French Nouns You Already Know: The “-ITY → -ITÉ” Pattern
French is full of words that look almost identical to English. That’s not luck—it’s history. English and French share thousands of Latin‑based words, especially abstract nouns used in education, work, science, and everyday conversation.
One of the highest‑value patterns for learners is:
English nouns ending in “-ity” often become “-ité” in French.
If you’re an English speaker, this pattern can multiply your vocabulary quickly and dramatically improve your reading comprehension.
In this guide you’ll learn:
- The -ity → -ité rule (and why it works)
- Pronunciation and accent tips for -ité
- Gender and article use (most of these nouns are feminine)
- A large list of high‑frequency examples
- Practice drills + a short weekly plan
The Rule
-ity → -ité
Examples:
- activity → activité
- reality → réalité
- equality → égalité
- security → sécurité
Spelling is often very close. Pronunciation changes more, but it’s still predictable once you learn the stress pattern.
Gender tip (important for speaking)
Most nouns ending in -ité are feminine:
- la réalité
- la sécurité
- la possibilité
- la nationalité
So a useful chunk to memorize is: la + -ité word.
High‑frequency -ITÉ cognates
| English | French |
|---|---|
| curiosity | curiosité |
| complexity | complexité |
| possibility | possibilité |
| responsibility | responsabilité |
| nationality | nationalité |
| university | université |
| creativity | créativité |
| productivity | productivité |
| quality | qualité |
| community | communauté (not -ité, but common and related) |
| identity | identité |
| priority | priorité |
| authority | autorité |
| minority | minorité |
| majority | majorité |
| stability | stabilité |
| visibility | visibilité |
| diversity | diversité |
Mini‑pattern inside the pattern
Some words also keep very similar prefixes/suffixes:
- responsibility → responsabilité
- visibility → visibilité
Once you learn a few, your brain starts recognizing the “shape” automatically.
More -ité words you’ll actually see
Here are additional high‑frequency nouns (great for reading and speaking):
- la possibilité (possibility)
- la responsabilité (responsibility)
- la créativité (creativity)
- la productivité (productivity)
- la sensibilité (sensitivity)
- la visibilité (visibility)
- la mobilité (mobility)
- la flexibilité (flexibility)
- la solidarité (solidarity)
- la spécialité (specialty)
- la réactivité (responsiveness)
- la stabilité (stability)
- la sécurité (security)
- la qualité (quality)
- la priorité (priority)
- l’ identité (identity)
Learning tip: learn them in pairs you can use together:
- qualité / sécurité (quality/safety)
- priorité / responsabilité (priority/responsibility)
️ Near misses (don’t force the pattern)
Sometimes English ends in “-ity” but French uses a different common word:
- ability → capacité (not habilité in the everyday sense)
And sometimes French has an “-ité” word, but the meaning is not exactly the English one. The rule still helps you guess, but always confirm with context.
The best mindset is: high confidence guess + quick confirmation.
️ Pronunciation Tip
French -ité is pronounced roughly ee‑tay.
For example:
- activité → ahk‑tee‑vee‑tay
- sécurité → say‑kyu‑ree‑tay
Two quick tips:
- The final syllable -té is clear and often stressed in learner speech.
- Don’t over‑pronounce every letter. Focus on the rhythm: ac‑ti‑vi‑TÉ.
Use them in real sentences
Here are sentence frames that appear constantly in French:
- La réalité, c’est que… (The reality is that…)
- C’est une priorité. (It’s a priority.)
- J’ai une question sur… (I have a question about…) (not -ité but useful frame)
- La sécurité est importante. (Safety is important.)
Examples:
- La réalité, c’est que je n’ai pas le temps. (The reality is that I don’t have time.)
- La sécurité est importante au travail. (Safety is important at work.)
- Quelle est ta nationalité ? (What is your nationality?)
- C’est une possibilité. (It’s a possibility.)
Practice
7‑day micro‑plan (5 minutes/day)
- Day 1: Learn 10 -ité nouns with la (la réalité, la qualité…).
- Day 2: Write 5 sentences using C’est une priorité / une possibilité.
- Day 3: Read a French article and highlight every -ité word you see.
- Day 4: Add 10 more nouns (nationalité, diversité…).
- Day 5: Say the words out loud and focus on the rhythm of -ité.
- Day 6: Review by translating English → French quickly.
- Day 7: Tell a short story using 5 -ité nouns.
Quick FAQ
Is every “-ity” word an “-ité” word?
No, but many are. Some French words exist but are less common, and some use different suffixes. Use the pattern as a strong first guess, then confirm in context.
Do I always use “la”?
Most -ité nouns are feminine, so “la” is a great default. You’ll still learn exceptions over time, but this is a high‑accuracy shortcut.
️ Mini speaking challenge (60 seconds)
Pick 5 -ité nouns and say one sentence with each. Example:
- La qualité est importante.
- La sécurité est une priorité.
Speaking them out loud makes the pronunciation of -ité feel natural much faster than silent reading.
Takeaway
Every time you see -ity in English, try the French -ité version.
It’s one of the fastest ways to multiply your French noun vocabulary.