More French Rules/Spelling Bee Club - I Still Need Help!

I am still collecting the French words, but I will add more French rules.

The "et" sound can be spelled ette or et. Helpful Hint: Ette can mean "little one" or "female", while et can mean "small one" and it is masculine. (examples: noisette, heiferette, baronet) Sometimes the word can be pronounced with a schwa, such as rochet and burgonet.

The "ahzh" sound is spelled as age. (examples: maquillage, persiflage, bavardage, vernissage)

The "odd" sound is spelled as ade. (examples: persillade, roulade, boutade)

The "oo" sound can be spelled ou, u, or ieu. Two French members in my choir say that the French should be pronounced almost like ew. (examples: bouffant, fichu, bondieuserie) Helpful Hint: Like in bondieuserie, if you hear the French root dieu, ask this: "Does this contain the French root dieu meaning 'God'?" If it does, spell it, but if it doesn't, probably go with du, but it doesn't hurt to try dieu still. Remember that if the pronouncer says, "I don't see that here", it doesn't necessarily mean you are on the wrong track.

The "air" sound can be spelled aire or air. (examples: legionnaire, debonair)

The "sh" sound can be spelled ch or sh. Helpful Hint: How will you know which one to use, unless you have seen the word (This goes for other French rules, as well)? If the word comes from a different language before entering French, such as Turkish or Hungarian, the spelling will most likely be sh. (examples: chablis, shagreen) Try to look them up.

Remember that there are more spellings for each rule.

Don't French rules seem very annoying? There are thousands of rules and exceptions.

Those are all the French rules I will post today. I will finish up the French section tomorrow, then we'll go to German section. The German rules may take longer than the French rules, because there are a lot of roots that are very helpful.


The spelling bee club planning is still in progress. I still need help and support, so please email me at spellingchamp135@gmail.com. I am working on a schedule, too, and it is a very long process. The club is going to be open to Salt Lake, Davis, Utah, Juab, and Wasatch Counties, and any speller who visits the area. Don't worry if you don't live in the area or ever visit, because the sessions will be recorded, and loaded on to this blog!