Why is French spelling so weird?

French spelling is based on old French pronunciation. When the spelling of, e.g., veulent (Latin volunt) was fossilized around 1100-1200, we can see that the vowels were no longer pronounced as o and e were during that time period and were thus changed.

Why does French have weird spelling?

The biggest reason for unpronounced letters is that, at one time, the letters were pronounced. Spelling tends to reflect the language as it was spoken when the language was standardized, rather than how it's pronounced today.

Why are French words so hard to spell?

The main reason is history. The French language is often called a mix between Latin, from the Romans, and Gaulish, the ancient language of Gaul, or modern-day France and Belgium. Latin was used as the writing system. But over time, as more people became literate, French also became a written language.

What is the hardest French word to spell?

“Serrurerie”

The most difficult word in this list, and arguably the most difficult word to pronounce in the French language, a “serrurerie” is a locksmith's shop.

Why is French not phonetic?

A phonetic language (e.g., Spanish, Arabic) is one in which each letter has a single corresponding sound; in other words, spelling matches the pronunciation. Other languages, like French and English, are not phonetic: they have letters that can be pronounced in different ways or sometimes not at all.

Ask a French Teacher - Why Are French Spelling and Pronunciation So Different?

Does the letter K exist in French?

Alphabet. The French alphabet is based on the 26 letters of the Latin alphabet, uppercase and lowercase, with five diacritics and two orthographic ligatures. The letters ⟨w⟩ and ⟨k⟩ are rarely used except in loanwords and regional words.

Is the S in Paris silent?

Paris. The final letter is a „s“ so you don't pronounce it.

Do the French say oui oui?

It's common in French to repeat the yes twice: “oui, oui…” Of course this cracks up our English friends, but it's common to double the yes to answer in a casual way in French. It doesn't have a specific meaning: it's just a way to speak and it's not like we say “oui, oui” all the time either.

Why do French pronounce TH as Z?

When French ESL students pronounce the “th” sound in English words as an “s” or “z” sound they aren't placing the tip of their tongue on the bottom of their top teeth. The “s” and “z” sounds are made in a softer way—the tongue is tapping behind the front teeth.

Is French 1 hard?

The FSI scale ranks French as a “category I language”, considered as “more similar to English”, as compared to categories III and IV “hard” or “super-hard languages”. According to the FSI, French is one of the easiest languages to learn for a native English speaker.

Is French illogical?

But French is not just the most irregular language I know, it is also the most illogical. This is paradoxal as French people tend to be quite logical and rational people ("cartesien" as they say), and the structure of French language make it easy to express ideas logically.

Is French harder than English?

French is one of the easiest European languages to learn even when compared to English.

Is French harder than Italian?

The grammar of French and Italian is close to being equal, but Italian might be a little more regular. In terms of vocabulary, an English speaker might find French easier because of the many loan-words in English, but this advantage applies to Italian words too, because they're close to French.

Which language is the hardest to learn?

1. Mandarin Chinese. Interestingly, the hardest language to learn is also the most widely spoken native language in the world. Mandarin Chinese is challenging for a number of reasons.

Why is French full of silent letters?

Why does French have so many silent letters? The silent letters (les lettres muettes) were once pronounced in Old French. As the language evolved, the pronunciation was abandoned, but the modern words are still the same.

How do you fake a French accent?

Say "u" with your lips puckered tightly.

To make your French accent more convincing, say the "u" sound with the lips out and rounded. Your lips should be a lot tighter than a normal English production of "u." You'll want to practice by puckering your lips and keeping them rounded while you product the "ee" sound.

What is the longest word in French language?

1 The longest word in the dictionary is anticonstitutionnellement at 25 letters. 2 The longest French word of all is the full chemical name for thiamine which has 49 letters.

Can you lisp on a th?

An interdental lisp, sometimes called a frontal lisp, is the most commonly recognized production of a lisp. This is where a [th] sound is produced instead of an /s/ or /z/ sound.

Is it rude to say Ouais?

Oui is simply nice, polite and formal whereas Ouais is more slang and casual, just like in English.

Do French say Si for yes?

“Si” means “Yes” after a negative question or affirmation. “Si” also means “So much”, like “tellement.” “Si” is a musical note in French music.

What is Wee-Wee French?

French Translation. pipi. More French words for wee-wee. le pipi noun. pee, wee.

Why is Paris called Paree?

The phrase is “Gay Paris” (Pronounced “paree”); it's not actually spelled “Gay paree”. It refers to the city of Paris, using an older meaning of the word “gay” (happy). Paris is often called “Gay Paree,” with “gay” meaning happy, joyful and lively.

Do you pronounce C in Blanc?

Don't pronounce the n or c at the end. Blanc does not rhyme with plonk.)

Is it la France or le France?

1 Answer. Show activity on this post. In French country names have gender, so we say la France as France is considered feminine or le portugal as Portugal is considered masculine.