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.

• C'est très important -> B1 level.

The C1 Swaps: Use adverbs of degree or powerful standalone adjectives that do not require "très."

• Extrêmement / Particulièrement: C'est extrêmement préoccupant. (It is extremely worrying.)
• Crucial / Primordial: Il est primordial de résoudre ce problème. (It is essential to solve this problem.)
• Fondamental: C'est un enjeu fondamental pour notre société. (It is a fundamental issue for our society.)

2. Stop saying "Beaucoup" (A lot)

Whether you are talking about "a lot of people" or "a lot of problems," the word "beaucoup" signals to the examiner that your vocabulary stopped expanding at the A2 level.

• Il y a beaucoup de problèmes. -> A2/B1 level.

The C1 Swaps:

• De nombreux / De nombreuses: Il existe de nombreuses difficultés. (There are numerous difficulties.)
• Une multitude de: Nous faisons face à une multitude d'obstacles. (We face a multitude of obstacles.)
• Considérablement: (When used as an adverb) La situation a considérablement empiré. (The situation has worsened considerably.)

3. Stop saying "Bien" or "Bon" (Good)

"Good" is completely subjective and lacks precision. In an argumentative essay (TEF Section B) or a speaking debate (TCF Task 3), precision is everything.

• C'est une bonne idée. -> B1 level.

The C1 Swaps: Describe why it is good. Is it effective? Beneficial? Relevant?

• Pertinent: C'est une suggestion tout à fait pertinente. (It is a highly relevant suggestion.)
• Bénéfique: Cette mesure sera bénéfique pour l'environnement. (This measure will be beneficial for the environment.)
• Efficace: C'est une stratégie redoutablement efficace. (It is a formidably effective strategy.)

4. Stop saying "Problème" (Problem)

The prompt will usually present a negative situation. If you write the word "problème" five times in your essay, your lexical variety score will plummet.

• C'est un grand problème. -> B1 level.

The C1 Swaps:

• Un enjeu: (An issue / a stake) L'éducation est un enjeu majeur. (Education is a major issue.)
• Un fléau: (A scourge / a plague - use for severe things like pollution or unemployment) Le chômage est un véritable fléau.
• Une difficulté / Un obstacle: Nous devons surmonter cet obstacle. (We must overcome this obstacle.)
• Une lacune: (A shortcoming / flaw) Ce projet présente de graves lacunes. (This project has serious flaws.)

5. Stop saying "Faire" (To make / to do)

"Faire" is a verbe passe-partout (a master key verb). Because it can mean almost anything, it means nothing specific.

• Faire un changement. -> B1 level.

The C1 Swaps: Find the specific verb associated with the noun.

• Instead of faire un changement -> Opérer un changement (To bring about a change)
• Instead of faire une erreur -> Commettre une erreur (To commit an error)
• Instead of faire un effort -> Fournir un effort (To provide an effort)
• Instead of faire des problèmes -> Engendrer / Provoquer des difficultés (To generate/provoke difficulties)

How to Implement This Today

Do not try to memorize a dictionary. Pick two swaps from each category above. Write them on a post-it note. Every time you do a practice writing or speaking test on PrepMyFrench, force yourself to use those specific words instead of their basic counterparts.

Within a week, "Il est primordial" will feel just as natural as "C'est très important," but your examiner will grade you entirely differently.