for to' to express purpose in English?

No, combining 'for' and 'to' to show purpose (e.g. 'he's here for to see you') is a common literal translation error. To express purpose, you must use only the preposition 'to' followed by the infinitive verb (e.g. 'he's here to see you' or 'I came here to eat').

How do you correctly choose between 'like' and 'as' in comparative sentences?

Use 'like' when drawing a hypothetical comparison or describing physical similarity (e.g. 'work like a slave' or 'looks like his brother'). Use 'as' to specify someone's actual job, literal role, or function (e.g. 'work as a teacher' or 'work as a radio presenter').

Why did Euro Disney initially struggle, and how did it change its fate?

When the park opened in 1992, the name 'Euro Disney' flopped. Therefore, of cultural branding; while 'Euro' sounded upscale to Americans, it simply sounded like a currency to Europeans. Rebranding the park to 'Disneyland Paris' and opening the Space Mountain attraction successfully turned its financial fate around.

What is the correct way to translate 'somos seis' (we are six) when describing a group size?

Translating 'somos seis' or 'somos tres' literally as 'we are six' or 'we are three' is incorrect in English. You should use the structure 'there are six of us' or 'there are three of us'. Specifically in restaurants, you can also use the phrase 'party of four please'.

Common English Mistakes for Spanish Speakers: Quick Quiz

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