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Mistakes and crimes go with 'cometer', not 'hacer'

In English you make a mistake but commit a crime. Spanish is simpler: mistakes, crimes, sins and other wrongdoing all go with the same verb, cometer. You say cometer un error, cometer un delito and cometer un pecado.

English speakers often translate word for word and say hacer un error. People will understand you, but it sounds foreign. The same is true of equivocación, fallo, crimen, robo and many other nouns that name something done wrong.

Word list
errormA2 mistake cometer un error fallomA2 mistake cometer un fallo asesinatomB1 murder cometer un asesinato cometer un errorB1 to make a mistake cometer un error crimenmB1 crime cometer un crimen delitomB1 crime cometer un delito equivocaciónfB1 mistake cometer una equivocación homicidiomB1 murder cometer un homicidio asaltomB2 robbery cometer un asalto atracomB2 robbery cometer un atraco cometerB2 to commit cometer un error descuidomB2 carelessness cometer un descuido hurto en tiendasmB2 shoplifting cometer hurtos en tiendas robomB2 theft cometer un robo robomB2 robbery cometer un robo robo en tiendasmB2 shoplifting cometer robos en tiendas traiciónfB2 betrayal cometer una traición blanqueo de capitalesmC1 money laundering cometer blanqueo de capitales blanqueo de dineromC1 money laundering cometer un delito de blanqueo de dinero calumniafC1 defamation cometer calumnia crimen de guerramC1 war crime cometer crímenes de guerra difamaciónfC1 defamation cometer una difamación hurtomC1 theft cometer un hurto lavado de dineromC1 money laundering cometer lavado de dinero negligenciafC1 carelessness cometer una negligencia pecadomC1 sin cometer un pecado plagiomC1 plagiarism cometer un plagio torturafC1 torture cometer torturas desfalcomC2 embezzlement cometer un desfalco malversaciónfC2 embezzlement cometer una malversación violaciónfC2 rape cometer una violación
How it works

The pattern is cometer + a noun for a wrong act. Cometer is a regular -er verb: cometo, cometí, he cometido. It usually takes an article: un error, una equivocación. It can also take a plural without an article: cometer errores.

A handy rule of thumb: if the English noun is something you would regret, apologize for or be punished for, try cometer first. Cometer is not the only possible verb. You will also hear tener un fallo, for example. But it is the safe, natural choice, and hacer almost never works with these nouns.

Todos cometemos errores al aprender.
(We all make mistakes when learning.)
The words
Everyday mistakes

Error is the most common word, and you will often hear the whole expression cometer un error. Equivocación is a slightly softer, more personal slip. Fallo is common in Spain, especially for sports, technical or small practical failures. Descuido is a lapse of attention. Negligencia is serious carelessness, often by a professional.

Perdón, he cometido una equivocación con tu nombre.
(Sorry, I made a mistake with your name.)
El portero cometió un fallo en el último minuto.
(The goalkeeper made a mistake in the last minute.)
Cometí un descuido y dejé la puerta abierta.
(I slipped up and left the door open.)
El hospital admitió que el médico cometió una negligencia.
(The hospital admitted that the doctor was negligent.)
Crimes in general

Delito is the everyday and legal word for an offense. Crimen sounds more serious, and crimen de guerra is the fixed term for a war crime. The same verb is used with infracción and fraude.

La empresa cometió un delito.
(The company committed a crime.)
Violent crimes

Asesinato and homicidio both mean murder or homicide. Violación means rape, and tortura usually appears in the plural in news reports: cometer torturas.

Nadie sabe quién cometió el asesinato.
(Nobody knows who committed the murder.)
Theft and robbery

Robo covers both theft and robbery. Hurto is theft without violence. Atraco and asalto are robberies, often armed. Shoplifting is hurto en tiendas or robo en tiendas, usually in the plural. Embezzlement is desfalco or malversación.

Dos hombres cometieron un atraco en el banco.
(Two men robbed the bank.)
El joven cometió varios hurtos en tiendas del centro.
(The young man shoplifted from several stores downtown.)
Moral and academic wrongs

Pecado is a sin, traición is betrayal, and plagio is plagiarism.

Para mi abuela, mentir es cometer un pecado.
(For my grandmother, lying is committing a sin.)
Cometer plagio en la universidad es muy grave.
(Plagiarizing at university is very serious.)
Watch out

The typical mistake is hacer un error. If you want a verb instead of a noun phrase, use equivocarse, which is often the most natural choice in conversation. Equivocarse de + noun means to get the wrong one.

Lo siento, me equivoqué de calle.
(Sorry, I took the wrong street.)

Not every wrong act uses cometer. Cheating is hacer trampa, with hacer, even though it feels like an offense.

Mi hermano siempre hace trampa jugando a las cartas.
(My brother always cheats at cards.)

A few nouns change the construction slightly. Traición can take a + the person or thing betrayed: traición a la patria. Words like tortura and hurto en tiendas tend to appear in the plural. Robo can also be the thing stolen, but with cometer it is always the act.

Summary

When the noun is a mistake, a crime, a sin or some other wrong act, the verb is cometer: cometer un error, cometer un delito, cometer un robo. Never say hacer un error. For a quick everyday alternative, use equivocarse, and remember that cheating is the exception: hacer trampa.