Language/French/Vocabulary/Same-Word-Different-Spelling
< Language | French | Vocabulary
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Rate this lesson: 
Salut French learners!
Here is a list of words that can be written in several ways in French and that have the same meaning.
You can complete this list by editing this wiki page if necessary.
| French word | English translation | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| ailloli/aïoli | ailloli | |
| bistro/bistrot | bar | |
| cacahuète/cacahouète | peanut | |
| clef/clé | Key | The spelling "clef" is the oldest. It comes from the Latin "clavis" which gradually transformed into "clé" without the "f". It was a writing problem that made the change because in the 18th century we wrote in the plural "clés" and not "clefs". In addition, at the pronunciation level it is the same thing. "Clé" is now more used, but "clef" is resisting ! Both spellings are recognized by the French Academy. In the plural, it is easier to write "clés" |
| cuillère/cuiller | spoon | |
| feignant/fainéant | lazy | même sens mais initialement : feignant : du verbe feindre = faire semblant / fainéant ( fait néant ) ne fait rien |
| granit/granite | granite | |
| île/isle | Isle | |
| irakien/iraquien | Iraqi | |
| laïc/laïque | laic | |
| ognon/oignon | ognon | |
| orang-outang/orang-outan | Orangutan | |
| paie/paye | Pay | |
| pic-vert/pivert. | woodpecker | |
| pizzéria/pizzeria | pizzeria | |
| resurgir/ressurgir | resurface | |
| saoul/soûl. | drunk | |
| tsar/tzar | tsar | |
| yaourt/yogourt/yoghourt | Yogurt |