Many Spanish words are similar to English words. These words are called cognates. Cognates are a great tool for learning Spanish Vocabulary. A few examples are shown below:

los apartamentos - apartments
el hotel - hotel
el aeropuerto - airport
el mapa - map
el operador - operator
el tomate - tomato
el melón - melon

Some Spanish words look like English words but they have a very different meaning. These words are called false cognates. A few examples are shown below:

actual - current (NOT actual)
asistir - to attend (NOT to assist)
la carpeta - file folder (NOT carpet)
embarazada - pregnant (NOT embarrassed)
la fábrica - factory (NOT fabric)
la librería - bookstore (NOT library)