Study plans & methods

You already know thousands of French words: the English speaker's shortcut

After the Norman Conquest of 1066, French was the language of England's courts, law and government for about three centuries. English absorbed thousands of its words, which means that, as an English speaker, you start French with a large passive vocabulary. You just need the decoder.

Updated November 2026 · 3 min read

The short answer

A large share of English vocabulary, especially formal and abstract words, comes from French or Latin through French.
Spelling patterns let you decode words: -tion → -tion, -ity → -ité, -ous → -eux, -ic → -ique, -ly → -ment.
The words the TCF uses for social topics (environnement, société, responsabilité) are disproportionately cognates.
Watch the false friends: actuellement (currently), librairie (bookshop), sensible (sensitive), assister à (attend).

1Why English is full of French

For roughly 300 years after 1066, the ruling class in England spoke Norman French. Words for government, law, food, fashion, the arts and ideas entered English and stayed: government, justice, parliament, beef, fashion, literature, liberty. Everyday Germanic words stayed English (house, eat, mother); educated, abstract words often came from French. That's why the more formal a French text gets, the more you recognise.

2The decoder: spelling patterns

English	French	Examples
-tion	-tion	information, situation, solution
-ity	-ité	qualité, société, responsabilité
-ous	-eux / -euse	dangereux, curieux, nerveuse
-ic / -ical	-ique	électronique, politique, pratique
-ly	-ment	rapidement, finalement, exactement
-ist / -ism	-iste / -isme	touriste, optimisme
-ary	-aire	nécessaire, salaire, vocabulaire

Pronunciation is where cognates hide. Environnement written is obvious; spoken ("ahn-vee-ron-mahn") it may not be. Learn the sound rules early (your first four weeks).

3False friends that cost points

actuellement
currently, not "actually" (en fait)
éventuellement
possibly, not "eventually" (finalement)
une librairie
a bookshop, not a library (une bibliothèque)
sensible
sensitive, not sensible (raisonnable)
assister à
to attend, not to assist (aider)
rester
to stay, not to rest (se reposer)
un stage
an internship, not a stage (une scène)

4Using cognates in the TCF

Reading: in higher-level texts, cognates let you grasp the topic fast. But don't pick an option just because it repeats a cognate from the text; that's a classic distractor. See the familiar-word trap.
Writing: cognates raise your register cheaply: Cette mesure est nécessaire pour protéger l'environnement sounds B2 with simple grammar.
Listening: train your ear on the French pronunciation of words you know in writing.

5Frequently asked questions

How many French words do English speakers already know?+

Thousands, especially formal and abstract words, because English borrowed heavily from French after 1066. Spelling patterns like -tion, -ité and -ique make many of them recognisable immediately.

What are common French false friends?+

Actuellement (currently), éventuellement (possibly), librairie (bookshop), sensible (sensitive), assister à (to attend), rester (to stay) and stage (internship).

Keep reading

Starting French from zero: your first four weeksSounds first, the 300 words and six structures to learn, a daily routine, and beginner traps.How long does an English speaker need to reach B2 French?Realistic hours by starting point, which skills arrive first, and how to estimate yours.Good English, weak French listening? What transfersWhy your ear doesn't transfer, five sound habits to train, and a daily listening routine.What level of French do you need to immigrate to Canada?NCLC 7, roughly B2, in four skills. Not fluency. What that looks like and how long it takes.

Turn the method into points

Practise with levelled TCF Canada questions and full mock exams built for NCLC 7, with an explanation for every answer.