Words that can easily get mixed up with each other are a thorn in the foreign language learner’s side. As much as we all know that they are a part of all languages, including our native language, they are annoying when we don’t have the context that native speakers have.
We have all experienced that embarrassing moment when we think we’re saying one thing but accidentally said something completely different. There is a fix for this: learning common homophones and homonyms.
What’s A Homophone?
Homophones are specifically words that sound the same but are spelled differently. Some English examples are “knew” and “new”, “write” and “right”, and “two” and “too.”
Since French famously uses more silent consonants than English, they have a lot of them. If you’ve spent a lot of time on verb conjugations, you have probably already noticed that there are some that are spelled different but pronounced the same.
What’s A Homonym?
A homonym can refer to words that have the same spelling or pronunciation but different meanings.
Some examples you probably know in English include bat the animal and bat the hitting instrument, tree bark and a dog’s bark, and kind as in type and kind as in caring and gentle. Some French homonyms are similar to English ones, for example, orange the color and orange the fruit are also the same in French. They are also the same word in both languages.
Memorization Tips
The biggest part of avoiding mix-ups of similar words is building a robust French vocabulary. You won’t be able to avoid doing some straightforward memorization.
Flashcards, whether physical or digital, are a classic, tried and true method that works especially well for sets of homophones. It’s a good idea to make a set of cards specifically for homophones with the pair of words on one side and the definitions on the other. That way you memorize the difference in context.
If it helps, you can also highlight the spelling differences and draw pictures. French tongue twisters are a fun way to practice saying these words out loud.
Context Clues
How do you tell the difference in conversation between French words that sound the same?
The same way you do in your native language: context clues.
This is especially important for telling the difference between the singular and plural version of a noun by listening because the s at the end of words is typically silent.
Le, la, un, une…
If the article before the noun is le, la, un, une, or any other singular article, they are talking about one of the thing.
Les, des…
If the article is les, des, or any other plural article, they are talking about several of the thing.
English speakers often find the French level of subject-verb agreement and more frequent use of articles tedious, but they can help you out.
A List of French Homophones
Here are some common and interesting homophones françaises. This list is by no means exhaustive, but includes words that are relevant for a typical intermediate-level French learner. Don’t feel obligated to memorize all of them at the same time. Start with the ones that trip you up the most.
A Third person singular present tense indicative conjugation of avoir (to have)
À (Preposition) To, at, in
Abaisse(s) Singular present tense indicative conjugations of abaisser (to lower)
Une abaisse A type of pastry
Une amande An almond
Une amende A fine
Un an A year
En (adverbial pronoun) of it/them
En (preposition) to, in
Au To the, masculine singular (à + le
Aux To the, plural ( à + les)
Eau Water
O Pronunciation of the letter
Oh Interjection
Un auteur An author
Une hauteur A height
Aussi tôt Too early
Aussitôt Immediately
Un avocat A lawyer
Un avocat An avocado
La boue The mud
Le bout The tip
Ces These
C’est it/this is
Sais First person singular present tense conjugation indicative of savoir (to know)
Sait Third person singular present tense indicative conjugation of savoir
Ses Possessive, his/her/its for plural objects
Ça It, that as the object of the sentence
Sa Possessive, his/her/its for singular feminine objects
Cent One hundred
Sens First person singular present tense indicative conjugation of sensir (to feel
Sent Third person singular present tense indicative conjugation of sensir
Sang Blood
Sans Without
Censé Supposed to
Sensé Sensible
La chair Flesh
La chaire Pulpit, chair or head of an academic department
Cher Dear, expensive
Une chouette An owl
Chouette Cool
Un compte An account
Un comte A count (nobility)
Un conte A tale, a story
Le cou Neck
Le coup Blow, hit
Le coût Cost
La cour Yard, courtyard
Le cours Course
Court short
Le court The court
Le cygne Swan
Le signe Sign
Un dé Thimble, die
Des Some
Des Of the, from, the about the for plural objects (de + les)
Dans In
Une dent A tooth
Dégoûter To disgust
Dégoutter To drip
Un dessein A design, plan
Un dessin A drawing
-é Past participle ending for regular -er verbs
-er Ending of -er verb infinitives
-ez Ending for vous present tense indicative conjugations of regular -er verbs
Entre between
Entre(s) Singular present tense indicative conjugations of entrer (to enter)
Été Summer
Été Past participle of être
Une filtre A filter
Une philtre A potion
La foi Faith
Le foie Liver
Une fois A time
Guère Hardly
La Guerre War
Le Lac Lake
La Laque Hairspray or gloss
Leur Possessive pronoun
Une Leurre A delusion
L’heure The hour
La mer The sea
Le maire or La maire The mayor
La mère The mother
Un mur A wall
Mûr(e) ripe
Une mûre A blackberry
On One, we, people in general
Ont Third person singular conjugation of avoir (to be)
Ou Or
Où Where
La Paie Pay
La Paix Peace
Pair (adjective) even
Le pair peer
La paire pair
Le père father
Par by
Pars first and second person singular present tense indicative conjugation of partir (to leave)
Part third person singular present tense indicative conjugations of partir
une part a portion
Parti past participle of partir
Un parti a political party
Une partie a part or amount
Un Peu a little
Peux first and second person singular conjugation of pouvoir (to be able to)
Peut third person singular conjugation of pouvoir
Plus tôt earlier
Plutôt instead
Poids weight
Le Pois pea, dot
La Poix tar
Le poing first
Le point place, point
Le pouce thumb
La pousse sprout
Près close
Prêt ready
Quand When
Quant As for
Qu’en Contraction of que and en
Que What
Que That
Quel(le)(s) Which
Qu’elle(s) Contraction of que and elle
Air air as in appearance
une aire area, zone
une ère era
La reine Queen
Le renne Reindeer
La roue Wheel
Le roux Redhead
Sain Healthy
Saint Holy
Un saint Saint
Un sein Breast
Le sel Salt
La selle Saddle
Celle This one/That one
Si If
Six The number
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Soi Myself
Le soi The self
Sois First and second person singular subjunctive conjugation of être
La soie Silk
Soient Third person plural subjunctive conjugation of être
Soit Third person singular subjunctive conjugation of être
La Somme Sum, amount
Le Somme Snooze, nap
Son his, hers, its
Le son Sound
Sont Third person plural conjugation of être
Un sou Cent
Sous Under
Sur (adjective) sour
Sur (preposition) on
Sûr Sure
Ta Your
T’a Conjunction of te and a
Tant So many/ So much
Le temps weather, time
T’en Conjunction of te and en
Tend(s) Singular conjugations of tendre (to hold)
Tes your
T’es Conjugation of te and es
T’est Conjugation of te an est
Le thon tuna
Ton Your
Le ton Tone
Tond(s) Singular present tense conjugations of tondre (to shear)
T’ont Conjunction of te and ont
La tour Tower
Le tour Turn
Tout all, everything
Le Toux Cough
Tu You, singular informal
Tu Past participle of se taire (to be quiet)
Tue(s) Singular present tense conjugations of tuer (to kill)
Le Vin Wine
Vain Empty, superficial, vain
Vingt Twenty
Vins First and second person singular passé simple conjugations of venir (to come)
Vint Third person singular passé simple conjugations of venir (to come)
Vend Third person singular present tense conjugation of vendre (to sell)
Vends First and second person singular present tense conjugation of vendre (to sell)
Le vent The wind
Un ver A worm
Une verre A glass
Vers Towards
Un vers A verse
Vert Green
Voie First and third person singular subjunctive conjugation of voir (to see)
La voie The way, the route
Voient Third person plural present tense conjugation of voir
Vois First and second person singular present tense conjugation of voir
Voit Third person singular present tense conjugation of voir
La voix The voice
Vu Past participle of voir
Vu Given, considering
La Vue The sight
Becoming A More Confident Francophone
Practicing these words will help you build your French vocab, understand conversational French better, and speak and write more confidently. For more tips and strategies, make a booking for French lessons or a French tutor.
