False friends
A free French false friends quiz, scored right here on the page. Sixteen traps like actuellement and librairie that look like English words and mean something else entirely.
Sixteen words that lie to your face
French is full of words that look English and mean something else. These sixteen do real damage: at the pharmacy, at the office, and in every message you send a French colleague.
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Why French false friends catch everyone
This quiz tests the faux amis that survive years of study: actuellement means currently, not actually. Une librairie sells books, it does not lend them. Éventuellement means possibly, not eventually, and that one wrecks negotiations. The problem is that your brain trusts the spelling. When a French word looks 95% identical to an English one, you skip the dictionary and guess, and the guess is wrong precisely on the words that matter in real conversation.
Take it cold first, then read the answer key: every question comes with an explanation of what the word really means and what you should have said instead. Retake it a few days later and see which traps still hold. For the theory behind faux amis and the full list worth memorising, the Learning Center has dedicated guides. For seeing these words in the wild, read The French Briefing, our daily news digest in simple French.
What are the most common French false friends?
The classics: actuellement (currently, not actually), éventuellement (possibly), librairie (bookshop, not library), blessé (injured, not blessed), attendre (to wait, not attend), déception (disappointment, not deception), and rester (to stay, not rest). Each looks safe and each one changes the meaning of your sentence.
Why does French have so many false friends with English?
English borrowed thousands of words from Norman French after 1066, then both languages drifted for nine centuries. The forms stayed close while the meanings moved apart. Actuellement kept the Latin sense of "at present" in French; English pushed "actually" toward "in fact". Same root, different destinations.
What level do I need for this quiz?
It is pitched at B1. You need enough vocabulary to read a full French sentence, because the traps only work in context. A2 learners can still attempt it: the answer key explains every item, so a low first score is just a study list.
