They can be compared to false cognates, which look similar but have different meanings.
Example
The Spanish word pausa has a similar meaning to the English word pause.
In the classroom
In a mono-lingual class translation is one way to raise awareness of real and false cognates. Learners can translate a text from their L1 into English in groups or individually, then compare their versions and identify possible cognates.
Further links:
https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/vocabulary-autonomy