In this Rendez-vous Tuto, Ellie dives into a smart, intuitive way to build vocabulary that many learners overlook: word families.
Unlike grammar, vocabulary often feels scattered and hard to pin down. But what if you could unlock a whole set of related words just by recognizing one root? That’s the idea behind word families—a technique that not only makes new words easier to remember but also helps you guess unfamiliar ones in context.
Drawing from immersive experiences in France and insights from language acquisition research, Ellie introduces a method that’s both structured and adaptable. Whether you're brushing up your skills or starting from scratch, this approach offers a gentle yet powerful boost to your French.
🎥 Watch the Tuto In Full Below:
Get a feel for the technique in under 15 minutes.
Word families are groups of words that share a common root. From a single verb like inviter, you can derive nouns (invitation), adjectives (invitant), and even more complex forms (réinviter). These families often carry the same core meaning, so once you grasp the root, you're halfway to understanding several related words.
🧩 Example:
It’s a bit like discovering a secret code that lets you read more fluently and express yourself more freely—without constantly reaching for a dictionary.
Ellie explains how using word families taps into your brain’s natural pattern recognition, making vocabulary more “sticky.” Here’s why it works:
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Faster Learning: You learn 4–5 words for the effort of 1.
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Improved Memory: Familiar patterns help words stick long-term.
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Better Reading Skills: You’ll start to recognize and decode new words more easily.
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More Confident Speaking: You’ll have more vocabulary ready when you need it.
Ellie shares a few techniques you can try today:
🌱 1. Create Mini Mind Maps
Start with a root word like porter and build outwards:
→ importer, reporter, déporter, portatif, portage…
🎯 2. Guess New Words in Context
Notice prefixes (re-, dé-, im-) and suffixes (-tion, -able, -ant) to make educated guesses about unfamiliar terms.
🗣️ 3. Say It Out Loud and Add Meaning
Try saying new words aloud while imagining them in context. For example, when you say invitation, imagine a party invite in your hand—something tangible and emotional.
A Quick Grammar Reminder
Understanding how words function in sentences will help you make the most of this technique. If you're not quite sure about parts of speech like verbs, nouns, adjectives, and adverbs, we recommend revisiting the Parts of Speech Tutos in the Vocabulary Library.
This Tuto is part of a growing series inside the Learn French Vocab Library—a resource designed to help you build vocabulary with clarity and confidence.
You can dive into this one for free, and if it clicks with you, there’s a whole library of Tutos just like it waiting to be explored.
From live sessions three times a week to a full archive of research-backed, learner-tested videos, the Vocab Library offers structure, variety, and a little bit of magic for your French journey.
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Access to 3 live webinars each week, where Ellie guides learners through real-time vocabulary exploration, pronunciation practice, and grammar insights.
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