The 10 most common mistakes foreigners make when speaking Spanish (and how to avoid them without getting frustrated)

Learning Spanish can be a fascinating, enriching, and sometimes slightly chaotic experience. Don’t worry: making mistakes is part of the process of learning a new language. In fact, getting things wrong is one of the most effective ways to improve. In this article, we’ll cover the most common mistakes international students make when speaking Spanish… and how to avoid them without getting overwhelmed!

1. Confusing “b” and “v”

One of the classic mistakes. The good news is that in most Spanish-speaking countries, there is no difference in the pronunciation of “b” and “v”: they sound exactly the same. The bad news: although they are pronounced the same, they are spelled differently, and that’s where many students get confused. For example, “tubo” (a pipe/tube) is not the same as “tuvo” (from the verb tener, meaning “he/she had”).

👉 Practical tip: pay attention when reading aloud. If you are unsure between “b” and “v”, look the word up in a dictionary and learn its spelling. You can also practice dictation to reinforce your writing.

2. Not pronouncing the “r” correctly

The “r” in Spanish has two sounds: the simple one (as in “caro”) and the double or strong one (as in “carro”). Sometimes, a difference in pronunciation completely changes the meaning. For someone who speaks English, German, or French, the strong “r” can feel like a nightmare.

👉 Mini tip: a good trick is to practice words that start with “r” or have “rr” in the middle, such as ratón, perro, reír. If you can’t get it at first, don’t get frustrated! Many native Spanish speakers also take years to master the “rr”.

3. Misusing “tú” and “usted”

In Spanish, we use “tú” to speak informally and “usted” for more formal situations or when we want to show respect. Many languages do not have this distinction, making it easy to make a mistake.

👉 Practical example: with your flatmate you say “tú eres divertido” (you are fun), but to your professor you would say “usted es muy amable” (you are very kind).

👉 Tip: when in doubt, start with “usted”, especially with older people or in professional situations. Over time, you will know when to switch to a more informal tone.

4. Confusing “ser” and “estar”

Both mean “to be” in English, but they have different uses in Spanish. “Ser” is used to describe identities, permanent characteristics, or professions (soy estudiante, es alto, somos amigos). “Estar” is used for temporary states, emotions, or locations (estoy cansado, está en casa, estamos felices).

👉 Tip: if you are talking about something that can change over time (emotions, location, physical state), use “estar”. If it’s something that defines the person or thing, use “ser”.

5. Not using reflexive verbs correctly

In Spanish, many verbs are reflexive, meaning the action reflects back onto the subject itself. For example, saying “levanto” (I lift something) is not the same as saying “me levanto” (I get myself up from bed).

👉 Example: “me baño” means I wash myself. Saying just “baño” can sound strange if there is no object after it.

👉 Tip: learn the verb with its pronoun right from the start. You can make lists of common verbs: levantarse, ducharse, peinarse, acostarse…

6. Errors in subject-verb agreement

In Spanish, the verb changes depending on the subject. This is an aspect that many beginners overlook. Sometimes, a single form of the verb is used for all people (for example: “yo habla”, “tú habla”, “nosotros habla”)… and that can sound very strange to a native speaker.

👉 Tip: make conjugation charts for the most common verbs (like ser, estar, tener, ir, hacer). And repeat simple phrases with all the pronouns: yo como, tú comes, él come…

7. Confusing “llevar” and “traer”

Both verbs indicate movement, but the difference lies in the direction of the movement:

• Llevar: something goes from where you are to another place (to take/carry).

• Traer: something comes toward where you are (to bring).

👉 Example: you are at home and your friend is at the supermarket. You tell her: ¿Puedes traer pan? (Can you bring bread?). But if you are going to take it to her house: Voy a llevar pan a tu casa (I am going to take bread to your house).

👉 Tip: always picture your location and the other person’s location to know if the object is moving toward you (traer) or away from you (llevar).

8. Not distinguishing between “ll” and “y”

Depending on the country, the pronunciation of “ll” and “y” can vary. In some regions they sound identical (yeísmo), but in others they do not. This can lead to confusion when both listening and writing.

👉 Example: “llama” (animal or verb) and “yama” (if pronounced this way, it would be a spelling mistake).

👉 Tip: even if they sound the same in the country where you are learning, it is best to learn their correct spelling. It is also interesting to know the differences in pronunciation between countries (in Argentina, for example, “ll” sounds like a “sh”).

9. Misusing the articles “el” and “la”

Every noun in Spanish has a grammatical gender: masculine or feminine. Although masculine nouns often end in “-o” and feminine ones in “-a”, there are many exceptions. For example: el día, el problema, la mano.

👉 Tip: learn the noun together with its article: don’t just memorize “mapa”, memorize “el mapa”. This way, your brain will connect it with the correct gender right from the start.

10. Ignoring accents (tildes)

Many students ignore written accents because they don’t exist in their native language or they don’t consider them important. But in Spanish, they can completely change the meaning of a word:

• papa = potato

• papá = father

• sí = yes

• si = if

• tú = you (pronoun)

• tu = your (possessive)

👉 Tip: turn on the Spanish spell checker and practice reading aloud, paying close attention to accented words. The more you see and use them, the more natural it will become.

Conclusion: mistakes teach us too

Learning Spanish isn’t about being perfect; it’s about making progress, getting things wrong, having a laugh, and keeping on learning. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes: they are a fundamental part of the process. In fact, the sooner you make them, the sooner you will learn from them.

Speak, listen, ask, read, make mistakes, and try again. Native speakers usually deeply appreciate the effort students make. With consistent practice, a little patience, and a good attitude, you will notice your progress sooner than you think!