One of the great things about learning French or English is that many words have the same roots in the Romance languages and English. The 1,700 words on the following pages are spelled (although not pronounced) identically in French and English and are true or semi-true cognates. Before you start memorizing them, please read some important notes about these cognates.

French English Cognates: A

The (parentheses) indicate the word's part of speech in both languages, and, in the case of nouns, the gender of the noun in French.

abandon (masculine noun)



abattoir (masculine noun)



abdication (feminine noun)​​



abdomen (masculine noun)



abdominal (adjective)



aberrant (adjective)



aberration (feminine noun)



abject (adjective)



abolition (feminine noun)



abominable (adjective)



abomination (feminine noun)



abracadabra (exclamation)



abrasion (feminine noun)



abrogation (feminine noun)



absence (feminine noun)



absent (adjective)



absinthe (feminine noun)



absolution (feminine noun)



absorption (feminine noun)



abstention (feminine noun)



abstinence (feminine noun)



abstinent (adjective)



abstraction (feminine noun)



acacia (masculine noun)



accent (masculine noun)



accentuation (feminine noun)



accessible (adjective)



accident (masculine noun)



accolade (feminine noun)



accord (masculine noun)



accumulation (feminine noun)



accusation (feminine noun)



acolyte (masculine noun)



acquisition (feminine noun)



action (feminine noun)



acupuncture (feminine noun)



adage (masculine noun)



adaptable (adjective)



adaptation (feminine noun)



addenda (masculine noun)



addition (feminine noun)



adjacent (adjective)



adjectival (adjective)



administration (feminine noun)



admirable (adjective)



admiration (feminine noun)



admission feminine noun)



admonition (feminine noun)



adolescence (feminine noun)



adolescent (adjective)



adoption (feminine noun)



adorable (adjective)



adoration (feminine noun)



adroit (adjective)



adulation (feminine noun)



adverbial (adjective)



adverse (adjective)



affable (adjective)



affectation (feminine noun)



affection (feminine noun)



affiliation (feminine noun)



affirmation (feminine noun)



affirmative (adjective)



affliction (feminine noun)



affront (masculine noun)



aficionado (masculine noun)



agent (masculine noun)



agile (adjective)



agitation (feminine noun)



agriculture (feminine noun)



air (masculine noun)



album (masculine noun)



alias (adverb)



alliance (feminine noun)



alligator (masculine noun)



allophone (masculine noun)



allusion (feminine noun)



alpha (masculine noun)



alphabet (masculine noun)



altercation (feminine noun)



altitude (feminine noun)



alto (adjective)



amateur (masculine noun)



ambition (feminine noun)



ambivalence (feminine noun)



ambivalent (adjective)



amble (masculine noun)



ambulance (feminine noun)



amoral (adjective)



ample (adjective)



amplification (feminine noun)



amputation (feminine noun)



amusement (masculine noun)



anal (adjective)



ancestral (adjective)



anecdote (feminine noun)



angle (masculine noun)



angora (adjective + masculine noun)



animal (masculine noun)



animation (feminine noun)



annihilation (feminine noun)



annotation (feminine noun)



anthrax (masculine noun)



anticipation (feminine noun)



antidote (masculine noun)



antique (adjective)



antisocial (adjective)



apartheid (masculine noun)



aperture (feminine noun)



apocalypse (feminine noun)



apostrophe (feminine noun)



apparent (adjective)



apparition (feminine noun)



applicable (adjective)



application (feminine noun)



appropriation (feminine noun)



approximation (feminine noun)



aptitude (feminine noun)



aquarium (masculine noun)



arable (adjective)



arcade (feminine noun)



architectural (adjective)



architecture (feminine noun)



archives (feminine noun)



argument (masculine noun)



aria (feminine noun)



armistice (masculine noun)



arrogance (feminine noun)



arrogant (adjective)



arsenal (masculine noun)



arsenic (masculine noun)



art (masculine noun)



artefact (masculine noun)



article (masculine noun)



articulation (feminine noun)



artifice (masculine noun)



artisan (masculine noun)



ascension (feminine noun)



aspartame (masculine noun)



aspiration (feminine noun)



assassin (masculine noun)



assertion (feminine noun)



assimilation (feminine noun)



assistance (feminine noun)



association (feminine noun)



assurance (feminine noun)



astral (adjective)



astringent (adjective + masculine noun)



atlas (masculine noun)



atoll (masculine noun)



atonal (adjective)



attention (feminine noun)



attitude (feminine noun)



attraction (feminine noun)



attribution (feminine noun)



auburn (adjective)



audible (adjective)



audit (masculine noun)



audition (feminine noun)



augmentation (feminine noun)



aura (feminine noun)



automation (feminine noun)



automobile (feminine noun)



avalanche (feminine noun)



avarice (feminine noun)



avenue (feminine noun)



aversion (feminine noun)



aviation (feminine noun)