Game: One letter changes all!

Question

This is a bit of an exercise in vocabulary.

Someone close to me is learning English, and while checking some of her homework, I started thinking about how just one letter can make a huge difference in meaning in some English words. For example:

through - trough (a trevés - abrevadero).

lie - lye (mentira - lejía).

So, my request today, for a bit of variation from the usual A-Z's, is to ask you to write a pair of English words that are almost identical except for one letter. Next to it please write the most common Spanish meaning.

I'm looking for examples like the above, where the words can be easily confused. Pairs like "train - rain" are not as much fun.

If you can think of Spanish words that work the same way, by all means go ahead and write the Spanish pair, with the English meaning next to them!

Please do not write a whole list of words in one single post!

I'll be reviewing your contributions every once in a while. Please check your spelling before you post!

Great idea! - Nicole-B, Jun 16, 2010

"to" write a pair - Delores--Lindsey, Jun 16, 2010

Great post!! Thanks, Gekko - CalvoViejo, Jun 17, 2010

I must say I am happily surprised by the interest this game has generated. I know the list of pairs I'll compile from it will be very helpful for my learners! - Gekkosan, Jun 17, 2010

@Delores: Oops! Thank you! - Gekkosan, Jun 17, 2010

Answer 1

En español: cuarto - room, cuatro - fourth

Actually, "cuarto" is also fourth, and quarter too! "Cuatro" is "four". - Gekkosan, Jun 16, 2010

Answer 2

Dam - Damn Presa - Maldita

Answer 3

Cove - Cave

Cove= cala/ensenada

Cave= cueva

Answer 4

hair - hare

pelo - liebre

Answer 5

Rate - Late .

• Rate :tipo
• Late : tarde

please correct my mistakes - 00b6f46c, Jun 16, 2010

Answer 6

Clad - Glad .

1. Clad : vestido
2. Glad : contento

Good one! - Gekkosan, Jun 16, 2010

please correct my mistakes. - 00b6f46c, Jun 16, 2010

Answer 7

Hut-hot (cabaña-caliente)

Hate-Hat (odiar-sombrero)

Thanks Aga. It would be great if you would write the pairs that are most likely to be confused, and their Spanish equivalents! :-) For example, the pair "hot-hut" is more likely to cause confusion than "hit-hot". - Gekkosan, Jun 16, 2010

Fixed, I hope this is better :) - Austin67427, Jun 16, 2010

This is great! - Gekkosan, Jun 16, 2010

Answer 8

bet - bat (apuesta - murciélago/bate)

Answer 9

Home - hone (hogar - afilar)

Answer 10

couch - coach (sofá - entrenador)

Answer 11

hours, ours - horas, nuestro

Answer 12

Bolder - Boulder (audaz - roca)

Answer 13

goat = la cabra

goal = el objectivo

Ok, yes... but these two are not so easy to confuse, I think. Thanks! - Gekkosan, Jun 16, 2010

Answer 14

Right - Light - might .

1. Right : derecho
2. Light : luz
3. might : podría

Nice. I know that "right" and "light" are difficulto to differentiate for speakers of certain Asian languages. - Gekkosan, Jun 16, 2010

Answer 15

walk-wake (camino-despertar)
slow-sow (despacio-sebrar)
jet (as in to jet out of something)-set (chorro-conjunto)

Ok... these meet the basic requirement, but they are not really quite so easy to confuse. :-) - Gekkosan, Jun 16, 2010