Why do Spanish speakers make so many mistakes in English?

The most frequent English mistakes Spanish speakers make are not due to lack of intelligence but to "linguistic interference": the brain automatically applies Spanish rules to English. For example, in Spanish we say "tengo 30 años" (using "tener"/"to have"), but in English the correct structure is "I am 30 years old" (using "to be"). The solution is not to memorise rules but to build new automatic responses through repeated exposure to real English.

What are the most common English mistakes Spanish speakers make?

The 15 most common mistakes fall into three categories: grammar (saying "I have 30 years" instead of "I am 30 years old"; "She don't know" instead of "She doesn't know"; "I am agree" instead of "I agree"; confusing "for" and "since"); vocabulary (confusing "people is" with "people are"; "bored" with "boring"; using "want that" instead of "want to"); and pronunciation (pronouncing "comfortable" with 4 syllables, saying "ze" for "the", avoiding contractions, and using articles with generalisations).

How do you fix the "I have 30 years" mistake in English?

The mistake "I have 30 years" comes from literally translating "tengo 30 años" from Spanish. In English age is always expressed with the verb "to be": "I am 30 years old" or simply "I'm 30". The verb "have" is not used for age in English. The fastest way to correct it is to listen to real conversations where native speakers talk about their age.

What is the difference between "for" and "since" in English?

"For" is used with durations: "I have been here for 3 hours". "Since" is used with a specific point in time: "I have been here since Monday". The most common mistake Spanish speakers make is using "since" with durations: "I have been here since 3 hours" — incorrect. The rule: "for + length of time", "since + specific moment".

Why is English pronunciation difficult for Spanish speakers?

English is a stress-timed language: unstressed syllables are compressed and reduced. Spanish, by contrast, gives equal weight to every syllable. This leads Spanish speakers to pronounce words like "comfortable" (3 syllables in real spoken English: COMF-ter-ble) as if they had 4. The most effective way to correct this is not to study phonetics but to listen to large amounts of native English.

How does NexSpeak help fix these English mistakes?

NexSpeak uses stories designed specifically for Spanish speakers where the most problematic structures appear repeatedly in natural context with native British audio. Instead of memorising rules, the brain absorbs the correct patterns through repeated exposure — the same mechanism that works for children learning a language. Spaced repetition flashcards then reinforce what the stories introduce.

Grammar9 min read

15 English Mistakes Every Spanish Speaker Makes (And How to Fix Them)

"I have 30 years." "She don't know." "I am agree." If you have ever said something like this, you are not alone — these are the most frequent mistakes Spanish speakers make when learning English. They all share a common cause: Spanish. This guide explains the 15 most common errors, why they happen, and how to eliminate them at the root.

The root cause: linguistic interference

These mistakes are not due to lack of intelligence. They are the result of applying Spanish rules to English — a phenomenon linguists call "linguistic interference." The solution is not to memorize new rules, but to build new automatic responses through repeated exposure to real English.

The science behind these mistakes

Half of the errors come from the native language

In contrastive analyses of student writing, around 50% of errors are "interlingual": caused by transfer from the native language, not by lack of study. Different studies place the figure between 51% and 58%.

Source: contrastive L1→L2 error-analysis studies (Journal of Language Teaching and Research; ResearchGate).

5 error types account for most of them

The five most frequent errors made by English learners are, in this order: articles, word choice, prepositions, word order and subject-verb agreement. They map exactly onto this guide’s categories: grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation.

Source: error analysis of English-as-a-second-language writing (ResearchGate, 2020-2021).

30-40% of shared vocabulary

English and Spanish share Latin roots: between 30% and 40% of English words have a recognisable Spanish cognate. That closeness helps comprehension, but it is also the direct source of the interference behind these mistakes.

Source: Applied Linguistics, Oxford Academic (academic.oup.com).

Grammar

Grammar#1

"I have 30 years."

"I am 30 years old."

Why it happens: In Spanish we say "tener" (have) years. In English age is expressed with "to be", not "to have".

NexSpeak: NexSpeak stories include conversations where characters talk about their age naturally, reinforcing "I am X years old" in context.

Grammar#2

"She don't know." / "He don't like it."

"She doesn't know." / "He doesn't like it."

Why it happens: In Spanish negation does not change with the person. In English the simple present in 3rd person singular requires "doesn't" (not "don't").

NexSpeak: This structure ("She doesn't") appears dozens of times in NexSpeak stories with spaced repetition until it becomes automatic.

Grammar#3

"I am agree." / "I am disagree."

"I agree." / "I disagree."

Why it happens: "Agree" and "disagree" are verbs, not adjectives. In Spanish we say "estoy de acuerdo" (to be + adjective), but in English it is just the verb alone.

NexSpeak: The pattern "I agree / I disagree" appears in debate dialogues in B1 and B2 level stories.

Grammar#4

"I didn't went." / "She didn't arrived."

"I didn't go." / "She didn't arrive."

Why it happens: With the auxiliary "did/didn't" the main verb returns to its base form (infinitive). The past is already in the auxiliary, not in the main verb.

NexSpeak: NexSpeak introduces the simple past gradually in A2 stories, with many repetitions of the "didn't + infinitive" pattern.

Grammar#5

"I have been here since 3 hours."

"I have been here for 3 hours."

Why it happens: "Since" is used with a specific point in time ("since Monday", "since 2020"). "For" is used with durations ("for 3 hours", "for two years").

NexSpeak: The "for vs since" distinction is introduced in B1 stories with characters describing how long they have been doing something.

Native British Audio

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Carlos's first story is free — his English at the start is yours right now. In twelve minutes, something shifts.

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Vocabulary

Vocabulary#6

"People is very friendly here."

"People are very friendly here."

Why it happens: "People" is a plural noun in English. In Spanish "gente" is singular, which leads us to use "is" instead of "are".

NexSpeak: The pattern "people are" appears naturally in stories when characters describe their surroundings.

Vocabulary#7

"I am very bored." (when you mean the work is boring)

"This job is very boring." / "I am bored by this job."

Why it happens: "Bored" describes how you feel (the result). "Boring" describes the thing causing the boredom. Same applies to: interested/interesting, excited/exciting, confused/confusing.

NexSpeak: NexSpeak presents participial adjective pairs (-ed/-ing) in emotionally charged story situations so the contrast is memorable.

Vocabulary#8

"I want that you come." / "I suggest you to go."

"I want you to come." / "I suggest you go." / "I suggest going."

Why it happens: In Spanish we use "quiero que vengas" (want + that + subjunctive). In English the structure is "want + someone + to infinitive", without "that".

NexSpeak: This structure appears in B1 stories when characters make requests of others or give suggestions.

Vocabulary#9

"It depends of the weather."

"It depends on the weather."

Why it happens: In Spanish "depender de" uses "de". In English the verb "depend" is always followed by "on", not "of".

NexSpeak: The pattern "depends on" appears in conversations about plans and decisions in NexSpeak stories.

Vocabulary#10

"Make me a favor" vs "do me a favor" — knowing when to use make vs do

"Do me a favour." / "Make an effort." — "Do" for actions, "make" for creating/producing.

Why it happens: In Spanish "hacer" covers everything. In English "make" and "do" have distinct uses: "do homework/exercise/a job" but "make a decision/an effort/a mistake".

NexSpeak: NexSpeak presents make/do collocations in context so the learner absorbs the patterns through exposure, not rule memorization.

70% of what you read is forgotten in 48hEbbinghaus curve — without review

Now you know what's holding you back. Time to live it.

Carlos's first story is free — his English at the start is yours right now. In twelve minutes, something shifts.

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Pronunciation & rhythm

Pronunciation#11

Pronouncing "comfortable" as "com-for-ta-ble" (4 syllables).

"Comfortable" is pronounced "COMF-ter-ble" (3 syllables in spoken English).

Why it happens: English is a stress-timed language — unstressed syllables are compressed. Spanish speakers tend to give every syllable equal weight, which sounds very formal and foreign.

NexSpeak: NexSpeak's native audio lets you hear these compressed pronunciations in real conversations, training your ear without studying phonetics.

Pronunciation#12

Pronouncing "the" always the same: "ze".

"The" is pronounced "thuh" before a consonant and "thee" before a vowel. And it is never "ze".

Why it happens: Spanish has no "th" sound. Spanish speakers replace it with "z" or "d". Additionally, the thuh/thee variation is automatic in native English but does not exist in Spanish.

NexSpeak: Repeated exposure to NexSpeak audio trains the "th" passively — no pronunciation drills, just listening.

Pronunciation#13

Avoiding contractions: "I am going to the shop" instead of "I'm going to the shop".

Native speakers use contractions constantly in casual speech. Avoiding them sounds very formal.

Why it happens: Spanish has no mandatory contractions (except "del" and "al"). We transfer that habit to English and end up sounding like we are reading an official document.

NexSpeak: NexSpeak stories are written in real spoken English, with all the natural contractions of the language.

Pronunciation#14

"Yes, I know it." (literal translation of "sí, lo sé")

"Yes, I know." — In English "know" usually does not take a direct object in this context.

Why it happens: In Spanish "lo sé" has the mandatory pronoun "lo". In English the object is omitted when the referent is implicit.

NexSpeak: Small patterns like this are naturally absorbed through listening to real English stories.

Pronunciation#15

Using an article with generalizations: "I love the music." (referring to music in general)

"I love music." — In English "the" is not used when speaking about something in general.

Why it happens: Spanish uses the definite article for generalizations: "me encanta la música", "los perros son leales". English does not.

NexSpeak: NexSpeak conversations include dozens of examples of generalizations without articles, building the correct habit through exposure.

Real English doesn't fit in one article.

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NexSpeak stories break these habits at the root

Studying a list of mistakes and their corrections helps at a conscious level. But in a real conversation the brain operates on autopilot. The only real antidote is having heard the correct form so many times that it comes out automatically.

NexSpeak stories are designed specifically for Spanish speakers. The most problematic structures appear again and again in natural context, with native audio, until the correct automatism replaces the incorrect one.

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Conclusion: the problem is not your intelligence

The 15 mistakes in this guide are made by Spanish speakers at all levels — from beginners to people with years of formal study. They are not a sign of lack of effort. They are the predictable result of learning English from Spanish.

The difference between those who overcome them and those who do not is not grammar — it is the amount of real English they have listened to. The more comprehensible input, the faster the incorrect automatisms are replaced by the correct ones.