French Accent Homographs

French Accent Homographs You may not realize it, but French accents have a purpose. While some accents just signify that an S used to follow that vowel in Old French (e.g., à ©tudiant used to be spelled estudiant), most French accents indicate the correct pronunciation of the letter they modify. In addition, there are dozens of French word pairs which are spelled (though not always pronounced) the same other than accents. To avoid confusion, you should always distinguish between these words by using the correct accents. Note: It is grammatically acceptable to leave accents off capital letters. However, since missing accents may cause confusion in pronunciation and meaning and are technically spelling mistakes, I feel that one should always write with accents. a - third person singular of avoir (to have) - (preposition) to, at, inacre - acreà ¢cre - (adjective) acrid, pungentà ¢ge - ageà ¢gà © - (adjective) oldaie - first person singular subjunctive and second person singular imperative of avoiraà ¯e - (interjection) oucharrià ©rà © - (adjective) overdue, backward; (noun) backlog, arrearsarrià ¨re - back, stern, rear, aftbronze - bronze objectbronzà © - past participle of bronzer (to tan, bronze)à §a - (indefinite demonstrative pronoun) that, ità § et l - here and therecolle - gluecollà © - past participle of coller (to glue)congres - eelscongrà ¨s - conference, congresscote - quotation, quoted value, ratingcotà © - highly thought of / rated (past participle of cà ´ter)cà ´te - rib, slope, coastlinecà ´tà © - sidecrà ªpe - crepe (thin pancake), crepe papercrà ªpà © - past participle of crà ªper (to backcomb, crimp)cure - cure, treatmentcurà © - priest; past participle of curer (to clean out)de - (preposition) of, fr omdà © - thimble, diedes - (indefinite article, partitive article) some; contraction of de lesdà ¨s - (preposition) fromdiffà ©rent - differentdiffà ¨rent - third person plural conjugation of diffà ©rer (to differ)du - contraction of de ledà » - past participle of devoir (to have to)-e vs à ©At the end of -er verbs, the accent is the difference between the first and third person singular present tense and the past participle-e - à ©tudie, parle, visite-à © - à ©tudià ©, parlà ©, visità ©entre - (preposition) betweenentrà © - past participle of entrer (to enter)es - second person singular of à ªtre (to be)à ¨s - contraction of en lesà ªtes - second person plural of à ªtreà ©tà ©s - summerseut - third person singular passà © simple of avoireà »t - third person singular imperfect subjunctive of avoirferme - farmfermà © - past participle of fermer (to close)fut - third person singular passà © simple of à ªtrefà »t - third person singular imperfect subjuncti ve of à ªtre gà ¨ne - genegà ªne - trouble, bother, embarrassmentgà ªnà © - (adjective) short of, embarrassed; past participle of gà ªner (to bother) grade - rank, degreegradà © - officerhaler - to haul inhà ¢ler - to tanillustre - illustrious, renownedillustrà © - illustratedinfecte - (fem adjective) revolting, filthy, obnoxiousinfectà © - infected, contaminatedinterne (adj) internal, inner; (noun) boarder, interninternà © - inmate (of a mental hospital), internee (politics)jeune - (adjective) youngjeà »ne - fastingjuge - judgejugà © - past participle of juger (to judge)la - (definite article) the; (direct object pronoun) her, itl - (adverb) therelevà © - survey; past participle of lever (to lift, raise)là ¨ve - first and third person singular of lever (applies to many stem-changing verbs)liquide - liquidliquidà © - past participle of liquider (to settle, pay; to liquidate, sell off; [inf] to finish off)mais - (conjunction) butmaà ¯s - cornmarche - walking, step, stairmarchà © - market; past participle of marcher (to walk, march; to work)masse - massmassà © - past participle of masser (to assemble, mass, group)mat - checkmate; (adjective) matte, dullmà ¢t - mast, polemater - to subdue; (familiar) to ogle; to caulk; (familiar noun) mom, mummà ¢ter - to mastmà ©mà © - (baby talk) grannymà ªme - (adverb) samemeuble - piece of furnituremeublà © - (adjective) furnishedmodelà © - contours, relief; past participle of modeler (to model, shape, style, mold)modà ¨le - model, designmur - wallmà »r - (adjective) ripenotre - (possessive adjective) ournà ´tre - (possessive pronoun) oursnuance - shade, hue, slight difference, nuancenuancà © - (adjective) qualified, balanced, nuanced; past participle of nuancer (to shade, qualify, nuance)ou - (conjunction) oroà ¹ - (adverb) wherepà ¢te - pastry, paste; pà ¢tes - pastpà ¢tà © - pà ¢tà ©pà ©chà © - past participle of pà ©cherpà ªche - peach, fishingpà ©cher - to sinpà ªcher - to fishpà ©cheur - sinnerpà ªcheur - fishermanprà ªte - (feminine adjective) readyprà ªtà © - past participle of prà ªter (to lend)rate - spleenratà © - past participle of rater (to fail, miss)relà ¢che - rest, respiterelà ¢chà © - loose, laxreste - rest, leftoverrestà © - past participle of rester (to stay)retraite - retreat, retirementretraità © - retired person; past participle of retraiter (to reprocess)rot - belch, burprà ´t - (archaic) roastroue - wheelrouà © - (adj) cunning, sly; un rouà © - cunning/sly person; past participle of rouer (to beat/thrash)roule - first and third person singular of rouler (to wheel/roll along)roulà © - curved, rolledsale - dirtysalà © - saltysinistre (adj) gloomy, sinister; (m noun) accident, disaster, damagesinistrà © (adj) stricken, devastated; (m noun) disaster victimsublime - sublimesublimà © - sublimatedsuicide - act of suicidesuicidà © - victim of suicidesur - (preposition) onsà »r - (adjective) suretache - mark, spot, staintà ¢che - taskvalide - able-bodied, fit, validvalidà © - validatedvide - emptyvidà © - worn out; past participle of vider (to empty; to wear out)votre - (poss essive adjective) yourvà ´tre - (possessive pronoun) yours