-ELER - French Stem-Changing Verbs

French verbs > Stem-changing verbs > -ELER verbs

French stem-changing verbs are conjugated with the same endings as regular -ER verbs but have two different radicals or stems. Stem-changing verbs are sometimes also called boot verbs or shoe verbs, because if you circle the forms that have stem changes in the conjugation table below, the resulting shape looks like a boot or shoe.

For the present tense of verbs that end in -eler, the stem change consists of doubling the l in all forms but nous and vous.

   j'  appelle       nous  appelons
   tu  appelles     vous  appelez
   il  appelle        ils  appellent

Verb conjugation group
   appeler - to call
   épeler - to spell
   rappeler - to call back, recall
   renouveler - to renew

Exceptions: the verbs celer, ciseler, démanteler, écarteler, geler, harceler, marteler, modeler, peler, and their derivatives are conjugated like -e_er verbs. (To find out the meanings of any of these verbs, please look them up in the French verb conjugator.)

Note that these stem changes are not limited to the present tense; see appeler in all tenses or the lesson on -eler verbs in other tenses.

Note: Verbs that end in -eter have a similar stem change - they double the t in certain conjugations: -eter verbs.

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