¡Hola! Welcome back. In our previous lesson, we learned a valuable pattern for identifying English verbs: converting the Spanish -izar ending to -ize.
Today, we'll continue our exploration of verb cognates with another extremely common and useful pattern. This lesson will help you instantly recognize another large group of English verbs. By the end of our session, you will be able to convert Spanish verbs ending in -ificar to English verbs ending in -ify, like changing justificar to justify.
Let's get started!
The -ificar to -ify Pattern
Just like the -izar to -ize rule, the conversion from the Spanish -ificar to the English -ify is very consistent. When you see a Spanish verb ending in -ificar, you can be almost certain that its English equivalent ends in -ify.
To see just how many words this pattern unlocks, let's look at a comprehensive list.
An epic guide to Spanish cognates & 1111 easy examples
The following resource from Berlitz provides an excellent list of verbs that follow this rule. It clearly shows the direct relationship between the Spanish -ificar words and their English -ify counterparts.
Please find the section with the heading Words that end in “ify” change to “ificar”. Take a few minutes to read through the table and see how many familiar Spanish words you can find.
As you saw in the list, the spelling change is simple and predictable. Here are some of the most common examples from that list:
Spanish (-ificar) |
English (-ify) |
|---|---|
justificar |
justify |
modificar |
modify |
simplificar |
simplify |
identificar |
identify |
notificar |
notify |
verificar |
verify |
This pattern is a powerful tool for reading. If you encounter a word like clarificar in a text, you can confidently deduce that its English cognate is clarify.
A Closer Look at Pronunciation and Stress
You've expressed a strong interest in understanding the pronunciation differences, which is crucial for these words. While the spelling is similar, the sound and rhythm are quite different from Spanish.
1. The Sound of -ify
In English, the -ify ending is pronounced /ɪfaɪ/.
- The
isounds like the "i" in "it". - The
fysounds like the word "fy" in "wi-fi". Theyhas a long "i" sound, like in the wordeye.
So, justify is pronounced "JUST-if-eye".
2. The Stress Shift
This is a very important difference. In our last lesson with -izar and -ize verbs, the stress often stayed in a similar place. With -ificar and -ify verbs, the stress in English usually moves to the beginning of the word.
Let's compare. The stressed syllable is in bold.
| Spanish (Stress near the end) | English (Stress at the beginning) |
|---|---|
| jus-ti-fi-CAR | JUS-ti-fy |
| mo-di-fi-CAR | MOD-i-fy |
| sim-pli-fi-CAR | SIM-pli-fy |
| i-den-ti-fi-CAR | i-DEN-ti-fy* |
*Note: For longer words like identify, the stress may fall on the second syllable, but it is still much earlier in the word than in Spanish. The key is that the ending -ify is unstressed in English.
Recognizing this stress shift is key to both understanding these words when you hear them and pronouncing them correctly.
Hearing the Pattern in Action
Listening to a native speaker pronounce these words can help solidify your understanding. The following video provides a quick and clear explanation of this pattern.
EL ESPAÑOL ES INGLÉS: palabras cognadas entre inglés y español
In this short clip from the YouTube channel 'Inglés con el Güero', the host explains the -ificar to -ify pattern with examples. Listen carefully to his pronunciation of the English verbs.
Please watch the video from timestamp 09:27 to 10:06. The host will discuss verbs ending in -ificar and how they change to -ify in English.
Hearing him say "modify" and "verify" helps connect the spelling rule to the actual sound of the words.
Test your understanding!
Based on the -ificar to -ify pattern, what are the English cognates for these Spanish verbs? Try to think about where the stress would be in the English word.
clarificarclasificarnotificarunificar
Show answer
- clarify (Stress: CLA-ri-fy)
- classify (Stress: CLA-ssi-fy)
- notify (Stress: NO-ti-fy)
- unify (Stress: U-ni-fy)
Conclusion
Excellent work today! You have now mastered the second major verb cognate pattern, which will dramatically expand the number of English words you can recognize while reading.
Key Takeaways:
- The Rule: Spanish verbs ending in
-ificarconsistently translate to English verbs ending in-ify. - Pronunciation: The English
-ifyending is pronounced /ɪfaɪ/ and is unstressed. - Stress Shift: Unlike in Spanish where the stress is on the final syllable (
-car), the stress in English-ifyverbs usually moves to the first syllable (e.g.,JUS-ti-fy,MOD-i-fy).
You are building a fantastic toolkit of patterns for decoding English vocabulary. We have now finished our module on verb patterns.
In our next lesson, we will begin a new and very important module: Navigating False Friends. While cognate patterns are incredibly helpful, there are some tricky words that look like cognates but have completely different meanings. Learning to spot these "false friends" is essential to avoid common misunderstandings. See you then