Spelling: words that sound alike · French grammar B1

Contents · B1

In this part, you will learn to spell words that sound alike, with a simple test for each pair.

Words that sound alike are spelt according to their function, and a substitution test shows which one to write.

Ces chaussures sont à toi ? — Non, ce sont ses chaussures.Are these shoes yours? — No, they are his shoes.
Ce soir, Léa se couche tôt.This evening Léa is going to bed early.
Nous avons dû acheter du pain.We had to buy some bread.
Tu es sûr que les clés sont sur la table ?Are you sure the keys are on the table?
Il a répondu intelligemment.He answered intelligently.
Mes amis m’appellent souvent le soir.My friends often call me in the evening.

Formation

Word	Function	Test	Example
ces	demonstrative, plural	cette or ce in the singular	ces livres-ci
ses	possessive, plural	mes fits	Paul range ses livres.
ce	demonstrative	cette in the feminine	ce matin
se	reflexive pronoun	me fits with je	il se lave
dû	participle of devoir	pu fits	Il a dû partir.
du	de + le	de la in the feminine	du pain
sûr	adjective, “sure”	certain fits	J’en suis sûr.
sur	preposition, “on”	sous fits	sur la table

Ces is the plural of the demonstrative ce, cet, cette (“these”, “those”).
The plural of the possessive son, sa (“his”, “her”, “its”) is ses, and mes can replace it.
Ce is a demonstrative before a masculine noun: ce matin.
The reflexive pronoun of a pronominal verb in the third person is se: il se lève. In the first person, me can replace it.

-amment or -emment

The adverb of an adjective in -ant ends in -amment: élégant → élégamment.
The adverb of an adjective in -ent ends in -emment: évident → évidemment, fréquent → fréquemment.
Both endings are pronounced alike and written with a double m; in writing, the vowel of the adjective is kept.

Double consonants

In appeler and jeter, the consonant is doubled before a silent e: j’appelle, ils jettent, but nous appelons.
Prendre and venir have a double n in the ils form: ils prennent, ils viennent, but nous prenons, nous venons.

Accents

Difference from English

English “these” and “those” are both ces in French: “these shoes”, “those shoes” are ces chaussures.
English “his” and “her” before a plural noun are both ses: “his books”, “her books” are ses livres.

Common mistakes

~~Il a perdu ces clés.~~ → Il a perdu ses clés.Mes clés fits: the word is the possessive ses.
~~Elle ce promène dans le parc.~~ → Elle se promène dans le parc.Je me promène fits: the word is the pronoun se.
~~Il est sur de lui.~~ → Il est sûr de lui.“Sure” is sûr, with a circumflex.
~~évidentment~~ → évidemmentIn French, -ent is replaced with -emment, whereas English adds -ly to the whole adjective (“evidently”).

Remember

Write ses when mes fits, and ces when cette fits in the singular: Il a perdu ses clés. (“He lost his keys.”)
Write se when me fits with je: Elle se promène. (“She goes for a walk.”)
Write sûr when certain fits, and sur when sous fits: J’en suis sûr. (“I am sure of it.”)
Keep the vowel of the adjective in the adverb: élégamment, évidemment.

You now know how to choose between words that sound alike and spell the adverbs in -amment and -emment.

In short

“Spelling: words that sound alike”, ces / ses, ce / se “Spelling: words that sound alike”, Adverbs in -amment / -emment, double consonants “Spelling: words that sound alike”, a / à, ou / où, du / dû, sur / sûr

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