10 Business English Mistakes Mexican Professionals Make (and How to Fix Them)
Your English Is Good. These Mistakes Are Holding It Back.
You present quarterly results to a US board. You negotiate contracts with Canadian suppliers. You lead daily standups with distributed teams across three time zones.
Your English works. But “works” and “commands respect” are two different things.
After years of coaching Mexican executives, tech leads, and startup founders, I keep seeing the same ten mistakes. They aren’t grammar failures—they’re interference patterns from Spanish that make even advanced speakers sound less polished than they actually are.
The good news: every one of them has a straightforward fix. Let’s walk through them.
1) False Cognate: “Actually” vs. “Actualmente”
The mistake: Using “actually” to mean “currently” or “at the present time.”
“Actually, we’re working on the migration to AWS.”
To a native speaker, “actually” means “in fact” or “to correct a misunderstanding.” So this sentence sounds like you’re contradicting something someone said—when you just meant “right now.”
Why it happens: In Spanish, actualmente means “currently.” The words look identical. Your brain makes the swap automatically.
The fix:
❌ “Actually, we have 200 employees.”
✅ “Currently, we have 200 employees.” / “Right now, we have 200 employees.”
Reserve “actually” for corrections: “Actually, that number is closer to 250.”
2) False Cognate: “Compromise” vs. “Compromiso”
The mistake: Using “compromise” when you mean “commitment” or “obligation.”
“We have a strong compromise with quality.”
To a native speaker, “compromise” means meeting in the middle—giving up something to reach agreement. So this sentence sounds like you’re saying you’ve settled for less-than-perfect quality.
Why it happens: Compromiso in Spanish means commitment, dedication, or engagement. The English word “compromise” carries a completely different connotation.
The fix:
❌ “Our compromise to the client is total.”
✅ “Our commitment to the client is total.”
Other correct translations of compromiso: obligation, engagement, dedication, promise.
3) False Cognate: “Sensible” vs. “Sensible”
The mistake: Using “sensible” to mean “sensitive.”
“He’s very sensible about feedback.”
In English, “sensible” means practical, reasonable, level-headed. So you just said he handles feedback in a rational way—not that he takes it personally.
Why it happens: Sensible in Spanish means sensitive or emotionally affected. The English “sensible” means something entirely different.
The fix:
❌ “This is a sensible topic for the team.”
✅ “This is a sensitive topic for the team.”
Quick rule: if you mean emotions or feelings, the word is “sensitive.” If you mean practical or reasonable, the word is “sensible.”
4) “Make” vs. “Do” Confusion
The mistake: Swapping “make” and “do” in common business phrases.
“We need to make a decision” ✅ (this one is correct) “I’ll make the report by Friday” ❌
Why it happens: Spanish uses hacer for both “make” and “do.” There’s no distinction. So your brain has to learn collocations one by one, with no underlying rule to lean on.
The fix — common business collocations:
| DO (process/task) | MAKE (create/produce) |
|---|---|
| do business | make a decision |
| do research | make a presentation |
| do an analysis | make a deal |
| do the paperwork | make progress |
| do your best | make a profit |
| do a favor | make an effort |
❌ “We need to do a decision before Q3.”
✅ “We need to make a decision before Q3.”
❌ “Let me make some research on that.”
✅ “Let me do some research on that.”
There’s no universal rule, but a helpful pattern: “do” tends to go with tasks and processes, while “make” tends to go with things you create or produce.
5) Overly Formal Register
The mistake: Writing and speaking in a register that sounds like a 19th-century legal document.
“I hereby inform you that the aforementioned deliverables shall be submitted in a timely manner.”
Native English speakers in business—especially in tech and startups—write in a much more direct, conversational tone than this.
Why it happens: Mexican business Spanish is naturally more formal than American business English. Phrases like por medio de la presente and me permito informarle are standard in Mexican professional correspondence. When you translate that register directly, it sounds stiff and distant in English.
The fix:
❌ “I would like to take this opportunity to inform you that the project has been completed.”
✅ “The project is complete. Here’s the summary.”
❌ “It would be greatly appreciated if you could kindly provide the requested documentation at your earliest convenience.”
✅ “Could you send the documents by Friday?”
The principle: In American business English, clarity and directness signal competence. Excessive formality signals distance or insecurity. Write like you’d talk to a respected colleague, not like you’re drafting a legal contract.
If you’re navigating this in high-stakes executive contexts, executive English coaching can help you find the right register for your specific industry and audience.
6) Direct Translation of Email Sign-offs
The mistake: Translating Spanish email closings word-for-word.
“I stay attentive to your comments.” (Quedo atento a sus comentarios.)
“Without more for the moment…” (Sin más por el momento…)
“I remain at your orders.” (Quedo a sus órdenes.)
These are perfectly polished in Mexican business Spanish. In English, they sound odd, subservient, or robotic.
Why it happens: These are deeply ingrained formulas in Mexican professional culture. You’ve written them thousands of times. The direct translation feels natural because the Spanish version is so automatic.
The fix:
| Spanish Sign-off | What NOT to Write | What to Write Instead |
|---|---|---|
| Quedo atento a sus comentarios | ”I stay attentive to your comments" | "Looking forward to your feedback” or “Let me know your thoughts” |
| Sin más por el momento | ”Without more for the moment" | "That’s all for now” or simply end the email |
| Quedo a sus órdenes | ”I remain at your orders" | "Happy to help” or “Let me know if you need anything” |
| Saludos cordiales | ”Cordial greetings" | "Best regards” or just “Best” |
For a deeper dive on email tone, check out 7 Email Phrases That Make You Sound Junior—it covers more patterns that undermine your professional authority.
7) Filler Phrases That Erode Credibility
The mistake: Padding sentences with filler that weakens your message.
“Well, basically, what I mean is that, you know, we should probably, like, consider maybe looking at other options.”
Why it happens: Two factors collide. First, Spanish speakers often use o sea, bueno, este, pues, and digamos as fillers. These habits transfer to English. Second, when you’re thinking in your second language, filler buys processing time.
The fix:
The most powerful replacement for filler is… silence. A brief pause sounds confident. Filler sounds nervous.
Practice this substitution:
| Instead of… | Try… |
|---|---|
| ”Basically…” | [just start your sentence] |
| “You know…” | [pause, then continue] |
| “I mean…” | [restate clearly] |
| “To be honest…” | [just be honest without announcing it] |
| “Like…” | [nothing—just drop it] |
Exercise: Record yourself answering a business question for 60 seconds. Count the fillers. Then do it again aiming for zero. The difference is immediate.
Want to benchmark where you stand? Take the executive English assessment to see how your communication measures up.
8) Pronunciation Patterns That Undermine Credibility
The mistake: Specific pronunciation patterns that mark you as less fluent than you actually are.
These aren’t about having an accent—accents are normal and fine. These are about specific sounds that cause confusion or make listeners work harder to understand you.
Why it happens: Spanish has a more regular phonetic system than English. When your mouth defaults to Spanish sound patterns, certain English words come out in ways that create real comprehension problems.
The top credibility killers:
“Espeak” instead of “speak”: Adding an “e” before words starting with “sp,” “st,” or “sk.”
- eschool, espeak, estart, eskip
- Fix: Practice starting with the consonant cluster directly. Whisper the “s” first, then add the rest.
Confusing “sheet” and a vulgar word: The short i/long ee distinction doesn’t exist in Spanish.
- “Sheet,” “beach,” “piece” — the vowel matters enormously
- Fix: Long “ee” = smile wide. Short “i” = relax your mouth. Practice pairs: “sheet/sit,” “beach/bit,” “piece/pick.”
“Yob” instead of “job”: Pronouncing the English “j” sound as a Spanish “y.”
- yust, yob, yanuary
- Fix: The English “j” is a “dj” sound. Put your tongue on the roof of your mouth and push air through, like saying “d” + “zh” together.
Swallowing word endings: Dropping final consonants, especially “-ed,” “-s,” and “-t.”
- “We launch the product” instead of “We launched the product”
- Fix: Exaggerate endings in practice. In conversation, just make sure the final consonant exists—even a soft one.
The principle: You don’t need a “perfect” accent. You need clarity on the sounds that cause actual confusion or make people work harder to follow you.
9) Translating “Hacer” Constructions Literally
The mistake: Building sentences around the structure of Spanish hacer expressions.
“I make you a question.” (Te hago una pregunta.)
“She made me a favor.” (Me hizo un favor.)
“The weather makes cold today.” (Hace frío hoy.)
Why it happens: Hacer is one of the most versatile verbs in Spanish. It covers territory that English splits across “make,” “do,” “ask,” and other verbs. When you translate the Spanish structure, the English version breaks.
The fix:
| Spanish Expression | Wrong English | Correct English |
|---|---|---|
| Hacer una pregunta | ”Make a question" | "Ask a question” |
| Hacer un favor | ”Make a favor" | "Do a favor” |
| Hace frío | ”Makes cold" | "It’s cold” |
| Hacer caso | ”Make case" | "Pay attention” |
| Hacerse cargo | ”Make yourself in charge" | "Take charge” / “Take responsibility” |
| Hacer falta | ”Makes a lack" | "We need…” / “It’s necessary” |
The principle: When you catch yourself building a sentence around “make” or “do,” pause and ask: does English use a completely different verb here?
10) Using “The People” When You Mean “People”
The mistake: Adding “the” before general nouns where English drops the article.
“The people in Mexico are very hardworking.” “The technology is changing fast.” “The communication is important in business.”
Why it happens: Spanish uses definite articles with general nouns far more than English does. La gente, la tecnología, la comunicación—these all take an article in Spanish. In English, when you’re speaking in general terms, the article disappears.
The fix:
❌ “The patience is important in negotiations.”
✅ “Patience is important in negotiations.”
❌ “The innovation drives the growth.”
✅ “Innovation drives growth.”
When to use “the”: When you’re referring to a specific instance, not a general concept.
✅ “The technology we chose is working well.” (specific technology)
✅ “Technology is evolving rapidly.” (technology in general)
The Pattern: Spanish Interference Is Predictable
Notice that every mistake on this list follows the same pattern: your brain applies a Spanish rule to an English sentence. That’s not a sign of weakness—it’s a sign that you’re a fluent Spanish speaker whose brain is doing what bilingual brains do.
The fix isn’t “learn more English.” It’s targeted correction of the specific interference patterns that affect your credibility.
Here’s a priority framework:
- High impact, quick fix: False cognates (#1-3), email sign-offs (#6), articles (#10)
- Medium effort, big payoff: Make/do (#4), register (#5), hacer constructions (#9)
- Ongoing practice: Fillers (#7), pronunciation (#8)
Quick Reference Card
| Mistake | Spanish Source | English Fix |
|---|---|---|
| ”Actually” = currently | Actualmente | Currently, Right now |
| ”Compromise” = commitment | Compromiso | Commitment, Dedication |
| ”Sensible” = sensitive | Sensible | Sensitive |
| Make/Do confusion | Hacer | Learn collocations |
| Overly formal register | Mexican business norms | Write conversationally |
| ”I stay attentive” | Quedo atento | ”Let me know your thoughts” |
| Filler overuse | O sea, bueno, este | Pause instead |
| E-before-S clusters | Spanish phonology | Start with consonant |
| ”Make a question” | Hacer una pregunta | ”Ask a question" |
| "The people” (general) | La gente | ”People” (no article) |
What to Do Next
Awareness is the first step. Now pick the two or three mistakes from this list that you recognize in yourself and focus on those for the next two weeks.
Want a structured approach? Download the 10 Common Mistakes in Executive English guide—it includes practice exercises and self-correction frameworks.
If you work in tech and deal with international teams daily, tech English coaching targets exactly these interference patterns in the context of standups, code reviews, and technical presentations.
Get a Personalized Diagnosis
Reading a list of common mistakes is useful. Having someone analyze your specific patterns and give you targeted fixes is transformational.
Book a free 30-minute strategy session and I’ll identify the interference patterns that are holding you back—then give you a concrete plan to fix them.
