The 5 Most Overused Words in French Exams (And What to Use Instead)

When grading the TEF or TCF Canada exams (especially the speaking and writing sections), examiners hear and read the same basic vocabulary thousands of times a week.

If your goal is a CLB 7 (B2), using basic words correctly is fine. But if you are chasing the high scores needed for Express Entry—CLB 9 or 10 (C1/C2)—you must prove that you possess a rich, nuanced, and sophisticated lexicon.

The easiest way to artificially inflate your perceived fluency level is to eliminate the five most overused words in the French language and replace them with their C1 equivalents.

1. Stop saying "Très" (Very)

"Très" is the ultimate lazy word. It weakens your sentence because it requires an adjective to do the heavy lifting.