Languages › French French-English Spelling Equivalents Orthographe française-anglaise Share Flipboard Email Print French Vocabulary Pronunciation & Conversation Grammar Resources For Teachers 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: Recognize French words (cognates)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) AmericanCanadian Adjectives -aire -ary militaireextraordinaire militaryextraordinary -ais(e)-ois(e) -ese japonais(e)chinois(e) JapaneseChinese Languages -ance-ence -ence dépendanceviolence dependenceviolence -ant-ent -ent dépendantapparent dependentapparent en + -ant -ing en étudianten lisant studyingreading Present participle -çon -sson-shion-son leçonfaçonmaçon lessonfashionmason -é(e)-i(e)-u(e) -ed-t [b] épeléfinirépondu spelled/speltfinishedresponded Past participle -é-e-i -y qualitégloireparti qualitygloryparty -el(le) -al personneléternel personaleternal -er-ir-re to + verb épelerfinirdéfendre to spellto finishto defend Infinitives -eur -or [a]-our [b]-er auteurcouleuremployeur authorcolor/colouremployer Professions -eux/euse -ous joyeuxnerveux joyousnervous -if/ive -ive positifmotif positivemotive -ique -ic-ical musiquelogique musiclogical -isation -ization [a]-isation [b] réalisationautorisation realization/realisationauthorization/authorisation -iser -ize [a]-ise [b] idéaliserformaliser idealize/idealiseformalize/formalise -isme -ism journalismeréalisme journalismrealism -iste -ist-istic optimistematérialiste optimist/optimisticmaterialistic -ment -ly évidemmentrapidement evidentlyrapidly Adverbs -oire -ory gloiremémoire glorymemory -re -er [a]-re [b] mètrethéâtre meter/metretheater/theatre -tion -tion rationqualification rationqualification Other spelling equivalents é- s- étatétudier statestudy French accents in- in-un- inactifinconscient inactiveunconscious French prefixes ^ _s forêthôpital foresthospital 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 Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago 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 June 3, 2023). copy citation By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies