French-English Spelling Equivalents

Orthographe française-anglaise

by ThoughtCo
Updated February 03, 2019

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
FrenchEnglishExempleExampleRelated lesson
-ain(e)
-en(ne)		-anaméricain(e)
canadien(ne)		American
Canadian		Adjectives
 
-aire-arymilitaire
extraordinaire		military
extraordinary 
 
-ais(e)
-ois(e)		-esejaponais(e)
chinois(e)		Japanese
Chinese		Languages
 
-ance
-ence		-encedépendance
violence		dependence
violence  
 
-ant
-ent		-entdépendant
apparent		dependent
apparent  
 
en + -ant -ingen 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		-yqualité
gloire
parti		quality
glory
party 
 
-el(le)-alpersonnel
éternel		personal
eternal 
 
-er
-ir
-re		to + verbépeler
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-ousjoyeux
nerveux		joyous
nervous
 
-if/ive-ivepositif
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-ismjournalisme
réalisme		journalism
realism
 
-iste-ist
-istic		optimiste
matérialiste		optimist/optimistic
materialistic  
 
-ment-lyévidemment
rapidement		evidently
rapidly		Adverbs
 
-oire-orygloire
mémoire		glory
memory
 
-re-er [a]
-re [b]		mètre
théâtre		meter/metre
theater/theatre  
 
-tion-tionration
qualification		ration
qualification
 
Other spelling equivalents
é-s-état
étudier		state
study		French accents  
in-in-
un-		inactif
inconscient		inactive
unconscious		French prefixes  
^_sforêt
hôpital		forest
hospital		 
 
Key
(x)Indicates the extra letter(s) needed for the feminine form of the French suffix
/xIndicates the different suffix for the feminine noun or adjective
[a]Applies mainly to American English
[b]Applies mainly to British English