100 French Confusing Word Pairs — Paronymes Explained

French words learners regularly get wrong — beaucoup, croissant, restaurant, heure, oeuf, oeil, fille, famille — grouped by the sound causing the trouble: silent endings, nasal vowels and disappearing liaisons.

French linking words sorted by the job they do in a sentence: mais, et, ou, donc, car, or, cependant. Covers cause, consequence, contrast and conclusion, each with an example, since the register varies more than the meaning.

Word pairs where Quebec and metropolitan French part ways: char and voiture, blonde and petite amie, chum and petit ami, magasiner and faire les courses. Shown side by side with the context each variant belongs to.

French academic vocabulary for studying at a French university: université, étudiant, professeur, cours, campus, semestre, diplôme, bourse. Covers lectures and essays plus enrolment, deadlines and campus admin.

French vocabulary for crime and public safety: le crime, la police, le policier, l'enquêteur, le suspect, la victime, le témoin. Covers news coverage, the legal terms behind it and reporting an incident.

French vocabulary for environmental topics: le changement climatique, le réchauffement climatique, l'environnement, la pollution, la durabilité. Covers recycling, renewable energy and the terms used in the news.

French vocabulary for music: la musique, la chanson, le chanteur, le groupe, le concert, la guitare, le piano, la batterie. Covers genres and instruments plus everything around a live show, tickets to encore.

French vocabulary for getting around by road: la voiture, le conducteur, le moteur, le pneu, la roue, le volant, le frein. Plus road signs and traffic rules and the phrases for a petrol station or rental desk.

French vocabulary for everyday technology: le smartphone, l'ordinateur portable, la tablette, le chargeur, la batterie, l'écran, le clavier. Plus apps and accounts and the words for a fault or a setting.

French connectors and formal alternatives that lift an essay: ainsi, par conséquent, dès lors, en l'occurrence, en vertu de, à l'instar de. Each marked for how formal it is, so the register stays consistent.

Advanced French vocabulary for the DELF and DALF exams: society, politics, science and culture, plus the essay words examiners expect — l'enjeu, la problématique, le constat, la démarche, le dispositif, la mise en œuvre, le bilan.

Whole French sentences from conversations that actually happen: salut comment ça va, je vais bien merci, enchanté, à plus tard, bonne journée. Ready to use as they stand, each with a translation and its context.