English is the most widely spoken language all across the world. French used to be the numero uno language used for diplomacy until the 20th century, when it got hijacked by the growing popularity of English. Both languages are quite similar to each other. French is influenced by English and German whereas English is a Germanic language with French and Latin influences. Almost half of the words in English have a French origin. However, there are some major differences between the two too. Let’s take a look at some of these –
• Word Order – In English the adjective is followed by the noun. In French, this is the opposite. There are exceptions but commonly the noun comes before the adjective.
• Accents – Most French words are accented. English words are less frequently accented.
• Capitalization – Capitalization is far more common in English words than in French words.
• Gender – French is an incredibly gendered language where gender is used for all nouns and most pronouns. English uses gender only for personal pronouns.
• Pronunciation – Pronunciation is much more difficult for French than for English.
There you have it, these are the major differences between French and English.