{"id":118387,"date":"2023-07-11T16:57:34","date_gmt":"2023-07-11T20:57:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/how-to-spell-french-words\/"},"modified":"2025-06-09T09:37:19","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T13:37:19","slug":"how-to-spell-french-words","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/french\/how-to-spell-french-words\/","title":{"rendered":"French Spelling: Silent Letters, Conjugations, and More"},"content":{"rendered":"

Learning French spelling can feel like a challenge, but understanding the rules behind it makes all the difference. Like any language, French has its quirks\u2014silent letters, unexpected accents and historical influences that shape its structure. Knowing where these patterns come from and how to tackle them can give you a clearer path to fluency.<\/p>\n

Luckily, there are basic rules which will help you make educated guesses as you brave the world of French spelling.\u00a0<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

5 Useful Tips for Spelling in French<\/h2>\n

Now that you know a bit about the history of the French language, it’s time to learn the best ways to approach French spelling.<\/p>\n

1. Familiarize Yourself with the French Alphabet<\/h3>\n

\"FrenchAlphabetlargev2\"<\/p>\n

Learning to spell and write French correctly means mastering its alphabet. Though the French alphabet<\/a> looks similar to that of English, it’s crucial to remember that the pronunciations are quite different.<\/p>\n

To nail down these differences, you can watch this video<\/a> until you become familiar with the pronunciation. Alternatively, consider re-learning the alphabet song<\/a>\u2014except with French pronunciations.<\/p>\n

Once you learn the alphabet, you’ll better understand why certain letters are paired together and why spellings are often so dramatically different from English.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0Don’t Forget About the Accents<\/h3>\n

There are five major accents<\/a> crucial to the French language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
Type of Accent<\/th>Description<\/th>Example<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
L'accent aigu<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n \u00a0
\nacute accent\u00a0
\n[ \u00b4\u00a0]<\/td>		-Found only on the letter e<\/strong><\/em>
\n-Makes the letter e<\/em> sound like \"ay\" instead of \"euh\"<\/td>		 saut\u00e9<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n
\nstir-fry<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
L'accent grave<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n
\ngrave accent\u00a0
\n[ ` ]<\/td>		-Found on the letters a<\/strong><\/em>, u<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0e<\/strong><\/em>
\n-When it's on a<\/em> or u<\/em>, the pronunciation doesn't change. But when it's on e<\/em>, the pronunciation changes from an \"euh\" sound to the sound in words like gr\u00e8ve<\/em><\/strong> <\/a>\n (strike) or m\u00e8re<\/em><\/strong> <\/a>\n (mother)
\n-Likely one of the most crucial accents for spelling because its purpose is to distinguish homonyms<\/td>		 \u00e0<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n
\nto\/towards*
\n
\n*With this accent, \u00e0<\/em> is distinguished from the conjugated verb\u00a0 a <\/a>\n <\/em> (to have)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
L'accent circonflexe<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n
\ncircumflex\u00a0
\n[\u00a0\u02c6 ]<\/td>		-Used on any vowel and shows that an s<\/em> used to exist in place of the vowel that's currently there
\n-Words derived from Norman French and English still retain this accent<\/td>		 for\u00eat<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n
\nforest
\n
\nThere's a circumflex on the e<\/em> because the previous version of the word, which is now our word in English, retains the s<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
L'accent tr\u00e9ma<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n
\ndieresis or umlaut\u00a0
\n[ \u00a8\u00a0]<\/td>		-Can be placed on the\u00a0e<\/strong><\/em>, i<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0or\u00a0u<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0
\n-Used when two vowels are next to each other in a word and need to be pronounced
\n-Without the dieresis, the e<\/em> would be silent<\/td>		 No\u00ebl<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n
\nChristmas<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
C\u00e9dille<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n
\ncedilla
\n[\u00a0\u00b8 ]<\/td>		-Can only be found on the letter c<\/strong><\/em>
\n-Makes the pronunciation change from \"say\" to the pronunciation of the English s<\/em><\/td>		 \u00e7a<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n
\nit\/this<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Once you understand how French accents work and how they change the way letters sound<\/a>, you’ll be able to quickly identify how a letter is spelled when someone speaks it. Certain sounds will begin to stick out in your mind as a certain accent, and it’ll become easier to spell an unfamiliar word.<\/p>\n

3. Match the English Word Ending to the French Equivalent<\/h3>\n

There are many spelling equivalents in English and French\u2014though faux amis<\/a> can be tricky!<\/p>\n

Some of the most useful equivalents include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t
French:\u00a0-aire<\/em>
\nEnglish:\u00a0-ary<\/th>		French:\u00a0-\u00e9<\/em>,\u00a0-e<\/em>
\nEnglish:\u00a0-y<\/th>		French:\u00a0-ment<\/em>\u00a0
\nEnglish: -ly<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
militaire <\/a>\n <\/em>
\nmilitary<\/td>		 qualit\u00e9 <\/a>\n \u00a0<\/em>
\nquality<\/td>		 rapidement <\/a>\n <\/em>
\nrapidly<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
interdisciplinaire <\/a>\n <\/em>
\ninterdisciplinary<\/td>		 gloire <\/a>\n <\/em>
\nglory<\/td>		 gouvernement <\/a>\n <\/em>
\ngovernment<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

When you know the words that are similar in French and English<\/a>, you will not only pick up new French vocabulary much faster, but also immediately spell the equivalent word between the two languages. You can also refer to this handy list<\/a> of French suffixes to help you spell correctly.<\/p>\n

4. Remember the\u00a0Ligatures<\/h3>\n

There are two ligatures\u2014two or more letters combined into one letter or pronunciation\u2014in French.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t
French Ligatures<\/th>Description<\/th>Examples<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
\u0152<\/em><\/td>-Combination of the letters o<\/strong><\/em> and e<\/strong><\/em> in French
\n-Can be found in many common words<\/td>		 s\u0153ur<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n
\nsister
\n
\n c\u0153ur<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n
\nheart<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00c6<\/em><\/td>-Much less common than \u0152<\/em>
\n-Can be found in some words of Latin and Greek origin<\/td>		 curriculum vit\u00e6<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n
\ncurriculum vitae
\n
\n et c\u00e6tera<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n
\net cetera<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Just like the accents, once you hear the sound of a ligature, you’ll be able to identify it as such immediately, which will make spelling the word that much easier.<\/p>\n

5. Nail Down the Major Letter Combinations (Digraphs and Trigraphs)<\/h3>\n

This is where your knowledge of the alphabet and its pronunciations will come in handy.<\/p>\n

Digraphs and trigraphs are the major letter combinations found in French. They’re used in almost every word that exists in the language, and they set the general rules for what letters can and can’t go together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
French Digraphs and Trigraphs<\/th>Description<\/th>Example Diagraphs<\/th>Example Words<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Consonant Digraphs<\/td>Combinations of more than one consonant<\/td>dd<\/em><\/td> addition<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n
\ncheck<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
th<\/em><\/td> th\u00e8me<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n
\ntheme<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vowel Digraphs<\/td>Combinations of more than one vowel<\/td>ai<\/em><\/td> vrai<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n
\ntrue<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
ue<\/em><\/td> actuel<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n
\ncurrent<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Consonant-vowel Digraphs and Trigraphs<\/td>Combinations of at least one vowel and at least one consonant<\/td>en<\/em><\/td> bien<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n
\nwell<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
uil<\/em><\/td> huile<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n
\noil<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

You can find a fairly comprehensive list of French digraphs and trigraphs here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

French Silent Letters: How to Nail This Tricky Concept<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re anywhere\u00a0along the\u00a0rewarding\u00a0journey of learning French vocabulary<\/a>, you\u2019ve probably encountered silent letters. They’re exactly what they sound like: letters present in French spelling that for one reason or other don’t get pronounced.<\/p>\n

As you can imagine, it can be a confusing concept for those whose native languages involve spelling many words the way they’re pronounced (like in English).<\/p>\n

And because there’s quite a bit to unpack when it comes to French silent letters, we’re devoting an entire section to it instead of integrating it into the above tips list. Don’t worry: it’s actually much easier than it sounds!<\/p>\n

First, you’ll want to be aware that there are three major categories of silent letters in French: e muet<\/em>, the two silent hs<\/em> and the consonants that serve as final letters.<\/p>\n

E Muet<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

By far, the mostly common silent letter in the French language is \u2013e.<\/em><\/p>\n

In general, an e muet<\/em> is more likely to occur in an unstressed syllable. Take a look at these single-syllable words, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
Single-Syllable French Words That Use E Muet<\/em><\/th>English Translation<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Ce <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>It<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
De <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>Of<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Je <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>I<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Le <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>The<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Me <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>Me\/Myself<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ne <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>Particle used in the negative construction ne <\/a>\n <\/em>\u2026 pas <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Que <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>That<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Se <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>Itself<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Te <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>You\/Yourself (Singular)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

With those single-syllable words in mind, here are the places where -e<\/em> is not pronounced and why.<\/p>\n

During a Contraction<\/strong><\/h4>\n

When a single-syllable word and a word that starts with a vowel are side by side, the e muet<\/em> gets \u201cdropped.\u201d In other words, the e muet<\/em> is not pronounced and a contraction occurs (like what happens between\u00a0do\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0not\u00a0<\/em>in don\u2019t<\/i>).<\/p>\n

For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t
Word Combinations Without E Muet<\/th>Contracted Words<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
ce <\/a>\n <\/em>
\nit
\n
\n est <\/a>\n <\/em>
\nis<\/td>		 c\u2019est <\/a>\n <\/em>
\nit is<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
je <\/a>\n \u00a0<\/em>
\nI
\n
\n ai <\/a>\n <\/em>
\nhave<\/td>		 j\u2019ai <\/a>\n <\/em>
\nI have<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
le <\/a>\n <\/em>
\nthe
\n
\n agneau <\/a>\n <\/em>
\nlamb<\/td>		 l\u2019agneau <\/a>\n <\/em>
\nthe lamb<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

At the End of a Word<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Generally, all instances of\u00a0-e<\/em> at the end of a word are silent, or at the very least, are pronounced optionally.<\/p>\n

For example, the\u00a0-e<\/em> at the end of the word\u00a0autre<\/em><\/strong> (other) is normally not pronounced (so the word sounds something like\u00a0OH-tr)<\/em>. Some speakers will pronounce the\u00a0-e<\/em> as a very short schwa<\/i> (almost like the\u00a0-a<\/em> at the end of the English word\u00a0sofa<\/em>) if a consonant follows.<\/p>\n

However, this doesn’t happen if the word autre\u00a0<\/i>is followed by a word starting with a vowel, as in the case of autre agneau <\/em><\/strong>(another lamb). Similar pronunciation rules apply to words like elle<\/em><\/strong> (she) and\u00a0\u00eele <\/i><\/strong>(island).<\/p>\n

H Muet<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0H\u00a0Aspire<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

In French, the letter h<\/i> is always silent. There are two types of silent h<\/em> in French, which affect how they’re contracted and what articles precede them.<\/p>\n

An h muet\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>will allow the abovementioned contraction between single-syllable words and following words starting with a vowel. In the example j\u2019habite<\/em><\/strong>, the\u00a0h\u00a0<\/em>in\u00a0habite <\/em>(live), which comes from habiter<\/em> (to live), is an h muet<\/em>, so\u00a0the\u00a0-e<\/em> on\u00a0je\u00a0<\/em>(I) is dropped and the contraction forms.<\/p>\n

Also, the h muet<\/em> treats the apostrophe article as though it’s a vowel (e.g.\u00a0l\u2019homme<\/em><\/strong> \u2014 the man).<\/p>\n

On the other hand, the h aspir\u00e9<\/em><\/strong> doesn’t allow contractions to happen. For example, the word\u00a0hibou<\/em> (owl) starts with an\u00a0h aspir\u00e9<\/em>, so when the word\u00a0le<\/em> (the) joins it, contraction doesn’t take place. Both words remain separate, like this:\u00a0le hibou<\/em><\/strong> (the owl).<\/p>\n

And, as you’ve seen, the\u00a0h aspir\u00e9<\/em> is generally preceded by the article le<\/em> instead of l’<\/em> (as is the case for the h muet<\/em>). (Of course, there are exceptions such as Le Havre<\/em><\/strong>, but you can learn those as you come across them!)<\/p>\n

Other examples of words that use the silent h<\/em> are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
H Muet<\/em><\/th>H\u00a0Aspire<\/em><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
haleine <\/a>\n <\/em>
\nbreath<\/td>		 hache <\/a>\n <\/em>
\naxe<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
herbage <\/a>\n <\/em>
\npasture<\/td>		 haine <\/a>\n <\/em>\u00a0
\nhate<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
heureux <\/a>\n <\/em>\u00a0
\nhappy<\/td>		 Halloween <\/a>\n <\/em>
\nHalloween<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
homme <\/a>\n <\/em>
\nman<\/td>		 hamburger <\/a>\n <\/em>
\nhamburger<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
h\u00f4pital <\/a>\n <\/em>\u00a0
\nhospital<\/td>		 hamster <\/a>\n <\/em>
\nhamster<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

You can find a more comprehensive list of French words that use the silent h<\/em> here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Silent Consonants at the End of Words<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In French, a lot of consonants at the end of a word don\u2019t get pronounced. Here are the most common ones:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
Silent n<\/em> [1]<\/th>Silent r<\/em> [2]<\/th>Silent s<\/em> [3]<\/th>Silent t<\/em> [3]<\/th>Silent x<\/em> [4]<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Am\u00e9ricain<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n
\nAmerican<\/td>		 acheter<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n
\nbuy<\/td>		 \u00eates<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n
\nare<\/td>		 chat<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n
\ncat<\/td>		 croix<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n \u00a0
\ncross<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
balcon<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n
\nbalcony<\/td>		 danser<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n
\ndance<\/td>		 faites<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n \u00a0
\ndo<\/td>		 consonant<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n
\nconsonant<\/td>		 deux<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n
\ntwo<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
bon<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n \u00a0
\ngood<\/td>		 louer<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n
\nrent<\/td>		 temps<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n \u00a0
\ntime<\/td>		 et<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n
\nand<\/td>		 g\u00e9n\u00e9reux<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n \u00a0
\ngenerous<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Canadien<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n
\nCanadian<\/td>		 manger<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n
\neat<\/td>		 trois<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n
\nthree<\/td>		 minuit<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n \u00a0
\nmidnight<\/td>		 heureux<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n
\nhappy<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
lapin<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n \u00a0
\nrabbit<\/td>		 parler<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n
\ntalk<\/td>		 vous<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n \u00a0
\nyou (plural form)<\/td>		 salut<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n \u00a0
\nsalutations<\/td>		 prix<\/em>
\n <\/a>\n
\nprice<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

A few notes:<\/p>\n

[1] The silent n<\/em> sound in French typically comes after a vowel. However, when the n<\/em> goes before a vowel, it’s sounded out.<\/p>\n

For example,\u00a0un<\/em><\/strong> has a silent n, whereas une<\/em><\/strong> has a sounded one. (Both translate to the article<\/a> “a” in English, with un<\/em> being the masculine form and une<\/em> being the feminine one.)<\/p>\n

Also, the silent n <\/em>tends to nasalize the preceding vowel. It typically sounds like -hn<\/em>, which you pronounce through your nose without sounding out the n<\/em> or using your tongue tip.<\/p>\n

For example, in words like bonjour<\/em><\/strong> (hello), the n <\/em>is nasal, while in feminine words like\u00a0bonne <\/em><\/strong>(good) and\u00a0Canadienne <\/em><\/strong>(Canadian woman), the n<\/em> is fully pronounced.<\/p>\n

[2] When the r <\/em>comes after the e <\/em>in a verb infinitive<\/a> like the ones shown above, it won’t be pronounced.<\/p>\n

[3] The silent s<\/em> and t<\/em> can follow a consonant or vowel.<\/p>\n

[4] You’ll normally find the silent x<\/em> after an -eu<\/em> or -i<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Aside from the above, here are a few more silent letters you’ll likely encounter in French.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t
Silent d<\/em><\/th>Silent g<\/em><\/th>Silent m<\/em><\/th>Silent p<\/em><\/th>Silent z<\/em><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
chaud <\/a>\n <\/em>
\nhot<\/td>		 long <\/a>\n <\/em>
\nlong<\/td>		 nom <\/a>\n <\/em>
\nname<\/td>		 beaucoup <\/a>\n <\/em>
\nmuch, a lot<\/td>		 chez <\/a>\n <\/em>
\nin, among, to<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
froid <\/a>\n <\/em>
\ncold<\/td>		 sang <\/a>\n <\/em>
\nblood<\/td>		 parfum <\/a>\n <\/em>
\nperfume<\/td>		 champ <\/a>\n <\/em>
\nfield<\/td>		 riz <\/a>\n <\/em>
\nrice<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

If you need more help pronouncing silent French letters, check out this video<\/a>.<\/p>\n

By the way, some silent letters aren\u2019t inherent to the word itself like the above examples are\u2014that is, they’re added due to grammatical agreement, but they’re not necessarily pronounced. You’ll see what I mean in the next section.<\/p>\n

French Spelling: Conjugation<\/h2>\n

Subject-verb Agreement<\/h3>\n

In French, subjects and verbs must agree depending on the conjugation of the verb and the person of the noun.<\/p>\n

For example, if you wanted to conjugate the verb\u00a0parler<\/em><\/strong> (to speak) with the subject\u00a0il <\/em><\/strong>(he), you would have to drop the\u00a0-er<\/em>\u00a0from the infinitive and add\u00a0-e.<\/em> This\u00a0-e,<\/em> however, is not pronounced. In fact, most of them aren\u2019t.<\/p>\n

The ending letters that are\u00a0not<\/strong> pronounced but are added for verbal agreement are bolded below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
Present Tense Conjugations of Parler<\/em> (To speak)<\/th>English Translation<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Je parle<\/strong>. <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>I speak.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tu parles<\/strong>. <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>You speak.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Il parle<\/strong>. <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>He speaks.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Elle parle<\/strong>. <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>She speaks.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nous parlons<\/strong>. <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>We speak.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vous parlez<\/strong>. <\/a>\n <\/em>*
\n
\n*The\u00a0ez<\/em> combination\u00a0at the end of this verb causes\u00a0the word to be pronounced like \u201cpar-LAY.\u201d<\/td>		You (all) speak.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ils parlent<\/strong>. <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>They speak.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Elles parlent<\/strong>. <\/a>\n <\/em><\/td>They speak. (feminine)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

These silent letters get added to almost all verbs undergoing conjugation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Noun Agreement<\/h3>\n

Nouns and adjectives must also agree depending on gender and number. For example, if you want the plural form of the word hibou, <\/em>you would add an \u2013x<\/em>\u00a0to make\u00a0hiboux <\/em><\/strong>(owls). This letter doesn’t get pronounced, however.<\/p>\n

Further, a surprisingly number of nouns will add an \u2013e<\/em>\u00a0to make a noun feminine. For example, the masculine word\u00a0avocat<\/em><\/strong> (lawyer) has a silent final\u00a0t<\/em>. The feminine version is avocate<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Ironically, the added\u00a0-e<\/em> in avocate<\/em> isn’t pronounced, but because it was added, it actually causes the t<\/i> to be sounded out in the feminine form. It’s confusing, but it’s actually a common difference between masculine and feminine nouns<\/a>, so you\u2019ll get used to it.<\/p>\n

A Brief History of French Spelling<\/h2>\n

Here we’ll go a little bit into how the French language evolved throughout the centuries.<\/p>\n

Knowing this is essential to understanding where the alphabet and the language’s arrangement of words came from, which will give you a stronger grasp of the language and its quirks.<\/p>\n

French as a Latin Language<\/h3>\n

French is derived from a dialect of the Latin taught and spoken during the time of the Roman Empire.<\/p>\n

There were many types of Latin from this period, but the dialects that emerged from the various regions of the Empire were very different from the Classical Latin traditionally taught in schools.<\/p>\n

What is now French emerged from one of these vernacular Latin languages. This early stage of French was heavily influenced by the Gauls who lived in what is now France.<\/p>\n

This Gaulish influence is important because:<\/p>\n