Les 120 faux-amis les plus trompeurs en anglais

Introduction

Les faux amis sont des mots qui semblent familiers dans deux langues mais ont des significations différentes. Pour les francophones apprenant l’anglais, ces mots peuvent être source de nombreuses confusions.

Dans cet article exhaustif, nous allons explorer les 50 faux amis les plus problématiques, en expliquant leurs véritables significations et en fournissant des exemples pour éviter les erreurs courantes.

Liste des 120 faux amis les plus trompeurs en anglais

1. Actually vs Actuellement

Signification : En fait, en réalité
✅ I actually prefer tea to coffee.
❌ I’m actually working on a project. (Devrait être “currently” si on veut dire “en ce moment”)

2. Eventually vs Éventuellement

Signification : Finalement, à la longue
✅ If you practice, you’ll eventually speak English fluently.
❌ I’ll eventually come to the party. (Devrait être “I might come to the party” pour exprimer l’idée de “peut-être” ou “éventuellement” en français)

3. Sensible vs Sensible

Signification : Raisonnable, sensé
✅ It’s sensible to save money for the future.
❌ He’s very sensible to criticism. (Devrait être “sensitive”)

4. To assist vs Assister

Signification : Aider
✅ Can you assist me with this task?
❌ I will assist to the meeting. (Devrait être “attend”)

5. To demand vs Demander

Signification : Exiger
✅ The workers are demanding better working conditions.
❌ Can I demand you a question? (Devrait être “ask”)

6. Library vs Librairie

Signification : Bibliothèque
✅ I borrow books from the library.
❌ I bought this book at the library. (Devrait être “bookstore”)

7. Excited vs Excité

Signification : Enthousiaste, impatient
✅ I’m excited about the upcoming concert.
❌ The dog is excited. (Pourrait être mal interprété, mieux vaut dire “agitated”)

8. To prevent vs Prévenir

Signification : Empêcher
✅ Regular exercise can prevent many health problems.
❌ I’ll prevent you when I arrive. (Devrait être “inform” ou “let you know”)

9. Sympathetic vs Sympathique

Signification : Compatissant
✅ She was very sympathetic when I told her about my problems.
❌ He’s a sympathetic person. (Si on veut dire “agréable”, utiliser “nice” ou “friendly”)

10. To achieve vs Achever

Signification : Réaliser, accomplir
✅ She achieved her goal of running a marathon.
❌ I need to achieve this project by Friday. (Devrait être “complete” ou “finish”)

11. Advertisement vs Avertissement

Signification : Publicité
✅ I saw an advertisement for a new car on TV.
❌ The police gave an advertisement about the danger. (Devrait être “warning”)

12. Affair vs Affaire (dans le sens commercial)

Signification : Liaison amoureuse (souvent secrète)
✅ He had an affair with his colleague.
❌ It’s a good affair for our company. (Devrait être “deal” ou “business opportunity”)

13. To argue vs Arguer

Signification : Se disputer
✅ They always argue about politics.
❌ He argued that the Earth was flat. (Devrait être “argued” dans le sens de “claimed”)

14. Candid vs Candide

Signification : Franc, sincère
✅ She gave a candid interview about her struggles.
❌ He’s very candid, he believes everything. (Devrait être “naive”)

15. Caution vs Caution (dans le sens de garantie financière)

Signification : Prudence
✅ Proceed with caution on icy roads.
❌ I paid a caution to rent the apartment. (Devrait être “security deposit”)

16. College vs Collège

Signification : Université (souvent)
✅ She’s studying biology at college.
❌ My brother is still in college. (Si on parle d’un adolescent, devrait être “middle school”)

17. To deceive vs Décevoir

Signification : Tromper
✅ He deceived his business partners with false information.
❌ I don’t want to deceive you. (Si on veut dire “décevoir”, utiliser “disappoint”)

18. Deception vs Déception

Signification : Tromperie
✅ The magician’s act was full of deception.
❌ I felt a great deception when I failed the exam. (Devrait être “disappointment”)

19. Delay vs Délai

Signification : Retard
✅ The flight has a two-hour delay.
❌ You have a delay of one week to submit your paper. (Devrait être “deadline”)

20. To discuss vs Discuter

Signification : Discuter (mais sans la préposition “about”)
✅ Let’s discuss the project details.
❌ We discussed about the movie. (Devrait être simplement “discussed the movie”)

21. Disposable vs Disponible

Signification : Jetable
✅ Use disposable plates for the picnic.
❌ Are you disposable this evening? (Devrait être “available”)

22. Distracted vs Distrait

Signification : Inattentif (temporairement)
✅ He was distracted by his phone during the meeting.
❌ He’s always distracted. (Si c’est un trait de caractère, utiliser “absent-minded”)

23. Dramatic vs Dramatique

Signification : Spectaculaire, théâtral
✅ She made a dramatic entrance in a red dress.
❌ It’s a dramatic situation. (Si on veut dire “grave”, utiliser “serious” ou “critical”)

24. Estate vs État

Signification : Propriété, domaine
✅ They live on a large estate in the countryside.
❌ The estate of the country is improving. (Devrait être “state”)

25. Fabric vs Fabrique

Signification : Tissu
✅ This dress is made of silk fabric.
❌ We visited a car fabric. (Devrait être “factory”)

26. Gentle vs Gentil

Signification : Doux
✅ Be gentle when handling the baby.
❌ He’s a very gentle person. (Si on veut dire “gentil”, utiliser “kind”)

27. To ignore vs Ignorer (ne pas savoir)

Signification : Ne pas tenir compte de, faire semblant de ne pas voir
✅ He ignored my text messages.
❌ I ignore how to solve this problem. (Devrait être “I don’t know how”)

28. Journey vs Journée

Signification : Voyage
✅ It was a long journey from Paris to Rome.
❌ Have a nice journey! (Si on souhaite une bonne journée, dire “Have a nice day!”)

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29. To lecture vs Lecturer

Signification : Faire un cours, sermonner
✅ The professor will lecture on ancient history.
❌ I lectured this book last night. (Devrait être “read”)

30. Mansion vs Maison

Signification : Manoir, grande maison luxueuse
✅ They live in a mansion with 20 rooms.
❌ This is my mansion. (Pour une maison ordinaire, utiliser “house”)

31. Misery vs Misère

Signification : Malheur profond
✅ The war brought misery to thousands of people.
❌ He lives in misery. (Si on parle de pauvreté, utiliser “poverty”)

32. To notice vs Noter

Signification : Remarquer
✅ Did you notice the new painting in the hall?
❌ Please notice this information. (Devrait être “write down” ou “take note of”)

33. Occurrence vs Occurrence

Signification : Événement, fait qui se produit
✅ Earthquakes are a common occurrence in this region.
❌ This word has many occurrences in the text. (Devrait être “instances” ou “appearances”)

34. Opportunity vs Opportunité

Signification : Occasion
✅ This job is a great opportunity for you.
❌ He’s a man of opportunité. (Devrait être “He’s an opportunist”)

35. To pass vs Passer (un examen)

Signification : Réussir (un examen)
✅ She passed her driving test on the first attempt.
❌ I passed my exam last week. (Ambigu : utiliser “took” si on veut dire qu’on a participé à l’examen)

36. Petrol vs Pétrole

Signification : Essence (UK)
✅ I need to fill up my car with petrol.
❌ The country exports petrol. (Devrait être “oil”)

37. Photograph vs Photographe

Signification : Photo
✅ I took a photograph of the sunset.
❌ He works as a photograph. (Devrait être “photographer”)

38. Preservative vs Préservatif

Signification : Conservateur (alimentaire)
✅ This food contains no artificial preservatives.
❌ Use a preservative for safe sex. (Devrait être “condom”)

39. Proper vs Propre

Signification : Convenable, approprié
✅ Wear proper attire for the formal dinner.
❌ Make sure your hands are proper before eating. (Devrait être “clean”)

40. To realize vs Réaliser (dans le sens de “faire”)

Signification : Se rendre compte
✅ I suddenly realized I had forgotten my keys.
❌ We realized this project last year. (Devrait être “carried out” ou “completed”)

41. To recover vs Recouvrir

Signification : Se remettre, récupérer
✅ It took him months to recover from the accident.
❌ We recovered the floor with carpet. (Devrait être “covered”)

42. Regular vs Régulier (dans le sens de “normal”)

Signification : Habituel, fréquent
✅ He’s a regular customer at this café.
❌ This is not a regular situation. (Devrait être “normal” ou “usual”)

43. Rude vs Rude

Signification : Impoli, grossier
✅ It’s rude to interrupt someone when they’re speaking.
❌ The terrain was very rude. (Devrait être “rough”)

44. Sensible vs Sensible

Signification : Raisonnable, sensé
✅ It’s sensible to save money for emergencies.
❌ He’s very sensible to cold. (Devrait être “sensitive”)

45. Slip vs Slip (sous-vêtement)

Signification : Glisser
✅ Be careful not to slip on the wet floor.
❌ He was wearing a white slip. (Devrait être “underwear” ou “briefs”)

46. To support vs Supporter

Signification : Soutenir
✅ I support my local football team.
❌ I can’t support this noise anymore. (Devrait être “stand” ou “tolerate”)

47. Tent vs Tente

Signification : Tente (mais prononcé différemment)
✅ We slept in a tent while camping.
❌ Don’t tent me! (Pour dire “Ne me tente pas”, utiliser “Don’t tempt me!”)

48. To travel vs Travailler

Signification : Voyager
✅ I love to travel to new countries.
❌ I travel in a bank. (Devrait être “work”)

49. Vacation vs Vacations (dans le sens de “congés”)

Signification : Vacances (période de repos)
✅ We’re going on vacation next month.
❌ The store is closed for vacation. (Mieux vaut dire “The store is closed for the holidays”)

50. Venue vs Venue (dans le sens d’”arrivée”)

Signification : Lieu (d’un événement)
✅ The concert venue can hold 5000 people.
❌ I’m waiting for your venue. (Devrait être “arrival”)

51. Hazard vs Hasard

Signification : Danger, risque
✅ Smoking is a health hazard.
❌ It’s just a hazard if we meet. (Devrait être “coincidence” ou “chance”)

52. Rest vs Reste

Signification : Se reposer, repos
✅ I need to rest after this long day.
❌ You can keep the rest of the cake. (Devrait être “remainder” ou “leftover”)

53. Issue vs Issue

Signification : Problème, question
✅ We need to address this issue immediately.
❌ The issue of the movie was predictable. (Devrait être “ending” ou “outcome”)

54. Occasion vs Occasion

Signification : Événement
✅ It was a special occasion.
❌ I have an occasion to meet him. (Devrait être “opportunity”)

55. Casualty vs Casualité

Signification : Victime, blessé
✅ There were no casualties in the accident.
❌ It’s just a casualty that we met. (Devrait être “coincidence”)

56. Pain vs Pain

Signification : Douleur
✅ He felt a sharp pain in his back.
❌ I love pain au chocolat. (Devrait être “bread”)

57. Panic vs Panne

Signification : Panique
✅ She went into a panic when she lost her keys.
❌ The car had a panic on the highway. (Devrait être “breakdown”)

58. Particular vs Particulier

Signification : Spécifique
✅ I have a particular interest in history.
❌ He has a particulier style. (Devrait être “unique” ou “distinctive”)

59. Patient vs Patient

Signification : Patient (personne)
✅ The doctor is very patient with his clients.
❌ I need to be more patient today. (Si on veut dire “sick person”, utiliser “sick person” ou “ill person”)

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60. Pretend vs Prétendre

Signification : Faire semblant
✅ She pretended to be happy at the party.
❌ He pretended that he knew the answer. (Si on veut dire “claim”, utiliser “claim”)

61. Promotion vs Promotion

Signification : Avancement
✅ She received a promotion at work.
❌ The store has many promotions this week. (Si on veut dire “special offer”, utiliser “sale”)

62. Rude vs Rude

Signification : Impoli
✅ It’s rude to interrupt someone while they are speaking.
❌ The terrain was very rude. (Devrait être “rough” ou “harsh”)

63. Sensible vs Sensible

Signification : Raisonnable
✅ It’s sensible to save money for emergencies.
❌ He’s very sensible to cold weather. (Devrait être “sensitive”)

64. Sympathetic vs Sympathique

Signification : Compatissant
✅ She was very sympathetic when I told her my problems.
❌ He’s a sympathetic person. (Si on veut dire “friendly”, utiliser “nice” ou “friendly”)

65. Deposit vs Déposer

Signification : Acompte, caution
✅ We paid a deposit to reserve the apartment.
❌ Can you deposit me at the station? (Devrait être “drop off”)

66. To demand vs Demander

Signification : Exiger
✅ The workers are demanding better conditions.
❌ Can I demand you a question? (Devrait être “ask”)

67. To ignore vs Ignorer

Signification : Ne pas tenir compte de
✅ He chose to ignore the warning signs.
❌ I ignore how to do this task. (Devrait être “don’t know”)

68. To realize vs Réaliser

Signification : Se rendre compte
✅ I suddenly realized I had forgotten my keys.
❌ We realized this project last year. (Devrait être “completed” ou “carried out”)

69. To support vs Supporter

Signification : Soutenir
✅ I support my local football team.
❌ I can’t support this noise anymore. (Devrait être “tolerate” ou “stand”)

70. To warn vs Avertir

Signification : Avertir
✅ The police warned us about the danger.
❌ I will warn you when I arrive. (Devrait être “let you know” ou “inform you”)

71. Tranquilizer vs Tranquillisant

Signification : Médicament calmant
✅ The doctor prescribed a tranquilizer for his anxiety.
❌ He took a tranquilizer before the exam. (Devrait être “calming pill” ou “anti-anxiety medication”)

72. Trousers vs Trouser

Signification : Pantalon
✅ He bought new trousers for work.
❌ His trouser are too tight. (Devrait être “trousers” au pluriel)

73. Uniform vs Uniforme

Signification : Tenue d’école ou militaire
✅ Students must wear a uniform to school.
❌ The uniform was very strict. (Devrait être “The dress code was very strict”)

74. To attend vs Attendre

Signification : Assister à
✅ I will attend the meeting tomorrow.
❌ I will attend for your call. (Devrait être “wait for your call.”)

75. Fabric vs Fabrique

Signification: Tissu
✅ This dress is made of silk fabric.
❌ We visited a car fabric yesterday. (Devrait être “factory”)

76. Vicious vs Vicieux

Signification: Malin, cruel
✅ The vicious dog barked at everyone who passed by.
❌ He has a vicious personality. (Devrait être “malicious” ou “cruel”)

77. Vital vs Vital

Signification: Essentiel
✅ Water is vital for survival.
❌ It’s vital that we go now! (Devrait être “It’s essential that we go now.”)

78. Volatile vs Volatile

Signification : Instable, changeant (pour les marchés, les situations)
✅ The stock market is volatile right now due to economic changes.
❌ This perfume is very volatile. (Devrait être “has a strong scent” ou “evaporates quickly”)

79. Warrant vs Mandat

Signification : Mandat (judiciaire)
✅ The police obtained a warrant for his arrest.
❌ I’ll give you a warrant for this task. (Devrait être “authorization” ou “permission”)

80. Weird vs Bizarre

Signification : Étrange
✅ That was a weird coincidence!
❌ The weather is weird today. (Correct en anglais, mais “bizarre” serait plus naturel en français)

81. Wholesome vs Sain

Signification : Sain, bénéfique (moralement ou physiquement)
✅ Eating fruits and vegetables is wholesome for your health.
❌ This movie is very wholesome. (Pourrait être correct, mais “family-friendly” serait plus précis)

82. Zealot vs Zélé

Signification : Fanatique
✅ He is known as a zealot in his beliefs.
❌ She is very zealot about her work. (Devrait être “zealous”)

83. Ability vs Habileté

Signification : Capacité
✅ She has the ability to speak five languages.
❌ His ability with a paintbrush is impressive. (Devrait être “skill”)

84. Abuse vs Abuser

Signification : Maltraiter
✅ Child abuse is a serious crime.
❌ Don’t abuse of your power. (Devrait être “misuse”)

85. Accommodation vs Accommodation

Signification : Hébergement
✅ We need to book accommodation for our trip.
❌ They reached an accommodation in the negotiation. (Devrait être “compromise”)

86. Addiction vs Addition

Signification : Dépendance
✅ Smoking is a harmful addiction.
❌ His addiction to the team was crucial. (Devrait être “addition”)

87. Adept vs Adepte

Signification : Expert
✅ She’s adept at solving complex problems.
❌ He’s an adept of this philosophy. (Devrait être “follower”)

88. Agenda vs Agenda

Signification : Ordre du jour
✅ The meeting agenda includes five topics.
❌ I wrote the appointment in my agenda. (Devrait être “planner” ou “diary”)

89. Aggravate vs Aggraver

Signification : Irriter, exaspérer
✅ His comments only served to aggravate the situation.
❌ The injury aggravated over time. (Devrait être “worsened”)

90. Allocate vs Allouer

Signification : Attribuer
✅ We need to allocate more resources to this project.
❌ The judge allocated him a fine. (Devrait être “imposed”)

91. Amuse vs Amuser

Signification : Divertir (plus formel)
✅ The clown’s antics amused the children.
❌ I amused myself with a book. (Devrait être “entertained”)

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92. Anticipate vs Anticiper

Signification : Prévoir, s’attendre à
✅ We anticipate heavy traffic during rush hour.
❌ He anticipated on the consequences. (Devrait être “anticipated”)

93. Apology vs Apologie

Signification : Excuses
✅ He offered a sincere apology for his mistake.
❌ This book is an apology of war. (Devrait être “defense”)

94. Appetizing vs Appétissant

Signification : Appétissant (pour la nourriture)
✅ The meal looks very appetizing.
❌ His offer was not appetizing. (Devrait être “appealing”)

95. Appreciate vs Apprécier

Signification : Être reconnaissant
✅ I really appreciate your help.
❌ I appreciate good wine. (Devrait être “enjoy”)

96. Assume vs Assumer

Signification : Supposer
✅ Don’t assume you know what I’m thinking.
❌ He assumed his responsibilities. (Devrait être “took on”)

97. Attempt vs Attenter

Signification : Essayer, tenter
✅ He made several attempts to solve the problem.
❌ They attempted to his life. (Devrait être “attempted on”)

98. Auction vs Action

Signification : Vente aux enchères
✅ The painting was sold at auction for millions.
❌ I bought some actions in this company. (Devrait être “shares”)

99. Audition vs Audition

Signification : Casting
✅ She went to an audition for a role in the play.
❌ The doctor gave me an audition. (Devrait être “hearing test”)

100. Barn vs Barre

Signification : Grange
✅ The farmer stores hay in the barn.
❌ The dancer held onto the barn. (Devrait être “barre”)

101. Baton vs Bâton

Signification : Baguette (de chef d’orchestre)
✅ The conductor raised his baton to start the symphony.
❌ He hit the ball with his baton. (Devrait être “bat” ou “stick”)

102. Blanket vs Blanquette

Signification : Couverture
✅ She wrapped herself in a warm blanket.
❌ We ate blanket for dinner. (Devrait être “blanquette”, un plat français)

103. Blaze vs Blase

Signification : Incendie, flamber
✅ The forest fire blazed for days.
❌ He has a blaze attitude. (Devrait être “blasé”)

104. Brave vs Brave

Signification : Courageux
✅ The firefighters were very brave.
❌ He’s a brave man, always honest. (Devrait être “good” ou “honest”)

105. Brief vs Bref

Signification : Résumé, instructions
✅ The lawyer prepared a brief for the case.
❌ He gave a brief explanation. (Correct, mais différent du français “bref”)

106. Capable vs Capable

Signification : Compétent
✅ She’s a very capable manager.
❌ He’s capable to do it. (Devrait être “capable of doing it”)

107. Cave vs Cave

Signification : Grotte
✅ We explored a beautiful cave during our hike.
❌ Let’s go down to the cave for some wine. (Devrait être “cellar”)

108. Chair vs Chair

Signification : Chaise
✅ Please take a seat in this comfortable chair.
❌ The meat was very tender, like chair. (Devrait être “flesh”)

109. Character vs Caractère

Signification : Personnage
✅ Romeo is a famous character in literature.
❌ He has a difficult character. (Devrait être “personality”)

110. Charge vs Charge

Signification : Facturer, accuser
✅ The hotel will charge you for the minibar items.
❌ He’s in charge of the project. (Correct, mais différent du français “charge”)

111. Chore vs Chœur

Signification : Corvée
✅ Doing the dishes is my least favorite chore.
❌ The chore sang beautifully. (Devrait être “choir”)

112. Commodity vs Commodité

Signification : Produit de base
✅ Oil is an important global commodity.
❌ This hotel offers many commodities. (Devrait être “amenities”)

113. Comprehensive vs Compréhensif

Signification : Complet, exhaustif
✅ The report provides a comprehensive analysis of the situation.
❌ He was very comprehensive about my mistake. (Devrait être “understanding”)

114. Conductor vs Conducteur

Signification : Chef d’orchestre
✅ The conductor led the orchestra in a magnificent performance.
❌ The conductor of the bus was very friendly. (Devrait être “driver”)

115. Confection vs Confection

Signification : Sucrerie
✅ The store sells a variety of confections.
❌ This dress is a beautiful confection. (Devrait être “creation”)

116. Confidence vs Confidence

Signification : Confiance en soi
✅ She exudes confidence when she speaks in public.
❌ I told him this in confidence. (Devrait être “confidentially”)

117. Consistent vs Consistant

Signification : Cohérent
✅ His arguments were logical and consistent.
❌ This sauce is not consistent enough. (Devrait être “thick”)

118. Contemplate vs Contempler

Signification : Envisager
✅ I’m contemplating a career change.
❌ We contemplated the beautiful sunset. (Devrait être “admired”)

119. Convenient vs Convenant

Signification : Pratique
✅ The store’s location is very convenient.
❌ This behavior is not convenient in public. (Devrait être “appropriate”)

120. Crate vs Craie

Signification : Caisse
✅ The apples were packed in wooden crates.
❌ The teacher wrote on the board with a crate. (Devrait être “chalk”)

Conclusion

Maîtriser ces 120 faux amis vous aidera considérablement à améliorer votre anglais et à éviter des malentendus embarrassants. Rappelez-vous que la pratique régulière et l’exposition à la langue sont essentielles pour intégrer ces nuances.

N’hésitez pas à consulter un dictionnaire en cas de doute et à demander des clarifications aux locuteurs natifs. Avec le temps et la pratique, vous naviguerez parmi ces faux amis avec aisance et confiance !

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