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French spelling: words ending in -u, -us, -ut and -ue - French lesson

In French, several words can end with the same sound /y/, but they are not necessarily spelled in the same way.

They may end in:

-u
-us
-ut
-ue

This can be difficult for English speakers because the final letters are often silent.

1. Words ending in -u

Some words simply end in -u.

Examples:

une tribu = a tribe
un zébu = a zebu
un impromptu = an impromptu

The final u is pronounced /y/.

For example:

une tribu → /tʁiby/

un zébu → /zeby/

2. Words ending in -us

Some words end in -us.

The final s is usually silent.

Examples:

un rébus = a rebus
un talus = an embankment / slope

The important point is that the final s is written but not pronounced.

un rébus → /ʁeby/

un talus → /taly/

3. Words ending in -ut

Some words end in -ut.

The final t is usually silent.

Examples:

un tribut = a tribute
un rebut = something rejected / discarded material
un chalut = a trawl

For example:

un tribut → /tʁiby/

un rebut → /ʁəby/

un chalut → /ʃaly/

The final t is written but is not pronounced.

4. Words ending in -ue

Some feminine nouns end in -ue.

Examples:

une crue = a flood
une tortue = a tortoise / turtle

The final e is silent.

For example:

une crue → /kʁy/

une tortue → /tɔʁty/

The spelling -ue is particularly common in feminine forms ending in a pronounced /y/.

5. Why is this difficult?

In English, spelling and pronunciation work differently from French, and the French sound /y/ has no exact equivalent in English.

The sound /y/ is pronounced with the lips rounded as for "oo" in food, but with the tongue positioned approximately as for "ee" in see.

You can practise it like this:

/i/ → smile: "ee"

/u/ → round your lips: "oo"

/y/ → keep the tongue position of /i/ but round your lips.

French:

tu → /ty/

rue → /ʁy/

tribu → /tʁiby/

6. There is no general pronunciation rule

When you hear a word ending in /y/, you cannot always know whether it is written -u, -us, -ut or -ue.

For example:

tribu → -u

rébus → -us

tribut → -ut

crue → -ue

The spelling therefore has to be learned with the word.

7. Words from the exercise

Learn these words together with their spelling:

une tribu
un tribut
un rébus
un rebut
des crus
une crue
un chalut
un impromptu
un talus
un bahut

Pay particular attention to these pairs and contrasts:

tribu / tribut

"tribu" = a tribe

"tribut" = a tribute or payment imposed on someone

crus / crue

"crus" = plural of "cru" in certain contexts, especially wine

"crue" = a flood / a rise in the level of a river

rébus / rebut

"rébus" = a rebus, a puzzle using pictures, letters or symbols

"rebut" = something rejected or discarded

Remember

The same final sound does not necessarily mean the same spelling.

/y/ can be written:

-u → tribu, zébu, impromptu

-us → rébus, talus

-ut → tribut, rebut, chalut

-ue → crue, tortue

The best strategy is to learn the spelling together with the word, rather than trying to guess the final letters from the pronunciation.

une tortue	un zébu

un fût	un obus	un salut

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Geronimo naquit dans la trib utueuusI don't know apache Bedonkohe (Arizona) .  On reconnaît en lui un stratège et un tacticien de premier ordre.

Après avoir soumis les Athéniens, Minos exigea, en guise de trib uusueutI don't know,  que tous les trois ans, sept jeunes hommes et sept jeunes filles   soient donnés en pâture au Minotaure.

Saurez-vous déchiffrer ce réb usueutusI don't know ? Il n'est pas trop difficile.

Lorsqu'on utilise un ordinateur, on laisse une empreinte de tout ce que l'on fait.  Si l'on veut le mettre au reb usueuutI don't know il est important de détruire toutes les données  confidentielles.

Le moine bénédictin dom Pérignon est le premier qui assembla  des raisins de différents cr utsusuesuI don't know et cépages pour améliorer la qualité  des vins du vignoble champenois.

Quand la Seine est en cr utuusueI don't know, le zouave du pont de l'Alma  a les pieds dans l'eau.

Le chal ueusutuI don't know de fond est un filet de forme conique relié  au bateau par des câbles en acier.

Ce pianiste est un vrai musicien. Il interprète un imprompt utuueusI don't know de Chopin  avec beaucoup de sensibilité.

Le sentier est bordé d'un tal utuusueI don't know couvert de fleurs.  C'est le paradis des musaraignes et des hérissons.

Un bah ueuutusI don't know est un buffet bas.  C'est aussi un terme populaire pour dire 'camion, taxi'.  Dans l'argot des jeunes, c'est le collège ou le lycée.