一般而言，一个单词有相对应唯一的阴阳性（例如我们说"un bureau","une chaise"）。而即使我们不小心说“une bureau","un chaise，对方也能很快理解你要说的是什么。另外，有一些单词拥有两种形式，分别指男性及女性词性（比如“un avocat/une avocate“, “un acteur/une actrice“）。
因此，尽管我们总被要求准确记住每一个单词的词性，在日常使用过程中，这似乎不是一个大问题。
然而，以下这些词你要小心：他们有相同的读音（甚至有时连长相也相同），不用的词性确实对应了不同的意思。有时微乎其微，有时却相去甚远。试想，如果你把脖子说成了胶水……
| Masculine | Feminine | |||
| un aide | male assistant | une aide | help, assistance, female assistant | |
| un air | air, look, aria | une aire | area, zone, eyrie | |
| un auteur | author | une hauteur | height | |
| le bal | dance | la balle | ball | |
| le bar | bar/pub, bass (fish) | la barre | bar (rod), barre, helm | |
| le barbe | barb | la barbe les barbes |
beard ragged edge | |
| le barde | bard (poet) | la barde | bard (armor for a horse, piece of fat surrounding a piece of meat) | |
| le basilic | basil, basilisk | la basilique | basilica | |
| le basque | Basque language | la basque | tails (of a jacket) | |
| le boum | bang, explosion, (fam) success | la boum | (inf) party | |
| le bout | tip, end | la boue | mud | |
| le bugle | bugle | la bugle | bugleweed | |
| le but | aim, goal, purpose | la butte | hillock, mound | |
| le cache | card/mask (to hide s.t.) | la cache | cache, hiding place | |
| le capital | capital, money | la capitale | capital city, capital letter | |
| le carpe | carpus | la carpe | carp | |
| le cartouche | (archeology) cartouche | la cartouche | cartridge, carton | |
| le casse | break-in, robbery | la casse | breaking, damage, breakages | |
| le cave | (familiar) idiot, sucker | la cave | basement, cellar | |
| le central | center court, (telephone) exchange | la centrale | station, plant, group | |
| le champagne | champagne | la Champagne | Champagne region | |
| le chêne | oak tree/wood | la chaîne | chain, channel, stereo | |
| le chèvre | goat cheese | la chèvre | goat | |
| le chine | china, rice paper | la chine la Chine |
second hand / used trade China | |
| le chose | thingie, contraption | la chose | thing | |
| le col | collar, neck | la colle | glue | |
| le coq | rooster | la coque | hull, fuselage, cockle | |
| le cours le court |
class (tennis) court |
la cour | court, yard | |
| le crème | coffee with cream | la crème | cream | |
| le crêpe | crepe material | la crêpe | thin pancake | |
| le cric | jack | la crique | creek, inlet | |
| le critique | male critic | la critique | criticism, review, fem critic | |
| le diesel | diesel fuel | la diesel | diesel automobile | |
| un enseigne | ensign (rank) | une enseigne | sign ensign (flag, banner) | |
| un espace | space | une espace une Espace |
printing space car model from Renault | |
| le fait le faîte |
fact summit, rooftop |
la fête | party | |
| le faune | faun | la faune | fauna | |
| le fil | thread, yarn, string | la file | line, queue | |
| le finale | finale (music) | la finale | final (sports) | |
| le foie | liver | la foi une fois |
faith once, one time | |
| le foudre | (ironic) leader, large cask | la foudre | lightning | |
| le garde | guard, warden, keeper | la garde | guard duty, custody, private nurse | |
| le gène | gene | la gêne | trouble, bother, embarrassment | |
| le geste | gesture | la geste | gest, epic poem | |
| le gîte | shelter, cottage bottom round (meat) |
la gîte | list, inclination of ship | |
| le greffe | court clerk's office | la greffe | transplant, graft | |
| le guide | guide (book or person) | la guide les guides |
girl scout/guide reins | |
| un interligne | space (typography) | une interligne | lead (typography) | |
| le jars | gander | la jarre | jar | |
| le lac | lake | la laque | lacquer, shellac, hairspray | |
| le légume | vegetable | la légume | (informal) la grosse légume - big shot | |
| le lieu | place | la lieue | league | |
| le livre | book | la livre | pound (money & weight) | |
| le maire | mayor | la mer la mère |
sea mother | |
| le mal le mâle |
evil male |
la malle | trunk | |
| le manche | handle | la manche la Manche |
sleeve English Channel | |
| le manœuvre | laborer | la manœuvre | maneuver, operation | |
| le manque | lack, shortage, fault | à la manque | (familiar) crummy, second-rate | |
| le mari | husband | la mari Marie |
apocope of la marijuana feminine name | |
| le martyr le martyre |
male martyr martyrdom, agony |
la martyre | female martyr | |
| le mémoire | memo, report, memoirs | la mémoire | memory | |
| le merci | thanks | la merci | mercy | |
| le mi | mi (musical note E) | la mie | soft part of bread | |
| le mode | method, way, mood | la mode | fashion | |
| le moral | morale | la morale | moral (of story), morals | |
| le mort | dead body | la mort | death | |
| le mou | softness | la moue | pout | |
| le moule | mold | la moule | mussel | |
| le mousse | ship's boy (apprentice) | la mousse | moss, froth, foam, mousse | |
| le mur | wall | la mûre | blackberry | |
| un œuvre | body of work | une œuvre | piece of work, task | |
| un ombre | grayling (fish) | une ombre | shade, shadow | |
| orange | orange (color) | une orange | orange (fruit) | |
| le page | page boy | la page | page (of a book) | |
| le pair le père |
peer father |
la paire | pair | |
| Pâques (m) | Easter | la pâque les Pâques |
Passover Easter | |
| le parallèle | parallel (figurative) | la parallèle | parallel line | |
| le pendule | pendulum | la pendule | clock | |
| personne | (negative pronoun) no one | la personne | person | |
| le pet | (familiar) fart | la paie la paix |
pay peace | |
| le physique | physique, face | la physique | physics | |
| le plastique | plastic | la plastique | modeling arts, body shape | |
| le platine | platinum | la platine | turntable, deck, strip of metal | |
| le poêle | stove | la poêle | frying pan | |
| le poids le pois |
weight pea, dot |
la poix | pitch, tar | |
| le politique | politician | la politique | politics, policy | |
| le ponte | (informal) big shot | la ponte | laying eggs, clutch of eggs | |
| le poste | job, post, tv/radio set | la poste | post office, mail/post | |
| le pot | jar, pot, tin, can | la peau | skin | |
| le pub | pub/bar | la pub | ad (publicité - advertising) | |
| le pupille | male ward | la pupille | pupil of an eye, female ward | |
| le radio | radio operator | la radio | radio, X ray | |
| le relâche | rest, respite, break* | la relâche | rest, respite, break*, port of call | |
| le renne | reindeer | la reine la rêne |
queen rein | |
| le rose | pink (color) | la rose | rose (flower) | |
| le roux | red, red-head, roux (soup base) | la roue | wheel | |
| le secrétaire | male secretary writing desk, secretary |
la secrétaire | female secretary | |
| le sel | salt | la selle | saddle | |
| le soi | self, id | la soie | silk | |
| le sol | ground, floor, soil | la sole | sole (fish) | |
| le solde | balance (account), sale | la solde | pay | |
| le somme | snooze, nap | la somme | sum, amount | |
| le souris | smile (archaic) | la souris | mouse | |
| le tic | tic, twitch | la tique | tick | |
| le tour | tour, turn, trick | la tour | tower, rook (chess) | |
| le trompette | trumpeter | la trompette | trumpet | |
| le vague | vagueness | la vague | wave | |
| le vapeur | steamer | la vapeur | steam, haze, vapor | |
| le vase | vase | la vase | silt, mud | |
| le vigile | night watchman | la vigile | vigil | |
| le visa | visa (to enter a country) | la visa | Visa (credit card) | |
| le voile | veil | la voile | sail | |
*For these meanings, relâche can be masculine or feminine.