German–English Cognates
82 German words you already know from English. Your existing vocabulary is bigger than you think.
Cognates are your secret weapon when learning German. These words look similar to English and mean the same thing — giving you an instant vocabulary of hundreds of words before you even start studying. Learn the patterns below and you'll be able to guess German words you've never seen before.
82
Cognates Listed
Words you can recognise immediately
Identical Words(20)
Butterbutter
Fingerfinger
Handhand
Armarm
Ringring
Sandsand
Goldgold
Ballball
Hammerhammer
Tigertiger
Hotelhotel
Restaurantrestaurant
Taxitaxi
Computercomputer
Internetinternet
Softwaresoftware
Campingcamping
Partyparty
Sofasofa
Yogayoga
German Words in English(11)
German word adopted into English
Kindergartenkindergarten
Wanderlustwanderlust
Angstangst
Zeitgeistzeitgeist
Rucksackrucksack
Festfest
Kitschkitsch
Blitzblitz
Poltergeistpoltergeist
Doppelgängerdoppelgänger
Wunderkindwunderkind
Sound Shift Cognates(18)
w→v shift; Germanic cognate
Wasserwater
Haushouse
Gartengarden
Bierbeer
Glasglass
Silbersilver
Milchmilk
Apfelapple
Pfefferpepper
Pflanzeplant
Schiffship
Schuhshoe
Fischfish
Buchbook
machenmake
Nachtnight
Lichtlight
Tochterdaughter
-tion Pattern(10)
-tion → -tion (same pattern as French)
Informationinformation
Kommunikationcommunication
Situationsituation
Nationnation
Traditiontradition
Produktionproduction
Konstruktionconstruction
Direktiondirection
Attraktionattraction
Reaktionreaction
-isch Pattern(8)
-ic → -isch
fantastischfantastic
romantischromantic
automatischautomatic
elektrischelectric
klassischclassic
historischhistoric
politischpolitical
logischlogical
-ität Pattern(6)
-ity → -ität
Universitätuniversity
Qualitätquality
Aktivitätactivity
Identitätidentity
Elektrizitätelectricity
Realitätreality
International Words(9)
international word
Telefontelephone
Musikmusic
Schokoladechocolate
Kaffeecoffee
Elefantelephant
Krokodilcrocodile
Mathematikmathematics
Philosophiephilosophy
Problemproblem
Frequently Asked Questions
What are German–English cognates?▾
Cognates are words in two languages that share a common origin and look or sound similar. German and English share hundreds of cognates — words like "Butter" (butter), "Finger" (finger), "Hand" (hand). These give you an instant vocabulary boost.
How many German–English cognates are there?▾
We've compiled 82 German–English cognates organized by pattern. The real number is even higher — once you learn the patterns, you can predict hundreds more.
Are cognates the same as false friends?▾
No! Cognates are words that look similar AND mean the same thing. False friends look similar but mean something different. Check our German false friends guide to avoid those traps.
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