French-English Spelling Equivalents

Orthographe française-anglaise

By ThoughtCo Team
Updated on February 28, 2020

Because French and English both have a lot of Latin influence, and because there is also a lot of French influence in English, there are a number of similar spelling patterns in the two languages. Learning these spelling equivalents can help you to:

  1. Recognize French words (cognates)
  2. Spell French words (common spelling equivalents)

But be careful—this chart is just a guideline. As always, there are thousands of exceptions. Also, you need to watch out for faux amis.

Equivalent Suffixes

French English Exemple Example Related lesson
-ain(e)
-en(ne)		 -an américain(e)
canadien(ne)		 American
Canadian		 Adjectives
-aire -ary militaire
extraordinaire		 military
extraordinary
-ais(e)
-ois(e)		 -ese japonais(e)
chinois(e)		 Japanese
Chinese		 Languages
-ance
-ence		 -ence dépendance
violence		 dependence
violence
-ant
-ent		 -ent dépendant
apparent		 dependent
apparent
en + -ant -ing en étudiant
en lisant		 studying
reading		 Present participle
-çon -sson
-shion
-son		 leçon
façon
maçon		 lesson
fashion
mason
-é(e)
-i(e)
-u(e)		 -ed
-t [b]		 épelé
fini
répondu		 spelled/spelt
finished
responded		 Past participle
-é
-e
-i		 -y qualité
gloire
parti		 quality
glory
party
-el(le) -al personnel
éternel		 personal
eternal
-er
-ir
-re		 to + verb épeler
finir
défendre		 to spell
to finish
to defend		 Infinitives
-eur -or [a]
-our [b]
-er		 auteur
couleur
employeur		 author
color/colour
employer		 Professions
-eux/euse -ous joyeux
nerveux		 joyous
nervous
-if/ive -ive positif
motif		 positive
motive
-ique -ic
-ical		 musique
logique		 music
logical
-isation -ization [a]
-isation [b]		 réalisation
autorisation		 realization/realisation
authorization/authorisation
-iser -ize [a]
-ise [b]		 idéaliser
formaliser		 idealize/idealise
formalize/formalise
-isme -ism journalisme
réalisme		 journalism
realism
-iste -ist
-istic		 optimiste
matérialiste		 optimist/optimistic
materialistic
-ment -ly évidemment
rapidement		 evidently
rapidly		 Adverbs
-oire -ory gloire
mémoire		 glory
memory
-re -er [a]
-re [b]		 mètre
théâtre		 meter/metre
theater/theatre
-tion -tion ration
qualification		 ration
qualification

Other spelling equivalents

é- s- état
étudier		 state
study		 French accents
in- in-
un-		 inactif
inconscient		 inactive
unconscious		 French prefixes
^ _s forêt
hôpital		 forest
hospital


Key

(x) Indicates the extra letter(s) needed for the feminine form of the French suffix
/x Indicates the different suffix for the feminine noun or adjective
[a] Applies mainly to American English
[b] Applies mainly to British English
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Your Citation
Team, ThoughtCo. "French-English Spelling Equivalents." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/french-english-spelling-equivalents-1371253. Team, ThoughtCo. (2023, April 5). French-English Spelling Equivalents. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/french-english-spelling-equivalents-1371253 Team, ThoughtCo. "French-English Spelling Equivalents." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/french-english-spelling-equivalents-1371253 (accessed April 26, 2024).