Is English Actually Weird French?

If you've traveled to a French-speaking country, watched a French movie, seen written French, or even studied just a little, you cannot ignore the fact that French and English share lots of words: sometimes the exact same words, sometimes with slight variations in writing and pronunciation.

Well, French and English share a long history of intertwined cultural and linguistic elements. The migration of French Normans to English lands from the 11th century onward actually transformed the English language forever.

Regarding these similarities, knowing some linguistic tricks can actually help you navigate French more easily. So let’s dive into why English is, in some ways, a "weird French," and how you can use that knowledge to your advantage in mastering the French language.

1. The mystery of the french accent "Ê" and its English equivalent

If you're studying French, the accents on vowels are not foreign to you, and you might still wonder why the letter E can take up to four different accents [é-è-ê-ë] , all of them changing the pronunciation of the sound, but you are probably most bothered by the “accent circonflexe,” commonly referred to as the “little hat” : ê.

This accent hides a story from the past! In French, the circumflex (^) often replaces the letter "s" that existed in Latin, French’s main origin. That “s” has been kept in Spanish and Italian for most words, but also: in English!

Take the word "hôpital" in French. It comes from the Latin "hospitale," and English still uses that “s” in "hospital." The same goes for "forêt" (forest), "hâte" (haste), and many more.

Once you know this trick, recognizing French words gets a whole lot easier, and it can help you avoid common spelling mistakes. English speakers can literally see that missing "s" and understand where it fits into the French spelling puzzle!

2. Why does English borrow so many French words for academic & scientific terms?

If you’re wondering why English feels so French in academic or scientific contexts, it's because of a significant historical event: the Norman Conquest of 1066. After the Normans, who spoke Old French, invaded England, their language became the language of the elite, law, and learning.

As a result, English adopted a huge amount of French vocabulary—particularly in formal and intellectual fields like science, law, and philosophy. That's why we have words like "university," "experiment," or "philosophy," which come from Old French or Latin via French. These words became embedded in English as scientific and academic institutions flourished in Europe, and French was, and still is, the language of diplomacy and justice.

3. The fascinating shift from “S” to “É”

Have you ever noticed that many French words starting with "é" have English equivalents starting with "s"? It’s another quirk that comes from the way French and English evolved over time. The French "e" was often preceded by “s” in Latin, but over time, that "s" disappeared in French pronunciation. Yet, since the version of French that influenced English is so old (11th century, remember), it stuck around in English!

Some fun examples include:

• Old Latin: Schola → Late Latin: Escola → Modern French: École (school)

• Old Latin: Studium → Old French: Estudie → Modern French: Étude (study)

The list goes on and on. Here are a few examples of cousin words where the “é” shifted to “s” (among other changes): Écureuil (squirrel), État (state), Étoile (star), Espèce (species), Étrange (strange), Épice (spice)...

This trick is a bit less obvious but can sometimes help you unlock vocabulary without needing to memorize completely unfamiliar words.

4. French is like English’s ex-girlfriend: unforgettable

While French had a huge influence on English post-11th century, the two languages took different paths.

English absorbed many words from French, but it also retained its Old English/Norse/Germanic roots.

French, on the other hand, remained a Romance language, closer to Latin, with spelling rules unseen in any other Romance language, where etymology matters more than pronunciation, making it quite challenging to read and write with all its unheard letters.

French is still a huge part of English for academic and “savant” words. For example, English kept “simple,” Germanic words for everyday actions (like eat, sleep, work) while adopting French words for more formal terms (like dine, slumber, labor).

5. French words that come from English? Yep, it’s happening too!

Just as English borrowed from French centuries ago, modern French is now adopting English words, especially in technology, business, and pop/online culture. And, of course, we give them a French twist! We Frenchify English verbs by adding an “-er” ending to make them work in French grammar.

For example:

• Liker (to like)

• Booker (to book)

• Scanner (to scan)

• Dater (to date)

• Slayer (to slay)

• Bingewatcher (to binge watch)

You’ll often hear these words in casual conversations in France. So while English may have borrowed heavily from French in the past, French is now doing the same with English. The languages keep evolving together!

Conclusion: Use These Connections to Boost Your French Learning!

So, is English just a weird version of French? Well, not quite, but the languages do share a fascinating history that makes learning French more intuitive than you might think.

To hear more about the topic, I highly recommend this video that inspired the writing of this post and changed my way of perceiving English forever!

If you intend to learn French with a native, I highly recommend you find someone who masters other languages. In such a complex multicultural and multilingual world, knowing more than your native language is key to communicating and understanding others. Making sure your French teacher speaks more than just French means you'll be working with someone open to other thought systems and can guaranty you a higher training quality.