Many words in Spanish are nearly the same as their English counterparts, except for the word ending. This unique book identifies the 24 most common word-ending patterns between these languages and provides over 4,000 words that follow them. For example, many English words that end in "-ance" (distance, importance, etc.) correspond to "-ancia" in Spanish (distancia, importancia, etc.). Similarly, English words ending in "-ary" (necessary, ordinary, etc.) correspond to"-ario" in Spanish (necessario, ordinario, etc.). Using this system for learning, students can add thousands of new Spanish words to their vocabulary. Perfect as a classroom supplement or for self-study, Instant Spanish Vocabulary Builder is appropriate for all ages and levels of experience. The accompanying audio (available for free download) allows students to master pronunciation of the most common words and phrases from each chapter by repeating them after a native Spanish speaker.

Tom Means is associate professor of Modern Languages at Borough of Manhattan Community College, City University of New York (CUNY). An expert in foreign language learning and teaching, he holds a Ph.D. in Italian and Second Language Acquisition from Rutgers University and he has published widely in the field of foreign language teaching. He is trilingual (English, Italian and Spanish) and also has competency in French and German. His research and practice focus on how languages are best learned and maintained, including the role of technology in language learning and teaching. He is the author of the Instant Vocabulary Builder series for learning Italian, French, Spanish, Brazilian-Portuguese, and English. Before joining CUNY, Tom taught at Rutgers, Montclair State University, New York University, and Marlboro College in Vermont. He lives in New York City and New Jersey.