Real Leer

leer

leer

Have a look at these Spanish words:

leer
creer
caer
paraiso
real
leal
paella
oír
raíz
maestro
peaton
cautivo

They are cognates of these words:

legere (Latin, to read)
credere (Latin & Italian, to believe)
cadere (Latin & Italian, to fall)
paradise
regal
legal
patella (Latin, pan)
audire (Latin, to hear)
radix (Latin, root)
magister (Latin, master)
pedestrian
captive

In each case Spanish has dropped a consonant but still says two syllables. That is, "real" is said "reh-AHL." Now that I see the pattern, I'll be on the lookout for other Spanish words whose meaning might be sussed out by adding back a lost consonant between two vowels.

Nice.