What term describes words in two languages that share meaning, spelling, and pronunciation?

What term describes words in two languages that share meaning, spelling, and pronunciation?

• A. Cognates
• B. Positive Language Transfer
• C. Phonological Awareness
• D. Graphic Organizer

Answer: (A)

Cognates are words in two languages that come from the same origin and share meaning, and they often look and sound very similar. This closeness in form helps learners see connections between languages and guess meanings more easily, which is especially helpful when picking up new vocabulary. For example, animal in English and animal in Spanish have the same meaning and nearly identical spelling, and hospital works the same way in both languages, as does color/color. Recognizing these familiar forms can boost reading comprehension and vocabulary growth because you can transfer what you already know to a new language. Be mindful that not all pairs that look alike have the same meaning—some are false friends and can mislead you if you assume they’re connected. The other terms describe processes or tools rather than a label for cross-language word relationships, so they don’t fit as the term described here.

Cognates are words in two languages that come from the same origin and share meaning, and they often look and sound very similar. This closeness in form helps learners see connections between languages and guess meanings more easily, which is especially helpful when picking up new vocabulary. For example, animal in English and animal in Spanish have the same meaning and nearly identical spelling, and hospital works the same way in both languages, as does color/color. Recognizing these familiar forms can boost reading comprehension and vocabulary growth because you can transfer what you already know to a new language.

Be mindful that not all pairs that look alike have the same meaning—some are false friends and can mislead you if you assume they’re connected. The other terms describe processes or tools rather than a label for cross-language word relationships, so they don’t fit as the term described here.