faute d'orthographe
The French phrase for "spelling mistake" is faute d'orthographe.
This phrase refers to an error made when writing a word with the wrong letters or in the wrong order.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of faute (mistake or fault) and orthographe (spelling).
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the phrase plural, you pluralize the noun faute to create des fautes d'orthographe, but you keep orthographe in the singular.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Although erreur d'orthographe is grammatically correct, faute d'orthographe is the much more common and natural way to express this in French.
Did you know?
- In French, a faute d'orthographe can also be described as a coquille, which literally translates to 'a little shell'. This is used specifically to describe a small typo or a printing error.
- In French, the word faute is used for both a 'mistake' and a 'moral sin'. This means a 'spelling mistake' and a 'sin' are described using the same noun.
- France has a famous national competition called the Dictée, where participants are judged strictly on every faute d'orthographe. It is treated as a high-stakes cultural event rather than just a classroom exercise.
Examples in context
- Il y a ici une faute d'orthographe.There's a spelling mistake here.This sentence is useful for identifying the location of a faute d'orthographe.Tatoeba #1103546 by sacredceltic, translation #8160153 by TheNightAvl
- J'ai fait une erreur d'orthographe dans mon devoir.I made a spelling mistake in my assignment
- J'ai fait une faute d'orthographe dans ce mot.I made a spelling mistake in this word.
- Corrige cette faute d'orthographe, s'il te plaît.Correct this spelling mistake, please.
Example conversation
Emma and Hugo are proofreading a letter together.
- EmmaEst-ce que tu vois une faute d'orthographe ici ?Do you see a spelling mistake here?
- HugoOui, il y a une faute d'orthographe au début.Yes, there is a spelling mistake at the beginning.
- EmmaMerci, Hugo, tu es très attentif.Thank you, Hugo, you are very attentive.
- HugoC'est normal, je vérifie toujours tout.It's normal, I always check everything.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
