If you’ve been learning French for a while, chances are that you’ve faced this classic problem: you write something, and then pause, wondering:
“Wait… is it accent aigu or accent grave? Is it ‘s’appelle’ or ‘s’apelle’? Is it ‘je suis allée’ or ‘je suis allé’?”
You’re not alone!
As a French teacher, I see these struggles every single day, whether it’s a beginner who’s still figuring out how to spell ‘bonjour’ correctly or an advanced learner still mixing up ‘ces’ and ‘ses’.
The truth is, French spelling is tricky, but totally manageable with the right strategies.
So in this blog, I’m going to break it all down for you, give you insights on why spelling mistakes happen in French, how to reduce them over time, and what practical steps you can take starting today to become more confident in your writing.
Why is French Spelling So Confusing?
French is a beautiful language, but let’s be honest, it’s full of silent letters, accents, homophones, and tricky grammatical rules. The pronunciation often doesn’t match the spelling. And sometimes, multiple words sound the same but are spelled differently (mer, mère, maire…. SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP!).
Here are some of the most common spelling struggles I’ve noticed among learners:
- Accents: aigu, grave, circonflexe… they change the meaning and sound!
- Silent letters: especially at the end of words (like ‘t’ in chat).
- Double letters: is it ‘appeler’ or ‘apeler’?
- Gender and number agreements: allé vs allée, petit vs petite.
- Words that sound the same but are spelled differently: son, sont, ce, se, etc.
- Conjugation spelling changes: ils mangent, je mangeais, nous mangeons.
- Vocabulary-based confusions: mixing up similar-sounding words or false friends.
- Pronunciation-based errors: writing what you hear instead of what’s correct.
Get access to LingoRelic’s most loved recorded lessons on French pronunciation here.
Let’s go deeper into each of these and look at how you can deal with them.
- Master French Accents. Avoid Common Spelling Mistakes
Accents aren’t decorative in French, they change the sound, the meaning, and sometimes the tense! Take a look:
- école (school): with é, it’s a clear, sharp “ay” sound, like ay-kol. No accent? Doesn’t sound right.
- élève (student): that é sets the tone from the start. Without it, the word doesn’t even exist.
- élevé / élevée (raised / high / grown up): Again, without the accents, this word loses its identity. Notice how the sound stays sharp and clear.
- ou (or) vs où (where): One tiny accent turns a logical connector into a question word. Completely different meanings.
- préfère (I/he/she prefers) vs préféré(e) (preferred / favourite): The accent on the second “e” (è) makes it an open “eh” sound. And the “é” at the end in préféré(e) gives you that final “ay” sound.
- répète (I repeat) vs répété(e) (repeated): Same pattern. The è gives you that slightly heavier, open sound. And é sharpens it back up. Both accents work together to shape the word.
Tip: Make it a habit to type accents even on your phone or keyboard. Don’t skip them out of laziness, it’s like removing letters from English words and hoping people will still understand. Install French keyboards on your device to practice typing accents.
- The Mystery of Silent Letters in French Spelling
One of the most frustrating things about French: you write it one way, say it another. Take these examples:
- chat (cat): you don’t pronounce the t.
- achat (a purchase): you don’t sound the t in the end.
- beaucoup (a lot): so many letters, only a few sounds. /bo-koo/
- trop (too much): the silent p in the end!
- temps (time): that silent ps at the end!
- quart (quarter): The silent t in the end!
- vingt (20): the silent gt in the end.
- corps (body): ps in the end not sounded.
- sport/ transport: t in the end not sounded.
Tip: Read with your eyes, not your ears. If you rely too much on listening while spelling out words, you’ll write phonetically, and sorry to tell you, that rarely works in French.
What helps: Reading French aloud regularly, even if you’re alone. It builds a connection between how things are spelled and pronounced. Get comfortable with opening your mouth to speak out loud and to listening to yourself carefully when you speak
Get access to LingoRelic’s most loved recorded lessons on French pronunciation here.
- How to Get Double Letters Right in French
French loves its double letters: appeler, s’appelle, belle, adresse…
But it’s easy to mess them up. I often see students write apeler or adres, which is understandable, but still incorrect.
Tip: If you’re ever unsure about a spelling, look it up on WordReference or Reverso. Don’t guess it every time, guessing builds bad habits which are more difficult to unlearn later.
Extra hack: Start maintaining a personal “difficult words” list. Note down the ones you mess up often, and glance at it regularly.
- Understanding Gender and Number Agreement in French Spelling
Spelling in French often changes based on gender and number. For example:
- un petit garçon vs une petite fille
- Je suis allé vs Je suis allée
These aren’t just grammar rules, they’re also spelling rules.
Tip: After writing a sentence, always pause and ask: “Do all the adjectives, verbs, and nouns in my sentence agree in gender and number?”
Practice idea: Take one sentence and try writing it in its four versions:
- masculine singular
- feminine singular
- masculine plural
- feminine plural
Now look at all the sentences carefully. This will train your brain to think in gender and number while spelling.
5. Homophones. Same Sound, Different Spelling
Here’s a fun one: words that sound the same but mean completely different things:
- ce vs se
- son vs sont
- mais vs mes vs mets
- ver vs vers vs vert
Tip: Make mini flashcards with homophones and their meanings. Test yourself regularly.
Once your brain knows they’re not the same, it will stop choosing the wrong one instinctively.
Bonus: Create example sentences that help you remember. Like: “Ce garçon se lave tous les jours.” One sentence, two different spellings.
- Conjugation-Related Spelling Issues
French verbs change spelling with subjects, tense, and even moods. Common areas of confusion include:
- Present tense: manger → nous mangeons
- Imparfait: je mangeais (not je mangeait)
- Past participles: ils sont allés, elle est allée
Tip: Try to memorise patterns, not individual forms. For example:
- All -ger verbs add -eons in nous form
- Aller -cer verbs add -çons in nous form
- -ir verbs like finir follow a clear pattern: finis, finis, finit, finissons…
Resource: Use verb apps like Conjugaison Française, or Bescherelle. Also, write mini paragraphs using a single tense to reinforce spelling in that tense.
- Vocabulary Confusions. Close But Not Quite
French has a lot of words that look like English but aren’t used the same way. These are also called “Les faux amis”. For example:
- actuellement ≠ actually (means “currently”)
- sensible ≠ sensible (means “sensitive”)
- librarie ≠ library (means “bookstore”)
And then there are near-identical words that learners mix up, like:
- habiter vs vivre
- demander vs poser une question
Tip: When you learn new vocabulary, always learn:
- Spelling
- Pronunciation
- Context
Fun idea: Create your own mini vocabulary stories. For example: “I asked a sensitive question in a bookstore” → J’ai posé une question sensible dans une librairie.
- Pronunciation-Based Spelling Mistakes
Sometimes learners write based on what they hear. Like:
- Je suis allé au cinéma → becomes Je suis alé o sinéma
- s’appelle becomes sapel
This usually happens when learners speak better than they write, which is great! But we also want writing to catch up.
Tip: Listen and read at the same time. Watch videos with French subtitles. It will help your ears and eyes sync together.
Practice method: Try dictées (dictations): short ones! You listen to a sentence and write it down. Then check for mistakes. It’s one of the best tools to improve spelling. The website Podcast français facile offers great resources for dictées. You can even consider the Instagram channel “francesentuvida”, mainly for offering great dictations.
Get access to LingoRelic’s most loved recorded lessons on French pronunciation here.
Long-Term Habits to Improve Your Spelling in French
Here are five tips to help you improve your French spelling over time:
- Slow down when writing. Rushing often leads to mistakes.
- Use online tools like Grammarly (in French mode) to spot errors.
- Review your past writing weekly and identify recurring mistakes.
- Maintain a correction notebook for words you frequently misspell.
- Ask for feedback from teachers or native speakers to understand your mistakes.
Finally,…
Spelling mistakes are a normal part of the learning process, but the more aware you are of the common errors, the faster you’ll improve. Every time you remember the right accent, verb ending, or homophone, it’s a small win. And these wins add up to fluency!
You’ve already done the hard part, learning a foreign language. Now just polish the edges.
So go easy on yourself, stay consistent, and let’s make French spelling less scary, one word at a time.
Get access to LingoRelic’s most loved recorded lessons on French pronunciation here.
Want to Improve Your French?
If you’re finding French spelling tricky, don’t worry! At LingoRelic, we offer personalized French lessons designed to help you improve step by step. Whether you’re preparing for exams like DELF, DALF C1, TEF Canada, or just learning for fun, we’ll guide you to fluency.
What you’ll get:
- Fun and interactive lessons
- Lessons tailored to your needs
- One-on-one support from a friendly teacher
Ready to take your French to the next level? Contact us on WhatsApp at +91-9056131830, and let’s make French easier for you!
Recent Comments