#paronymes

A

Arborer - to display, wear

Abhorrer - to loathe

C

Coasser - to croak

Croasser - to caw

-

Consommer - to consume

Consumer - to consume (burn)

-

Croire - to believe

Croître - to grow (numbers)

D

Décerner - to award

Discerner - to make out stg

E

Enfouir - to bury stg in the ground

(S’)Enfuir - run away

-

Éteindre - to turn off, switch off, put out

Étreindre - to embrace

Étendre - to stretch, spread out, hang out (laundry), extend

-

Estamper - to stamp

Estomper - to shade off, blur

I

Infecter - to contaminate

Infester - to infest with, plague

-

L

Lier - to tie up, link up, bind

Lire - to read 

-

M

Mettre à jour - to update

Mettre au jour - to uncover

-

P

Paraître - to appear, show, look, be published

Parer - to adorn, ward off, deal with

-

Peindre - to paint

Peigner - to comb

-

Prescrire - prescribe

Proscrire - to banish, prohibit

-

S

Serrer - to grip tight, squeeze, clench, tighten

Servir - to serve

-

Different initials

Amener - to take someone/something someplace

Emmener - to take someone with 

-

Aménager - to fit out, put in, lay out (home, land)

Emménager - to move in

-

Apporter - to bring stg, provide

Emporter - to take with, take away, win

-

Être - to be (I am - Je suis)

Suivre - to follow (I follow - Je suis)

S’ébouler: to collapse (building); s’écrouler: to collapse (people)

écharde, f: splinter; écharpe, f: scarf 

échoir: to fall due, expire; échouer: to fail

éclipse, f: eclipse; ellipse, f: ellipse/ellipsis (literature, geometry)

édicter: to promulgate (law); éditer : to publish

effraction, f: breaking and entering; infraction, f: offence

effusion, f: outpouring, affection showing; infusion, f: herbal tea

égaler: to make equal (figuratively); égaliser: to make equal (ex : hair)

éluder: to avoid; élucider: to make clear, resolve a case

émerger: to get out of the water; immerger: to get in the water

éminent-e: high, important; imminent-e: about to happen

emprunt, m: borrowing, loan; empreint-e de: being marked by

emménager: to move in a new place; aménager: to fit out house stuff 

enduire: to cover with varnish, paint; induire (en erreur): to mislead

enfouir: to bury something; enfuir: to run away

épancher: to speak openly; étancher : to stop flowing 

épigramme, m: satyrical poem; épigraphe, f: epigraph

errement, m: wondering around; erreur, f: mistake 

éruption, f: volcano eruption; irruption, f: irruption, bursting into

esquisser: to sketch; esquiver: to avoid, dodge (a situation)

évasion, f: jail escaping; invasion: invading 

évoquer: to mention; invoquer: to call upon (law, religion, witchcraft)

exalter: to glorify; exulter: being very happy

exode, f: exodus running away; exorde: first part of a speech

expansion, f: expansion, dilation, distension; extension, f: development 

explicite, ep: explicit, clear; implicite: implicit, implied 

Sceptique, ep: sceptical; septique, ep: septic

sceptre, m: scepter (Jafar’s stick); spectre, m: ghost (rare)

séculaire, ep: happens every 100 years; séculier/ère: lay (religion)

seyant-e: becoming (ex: clothes); séant-e: seemly, fitting

sujétion, f: subjection, constraint (politics); suggestion, f: advice

suspens, m: theater play suspense; suspense, m: thriller suspense

teindre: to dye something; teinter: to tint

temporaire, ep: temporary; temporel-le: temporal

tordu-e : crooked; tortu-e: complicated, irregular

triomphal-e: triumphant (about a thing); triomphant-e: (about a person)

usagé-e: that has been used a lot; usé-e: worn out

végétarisme, m: vegetarianism; végétalisme, m: vegan diet

vénéneux/se: poisonous (plants); venimeux/se: venomous (beings)

viable, ep: viable (health); vivable, ep: bearable, livable (house, people)

vigie, f: watch tower; vigile, m: guard, watchman (security)

Lacune, f: gap, deficiency (knowledge); lagune, f: lagoon

législation, f: legislation; législature, f: legislature, term of office

léser: to wrong (morally); lésiner: to skimp (money)

libération, f: liberation, release, discharge (army); libéralisation, f 

littéral-e: literal; littéraire: literary 

logique, f: reasoning, logic / logistique, f: logistics

luxueux/euse: luxurious, rich; luxuriant-e: lush (nature, art)

lymphe, f: lymph / nymphe, f: nymph/pupa (bug)

machination, f: evil plot; machinerie, f: machinery, engine room (boats)

mander: to ask (old, rare); mandater: to appoint/elect 

marche, f: step (stairs), walking, running (machinery); marge, f: margin

matériau, m: material; matériel, m: tools, equipment

maudire: to curse smg/smn; médire: to speak ill of someone

médical-e: regarding medicine; médicinal-e: medicinal

méritant-e: deserving (people); méritoire: praiseworthy (things)

Natalité, f : birth rate / nativité, f : nativity

naturiste : naturist / naturaliste : naturalist (artist, scientist)

nettoiement, m : cleaning (field, wood, city) / nettoyage, m : cleaning (regular)

notable : noteworthy/noticeable / notoire : notorious

numération, f : notation (it), count (medicine) / numérotation, f : numbering

oeuvrer : to work (precious voc) / ouvrer : to work (artisans) / ouvrir : to open

officiel-le : official / officieux/euse : unofficial

oiseleur/euse : bird-catcher / oiselier/ère : bird-seller

oiseux/euse : vain, useless (words) / oisif/ive : lazy, useless (people)

ombragé-e : shaded / ombrageux/euse : touchy, angry person 

oppresser : to oppress (morally, lungs) / opprimer : to oppress (politics)

original-e : original, new / originel-le : first to come (ex : original sin)

paraphrase, f: paraphrase (words); périphrase, f: circumlocution (words)

partial-e: biaised (law); partiel-le: incomplete

pastiche, f: imitation; postiche, f: theatre wig

patricien-ne: patrician (history); practicien-ne: practitioner (medicine)

pédicule, m: pedicle (mushroom); pédoncule, m: peduncle (flower)

percepteur/trice: tax person; précepteur/trice: private tutor (history)

perpétuer: to perpetuate; perpétre: to commit a crime

personnaliser: to make personal; personnifier: to represent, typify

populeux/euse: densely populated (rare); populaire: popular, known, working class, vernacular (words); populiste: populist (neg) 

prédication, f: preaching (speech); prédiction, f: prophecy

prééminent-e: pre-eminent; proéminent-e: prominent (anatomy)

prescrire: to prescribe (medication); proscrire: to forbid

prodige, ep: amazing thing or person; prodigue: prodigal, generous

prolifique, ep: prolific; prolixe, ep: verbose, chatty (precious voc)

prolongation, f: prolongation, extension (deadline, football - timing); prolongement, m: extension (space)

N.B.: ep: épicène, that has the same masculine and feminine form.

Habileté, f: skilfulness; habilité, f: being allowed, able to do stg

habitat, m: housing conditions; habitation, f: house, residence

hiberner: to hibernate; hiverner : to winter

hyacinthe, f: jacinthe, red/yellow colour, stone; jacinthe, f: flower

idiotie, f: idiocy; idiotisme, m: idiom, idiomatic sentence

imagé-e: illustrated with pictures; imaginé-e: invented

impassible, ep: poker faced; impavide : fearless appearance 

importun-e:  inopportune, tiresome; opportun-e: timely, opportune

imprudent-e: careless; impudent-e: impudent, shameless

inclinaison, f: incline, slope, tilt, lean; inclination, f: taste for stg/smn

inconciliable, ep: irreconcilable (ideas); irréconciliable, ep: // (people)

inculper: to charge with (law); inculquer: to teach 

induire: to induce, mislead; enduire: to (cover with) coat

industriel-le: regarding industry; industrieux/euse: industrious

infecter: about an illness; infester: about parasites, animals

intégral-e: unabridged, full, complete; intègre: honest

investiture: investiture, nomination (politics); investissement: investment

Paronymes are basically words that are very similar. And we have loads.

Abjurer: to renounce to a religion; adjurer: to beg, implore

acceptation: acceptance; acception: meaning of stg

accident : sad, unexpected event; incident: secondary, smaller event

âcre : acrid, pungent, bitter (smell); âpre: sour (taste) 

adhérence: adhesion, friction; adhésion: support of an idea

affectif: about pleasure or pain; affectueux: affectionate; effectif: effective, actual (adj), number of kids in a class or people in a company

affection: sentiment; affectation: affectedness, allocation (funds, building), being assigned to another workplace for the same company

affermir: to consolidate; affirmer : to assert, claim; infirmer: to invalidate

affilié: affiliated; affilé: sharp; effilé: thin, long, narrow 

affluence: lots of people (tv viewers, on the roads...); influence: power on someone + effect of medication/dangerous substances

affliger: to distress; infliger: to inflict, punish

allocution: speech (give); allocation: allowance; élocution: speech

altérer: to change, distort facts or quality; alterner: to alternate

alternance: alternation; alternative: choice 

amender: to amend (law), enrich (land); amodier: to rent a land

amener: to bring something; emmener: to take someone somewhere 

antinomie: logic contradiction / antonymie: antonymy (love/hate)

arborer: to display; abhorrer: to hate

arcane: mystery; arcade: archway (architecture)

aréole: areola; auréole: halo, stain/ring (ex: sweat, coffee)

artificiel: unnatural; artificieux-cieuse: fake, deceitful 

assurer: to assure, insure, ensure; assumer: to take responsibility for

attention: attention, focus, thoughtfulness; intention: desire, will  

Capter: to receive a message/wifi; capturer: to catch, capture; captiver: to get someone’s attention; captivant-e: fascinating

cession, f: transfer (law); session, f: session (exam/trial/senate)

cérébral-e: about the brain; cervical-e: about the nape of the neck

carnassier-e: who loves eating flesh; carnivore: exclusive flesh eater

cligner: to blink, wink; clignoter: to flash, twinkle (stars, lights)

compréhensible: understandable; compréhensif-ive: understanding 

conjecture, f: hypothesis; conjoncture, f: circumstances 

consommer: to use, eat; consumer: to destroy with fire 

contacter: to get in touch with; contracter: to contract (illness, deal)

crédule: gullible: crédible: credible

croire: to believe: croître: to grow, increase