Spanish vs Italian: Similarities, Differences, and Which Is Easier?

Spanish and Italian sound familiar for a reason. Both come from Latin, share similar grammar patterns, and include many look-alike words. Yet, anyone who has tried to switch between them knows they are not the same language.

In this guide, we’ll explore how similar Spanish and Italian really are, where the differences appear, and which language may be easier for you to learn — depending on your goals.

Is Italian and Spanish Similar: Tracing the Roots

Both Spanish and Italian belong to the Romance language family, meaning they evolved from Vulgar Latin, the everyday language of the Roman Empire.

How Italian developed

Italian grew from regional Latin dialects spoken across the Italian Peninsula. In the 14th century, writers like Dante Alighieri helped establish the Tuscan dialect as a literary standard. When Italy unified in the 19th century, Tuscan-based Italian became the national language.

How Spanish developed

Spanish also evolved from Vulgar Latin, but its path was shaped by different historical influences. Germanic tribes left traces in early Spanish, while centuries of Muslim rule introduced thousands of Arabic words. Later, Spanish expansion into the Americas added indigenous vocabulary and spread the language worldwide.

Because both languages share Latin roots but evolved in different regions, they remain closely related — yet distinct.

How Similar Are Italian and Spanish: Common Resemblances

Now that you are familiar with the short history of both languages, it is time to finally learn why so many people think about how similar these tongues are. And for starters, let’s explore the most prominent features Italian and Spanish have in common.

• These languages have numerous cognates, words with similar forms and meanings due to their shared origin. For example, the word for “family” is “famiglia” in Italian and “familia” in Spanish.
• Both languages use a five-vowel system, and the pronunciation of vowels is generally more consistent than in some other Romance languages.
• Whether talking about Spanish or Italian, the basic sentence structure is similar, following the Subject-Verb-Object pattern. 
• Italian and Spanish use definite and indefinite articles, and the gender of nouns (masculine or feminine) is crucial in determining adjective agreement.

Despite these commonalities, it’s important to note that Italian and Spanish are distinct languages with unique characteristics. While a speaker of one language may find it easier to learn the other due to these resemblances, differences in vocabulary, pronunciation, and some grammatical structures can still pose challenges.

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Which Language Is Easier to Learn?

There’s no universal answer — it depends on what you value most.

Spanish may feel easier if you want:

• simpler pronunciation rules
• wider global use (spoken in 20+ countries)
• more learning resources and exposure

Italian may feel easier if you want:

• highly phonetic spelling
• strong links between spelling and sound
• cultural immersion focused mainly on Italy

If you already speak one of them, learning the other will be noticeably faster thanks to shared grammar and vocabulary.

Italian vs Spanish: Exploring Vocabulary Similarities

One of the most exciting things about Spanish and Italian is the number of similar words. So, for kicks and giggles, let’s explore some common examples. In the table below, you can see some of our favorite vocabulary resemblances of Italian and Spanish.

This table provides a glimpse of the linguistic similarities between Spanish and Italian. Remember that while these words look alike, there may be variations in pronunciation and subtle differences in meaning or usage between the two languages.

Spanish vs Italian Language: Key Differences

As you can see, Italian and Spanish have many similarities and resemblances. However, stating that these two languages are identical would be a mistake. They have many unique features that distinguish them from each other. Here are some common examples.

1. Past tense. Italian tends to favor the “trapassato prossimo,” or past perfect tense, while Spanish often relies on the simpler “pretérito” (past simple) for similar contexts.
2. Consonant pronunciation. Some consonant sounds, including the pronunciation of “c” and “z,” vary between the two languages. Spanish has a distinction between “soft” and “hard” pronunciations of these consonants, whereas Italian typically maintains a “soft” sound.
3. Object pronoun placement. Spanish typically places object pronouns before the conjugated verb or attached to an infinitive, whereas Italian places them after and attached to the verb.
4. False cognates. Despite the amount of actual cognates, many words look and sound identical in both languages, but have entirely different meanings. For example, “burro” is “donkey” in Spanish and “butter” in Italian. Another common one is the word “caro,” which is Spanish for “expensive” and Italian for “dear.”
5. Noun gender. Specific words may have different gender assignments in each language (e.g., “hand” – “mano” is feminine in Italian but masculine in Spanish).

These differences showcase the Romance family’s diversity, highlighting each tongue’s unique evolution over the centuries. Exploring them allows us to understand the broader context of language evolution and cultural development.

Spanish vs Italian: Nail Them Both with Promova

Regardless of the language you want to master, it is always vital to find a perfect resource to learn it. That is why we want to introduce you to the Promova application – your one-stop solution for fluency. This app provides you with tons of benefits. It includes:

• interactive lessons created by language professionals;
• useful materials for different learning styles;
• the ability to practice anywhere, anytime;
• bite-sized learning without any unnecessary information;
• access to studying various languages, including Spanish, Italian, English, Korean, and many more.

And, of course, that’s not all! The Promova app is available for both iOS and Android devices, making it easy to use on various gadgets. Install the application today and unleash the full potential of language learning.

Conclusion

So, are Italian and Spanish similar? Definitely yes. Would it be enough to learn one of them to understand another easily? Of course, no. These are beautiful and unique tongues with their history and nuances. To navigate them effectively, it is essential to approach each language with a dedicated and comprehensive learning strategy. Understanding the differences while building on the similarities will undoubtedly lead to a more profound knowledge of Italian and Spanish, improving overall language proficiency.