-eler / -eter

Spelling Change: Doubling L or T

Level 2

In French, certain verbs ending in -eler and -eter double the 'l' or 't' in specific forms to maintain the correct pronunciation of the preceding 'e' (changing it from a 'schwa' to an 'eh' sound).

How It Works

This spelling change is a phonetic necessity. In French, a single 'e' followed by a single consonant and then another 'e' is usually pronounced as a weak /ə/ (like 'the'). To make it sound like /ɛ/ (like 'pet'), we must either add an accent or double the consonant.

1. Present Tense (The 'Boot' Pattern)
The consonant doubles for je, tu, il/elle/on, and ils/elles. It remains single for nous and vous because those endings are not silent.

  • J'appelle (I call)
  • Nous appelons (We call)

2. Future and Conditional Tenses
Because the stems for these tenses end in a silent 'e' sound before the tense markers, the consonant is doubled for all subjects.

  • Je jetterai (I will throw)
  • Nous jetterions (We would throw)

3. Key Verbs to Remember
The most common verbs following this rule are appeler (to call), jeter (to throw), and their derivatives like rappeler (to call back) or rejeter (to reject).

Note on the 1990 Reform: While many other -eler/-eter verbs (like acheter) use an accent grave (è) instead of doubling, appeler and jeter are so common that they kept the double consonant rule even in modern simplified spelling.

Examples (5)

  1. Est-ce que tu appelles tes parents ce soir ?

    Are you calling your parents tonight?

    Word by Word: Is it that you call your parents this evening?

    In the 'tu' form of the present tense, the ending is silent, so the 'l' is doubled.

  2. Il jettera ses vieux papiers demain.

    He will throw away his old papers tomorrow.

    Word by Word: He will throw his old papers tomorrow.

    In the future tense, the 't' is doubled for all subjects.

  3. Nous appelons le taxi maintenant.

    We are calling the taxi now.

    Word by Word: We call the taxi now.

    The 'l' remains single here because the 'nous' ending (-ons) is not a silent 'e'.

  4. Le gouvernement rejette cette proposition.

    The government rejects this proposal.

    Word by Word: The government rejects this proposal.

    'Rejeter' is a derivative of 'jeter' and follows the same doubling rule.

  5. Je vous rappellerai plus tard.

    I will call you back later.

    Word by Word: I you will call back more late.

    The future tense of 'rappeler' requires the double 'll' for all persons.

Common Mistakes

  • Using an accent grave instead of doubling for 'appeler' or 'jeter'.

    J'appèle mon ami.
    J'appelle mon ami.

    While many -er verbs use an accent (like 'j'achète'), 'appeler' and 'jeter' must double the consonant.

  • Forgetting to double the consonant in the future tense.

    Je jeterai les ordures.
    Je jetterai les ordures.

    The future stem of these verbs always requires the double consonant because of the silent 'e' sound in the stem.

  • Doubling the consonant in the 'nous' or 'vous' present tense forms.

    Nous appellons demain.
    Nous appelons demain.

    You only double the consonant when the ending is silent. Since '-ons' is pronounced, you keep the single 'l'.

How It Connects

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-eler / -eterLevel 2Spelling Change: Doubling L or T

Learn This First

To understand the spelling changes in -eler and -eter verbs, a learner must first be comfortable with the standard conjugation of regular -er verbs. This pattern is a variation of that system where the consonant doubles to maintain the correct vowel sound before silent endings (je, tu, il/elle/on, ils/elles).