Welsh and English look-alikes

While English and Welsh exist harmoniously in Wales and Canada today, they do share some false friends—words that look alike but have different meanings.

See if you can spot these deceptively similar words by selecting the false friend that correctly conveys both the English and Welsh meanings in the questions below.

1. In English, a is a stupid or foolish person. In Welsh, the same word is the name for orange root vegetables rich in beta carotene.

moron

chump

dingbat

2. In English, we wiggle our , but in Welsh they knead this mixture of flour and water to make bread.

noses

toes

fingers

3. While in English you might seek comfort in one of these long affectionate hugs, finding a good in Welsh could make you the hide-and-seek champion.

snuggle

cuddle

nuzzle

4. A is a brilliant person in English, but in Welsh the word refers to ominous large black birds.

whiz

smarty

brain

5. In English, we house farm animals in this farmyard structure, but in Welsh a refers to someone’s personal view on a topic.

barn

coop

stable

6. In English, this adjective describes something poorly lit, but in Welsh is a noun synonymous with “zilch.”

dark

dull

dim

7. In English, a doesn’t have to wait to be fed because it can make its own food through photosynthesis. But in Welsh, these little ones have to be fed by adults for several months!

tree

plant

shrub

8. If you injure yourself in Wales, telling a Welsh speaker that you’re might not do you any good. He or she might just think you’re simple-minded!

hurt

bloody

cut