Spanish is one of the friendliest languages for an English speaker. Thousands of words share Latin roots with English, the spelling is close to how words sound, and Netflix has a huge catalog of Spanish-language series from Spain and Latin America.
That last point is the real advantage. A good series gives you hours of natural Spanish, with the same characters and voices episode after episode, which is exactly what your ear needs. The trick is watching with attention, and knowing where English will lead you astray.
Pick an accent (and do not worry too much)
Spanish is spoken in more than twenty countries, with differences in pronunciation, vocabulary and even grammar. The two big reference points are:
| Spain | Latin America | |
|---|---|---|
| ”You all” (informal) | vosotros | ustedes (always) |
| The “z” and “ce/ci” sound | like the th in “think” | like an s |
| Computer | ordenador | computadora |
| Mobile phone | móvil | celular |
| Car | coche | carro / auto |
There is no “correct” Spanish. Start with the accent you will hear or use most (for many people in the US, that means Latin American Spanish), and train your ear on both. Alternating a series from Spain with one from Latin America takes care of that.
Series to start with
Availability changes by country and over time, so check your streaming catalog.
From Spain
| Series | Why it works |
|---|---|
| Money Heist (La Casa de Papel) | Memorable, repeated lines and action vocabulary. Fast in places, but the plot carries you. |
| Elite (Élite) | High school setting, current slang from Spain. |
| Cable Girls (Las chicas del cable) | A period drama with slower, more formal speech. Good for beginners. |
From Latin America
| Series | Why it works |
|---|---|
| Club de Cuervos (Mexico) | A soccer comedy with very clear Mexican Spanish and lots of everyday expressions. |
| The House of Flowers (La casa de las flores, Mexico) | A family dramedy, everyday dialogue. |
| Luis Miguel: The Series (Mexico) | A linear story with lots of conversation, plus the music. |
Narcos gets recommended a lot, but be careful: it mixes English and Spanish, and the Spanish has a strong Colombian accent and plenty of slang. It works better at intermediate level.
The false friends that trip up English speakers
A false friend is a word that looks like an English word but means something else. Because Spanish and English share so much vocabulary, your instinct is usually right, and that is exactly why the exceptions are dangerous.
| Spanish | Looks like | Actually means |
|---|---|---|
| embarazada | embarrassed | pregnant |
| actual | actual | current, present-day |
| éxito | exit | success |
| librería | library | bookshop |
| carpeta | carpet | folder |
| constipado | constipated | having a cold |
| sensible | sensible | sensitive |
| molestar | molest | to bother, annoy |
| recordar | record | to remember |
| asistir | assist | to attend |
| realizar | realize | to carry out, achieve |
| introducir | introduce (a person) | to insert, put in |
| ropa | rope | clothes |
| preservativo | preservative | condom |
| lectura | lecture | reading |
Embarazada is the classic: saying estoy muy embarazada to mean you are embarrassed announces a pregnancy. And preservativo has caused more than one awkward moment for someone asking whether a food has preservatives (the word you want is conservantes).
The method, adapted to Spanish
Use Spanish subtitles early. Because so much vocabulary is shared, you can often read more than you can hear. Spanish subtitles let you connect the two, and the translation becomes a backup for the scenes that stop you. More on choosing subtitles in which subtitles to use when learning a language.
Listen for the sounds English does not have. The rolled rr (perro), the throaty j (jamón), the ñ (año), the v that sounds like a soft b, and vowels that stay short and pure instead of gliding like English ones. Getting used to them is what makes fast Spanish stop sounding like one long word.
Note false friends when they appear. Every time a familiar-looking word feels odd in a scene, be suspicious and look it up. That is how they stop fooling you.
Repeat lines out loud. Spanish is spoken fast, with syllables flowing into each other. Imitating the characters helps your mouth and your ear keep up.
Spanish on YouTube counts too
Beyond series, YouTube has a lot of content in Spanish: cooking, travel, science and news channels from Spain and Latin America. Look for channels about topics you already enjoy. The method is the same we describe in how to actually learn a language with Netflix.
Help with the words that look familiar
Telidioma is not only for English: you can choose Spanish as your study language, as well as French, German, Italian, Japanese or Korean. In Netflix and YouTube subtitles, tap a Spanish word and see what it means in that sentence, with a definition and an example. That is especially useful with false friends, where guessing from the English lookalike goes badly wrong. The word can be saved to your vocabulary to review later.