According to a classification drawn up by UNESCO, French is one of the most difficult languages in the world. Indeed, he ranks in 10th position. As explained in a previous Planet article, the French linguistic space includes 36 countries. Native French speakers are found in France, Belgium, Switzerland and Canada. But there are also countries in sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian Ocean, in North Africa, in the Middle East, where you can find French speakers.
If the French language is so complicated to write, it is for several reasons. Indeed, the written form of French wants to “make visible its Greek and Latin origins”. “Thus, the word “yesterday” could have been written “ier”, but an initial h was added in reference to the Latin heri. In the word “finger”, the silent g and t are intended to emphasize the etymology of digitum”, as explained by Instants Lyonnais. The human knew how to speak before writing. The oral language which precedes the written language therefore provides us with indications on the writing of words. However, each has an effect on the other.
Moreover, the Latin alphabet does not include as many letters as there are sounds in oral French. Indeed, there are 26 letters in the alphabet for 36 French sounds. This therefore explains the accents and digrams that exist in our spelling.
Test your skills with our quiz, available in our slideshow below. Two word writing suggestions will be offered to you. It’s up to you to find the right one! (Answers in the last slide of our slideshow).
