In the French language, the spelling of some words is very important, because there is only one way to write them. On the other hand, other words have the particularity of having several spellings, which do not even change the pronunciation of the words in question when spoken. Here is the list:
The two spellings of this word appeared towards the end of the 19th century. “Bistro” remains to this day the most widespread etymology in France. According to an anecdote, it seems that the Cossacks pronounced this word to be served more quickly at the cabaret when they occupied Paris in 1814. This hypothesis was finally dismissed for chronological reasons.
The traditional spelling of this word is “peanut”. This is the transposition of its Spanish equivalent “cacahuete”, which itself comes from the Aztec language. The variant “cacahouète” then appeared in 1990, to get closer to the pronunciation of this word.
Originally the word “clef” was written with the silent “f”. This spelling is mainly found in literature and music. However, the spelling “clé” is more widespread, particularly in the computer world and in compound words.
The word “cuillère” has undergone many changes over the centuries. Its spelling has changed from culier, coller, cuillier and cuiller to cuillère. Currently, “cuillère” is the most common spelling. However, “cuiller” still exists in dictionaries, even if this spelling is almost (…)
(…) Click here to see more
