apostrophe
/a.pɔs.tʁɔf/feminine
The French word for 'apostrophe' is apostrophe.
The term refers to the punctuation character ’.
Meaning: the character ’ (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The word has three syllables and is pronounced /a.pɔs.tʁɔf/.
Did you know?
- Unlike English, where an apostrophe often indicates ownership, the French apostrophe is never used to show possession.
- In French, the word apostrophe is also used in rhetoric to describe a figure of speech where a speaker breaks off to address a person or personified object directly.
- The Greek roots of apostrophe imply a 'turning away', which describes how the punctuation mark effectively 'turns away' or removes a vowel to join two words.
Examples in context
- Pour former un mot contracté, on utilise une apostrophe .To form a contracted word, we use an apostrophe.
- N'oublie pas l'apostrophe dans ce mot.Don't forget the apostrophe in this word.
- Il y a une apostrophe après le verbe.There is an apostrophe after the verb.
- L'apostrophe est nécessaire ici.The apostrophe is necessary here.
Example conversation
A student is asking a teacher about a spelling error.
- GabrielEst-ce que j'ai bien écrit l'apostrophe ?Did I write the apostrophe correctly?
- ManonOui, ton apostrophe est à la bonne place.Yes, your apostrophe is in the right place.
- GabrielMerci, j'ai souvent des doutes avec l'apostrophe.Thanks, I often have doubts about the apostrophe.
- ManonC'est normal, ne t'inquiète pas.It's normal, don't worry.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “apostrophe” translations and entries apostrophe, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries apostrophe, CC BY-SA 4.0.
