One of the first things I noticed after moving to Spain was how often I’d see or hear English words pop up in everyday life—but with a distinctly Spanish twist.
For instance, I was baffled once when a neighbour popped on my door to ask for some eggs.
(It’s become a small and not-very-profitable side business for us. But once I love for the chance to practise my Spanish!)
It was our neighbour Ángeles. I saw she was dressed in running gear so I said: “¿Vas a correr?” which means “Are you going to go running?”.
She replied: “Si voy a hacer footing.”
I thought it was a Spanish word at first. But no. On closer inspection it’s a Spanglicism which comes from the English word “foot” and in Spanish means “to go jogging”.
To say one is “footing” in English sounds extremely odd—it’s a noun, never a verb.
A bit mad if you ask me!
Of course, that was just the beginning of another linguistic adventure for me. Here are a few odd or interesting ways English words slip into Spanish—and sometimes, they’re changed so much you’d hardly know they’re English at all.
1. “Shrek” and the Spanish “S”
If you think you’re going to hear “Shrek” pronounced exactly as in English, think again.
I once heard Mari Carmen say her children loved watching it.
Except, she pronounced it “Es-rek.” I thought it was some Spanish children’s film or other, but when she started describing a big green ogre and a talking donkey the penny dropped.
I couldn’t hold back my laughter!
It must have seemed terribly rude. But it was nothing against her. I just loved how Spanish gets to work on words.
I’ve collected a few of these gems now. Spider-Man becomes “Espaiderman”. Google becomes “Gogle”. Instagram becomes “Instagrang”. Facebook becomes “Fay-boo”. Smoothie becomes “Esmuti” and so on…
But “es-rek” has to be the best of them all.
2. “Parking” for Car Parks
In Spain, “parking” doesn’t just mean “the act of parking a car.”
It often refers to an actual parking lot or parking garage—as in, “Voy al parking a por el coche.” (I’m going to the parking lot to get the car.)
It’s an adopted term that sometimes feels more French than English, but you’ll encounter it everywhere.
3. “Footing” Instead of Jogging
Like I explained above, you might hear someone say they’re going to do “footing”—meaning they’re off for a jog or run.
Although “footing” isn’t a term we’d normally use in English (we’d just say “going for a run”), it’s firmly established in Spanish colloquial speech.
4. “Camping” for Campsites
In Spain, “ir de camping” means heading to a campsite (un camping). So if you see a sign or a conversation about “camping,” it’s referring to the actual campground, not just the activity.
5. “Stop” = “Alto”… or Maybe Not
Despite Spanish having perfectly serviceable words like “alto” or “pare,” the standard Spanish road sign still says “STOP.”
It’s an official quirk that’ll catch your eye if you’re used to seeing those signs in English-speaking countries. But here, that four-letter word is simply the norm—no biggie for local drivers.
Although, of course, in Spain it’s pronounced “estop”.
6. “Team Building”
I have a Spanish friend, Juán, who works for Google remotely from his home in Pego.
He once informed me he was going to Madrid for a “tim bildin” which I really couldn’t understand at first. Then it hit me—it’s bloody English you ninny!
Sure enough, if you look around for team building in Madrid you’ll get Spanish companies popping up using the English phrase. A unique linguistic import, I must say!
7. “Ticket” and “Tiquet”
Another fun one: while Spanish has the word “entrada” for a paid pass or “multas” for fines, sometimes you’ll hear “ticket” (pronounced more like “TEE-ket”) for a receipt.
If you’ve just paid by card in a supermarket you’ll be asked: “¿Quieres el tiquet?” or sometimes “¿Quieres la copia?”.
And you might spot “tiquet” used in shops as well. It’s a straightforward borrowing but can be confusing if you’re expecting the Spanish term.
8. “Crack”
When you hear a Spaniard say “¡Eres un crack!” they’re not insulting you.
Quite the opposite!
In Spanish slang, calling someone a crack is a huge compliment—it means they’re exceptionally skilled, talented, or just plain amazing. It’s often used in sports contexts but has spread into everyday life to describe anyone who stands out in a positive way.
If you look it up in Spanish etymology dictionaries you’ll see it comes from the English as in “he’s a crack shot”.
Except, somehow in Spanish it’s turned from an adjective to a noun.
What a mad language!
