Classzone: The Language of Literature, Grade 8

Name _______________________________________

Lesson 30 Words from the French language

route restaurant

rouge chauffeur

coupon chauvinist

tourist

gourmet lieutenant

poultry soldier

souvenir chandelier

boulevard

carousel surgeon

limousine dungeon

silhouette pigeon

Look at the repeated letter patterns in these words from the French language.

1.	What vowel combination is repeated in the words in the first column? _____ In what syllable does this combination usually occur? _____
2.	What vowel combination is repeated in the second group of words? _____
3.	What vowel combination is repeated in the third group of words? _____
4.	What letter combination is repeated in the last group of words? _____ Does the letter g have a hard sound or a soft sound in these words? _________ What vowel follows the letter g in these words? _____

Lesson Generalization
Spelling follows certain patterns in every language. The vowel combinations ou, au, and ie occur in many words taken from the French language. The ou combination most frequently appears in a first syllable.
Only words from the French use the geon ending. They cause spelling challenges because the ge in words like surgeon sounds like the dge in English words: fudge, judge.