Appeler, épeler, épiler: these three French verbs look dangerously alike — but don’t be fooled.
Because calling someone, spelling your name, and waxing your legs are not interchangeable.
(Unless you're calling to book a waxing appointment... but let’s not go there.)
🇫🇷 Appeler, Épeler, Épiler — The French Verbs You Don’t Want to Mix Up
Ah, French verbs. Elegant, expressive… and occasionally hazardous.
Especially when they look almost identical — but mean completely different things.
Take appeler, épeler, and épiler.
These three verbs look like cousins, but they’re not on speaking terms.
Appeler and épeler both end in -eler, but épiler is the odd one out — the rogue cousin from the -iler family who shows up with hot wax and no warning.
And yet using the wrong one can lead to:
- mild embarrassment 😅
- a confused hotel receptionist 🏨
- or an accidental spa appointment you weren’t planning 🫣
Let’s clear them up, one by one.
☎️ Appeler = to call (someone)
Easy, right?
Well, sort of. Because French being French, this innocent little verb sometimes doubles itself.
✅ Je m’appelle Sophie.
(literally: “I call myself Sophie”)
— used when introducing yourself.
✅ J’appelle ma mère.
— I’m calling my mum. (No reflexive needed.)
✅ Comment t’appelles-tu ?
— What’s your name? (Warning: very French grammar twist ahead.)
Sometimes it’s reflexive (Je m’appelle), sometimes it’s not (J’appelle).
That’s French for you.
🗣 Pronounced: ah-puh-lay
🔤 Épeler = to spell
Super handy at the hotel, the doctor’s office, or when booking a train ticket. Or when spelling your name over the phone in a noisy French salon de coiffure.
✅ Vous pouvez épeler votre nom, s’il vous plaît ?
— Can you spell your name, please?
✅ Ça s’écrit comment ? Tu peux épeler ?
— How do you spell that?
🗣 Pronounced: ay-puh-lay
(Mind the middle puh, not pell, even though it's tempting.)
🧽 Épiler = to wax, depilate, remove hair
This one can get… awkward.
✅ Elle s’est épilée les jambes.
— She waxed her legs.
🚫 Je vais t’épiler.
— I'm going to wax your legs (Unless you’re a beautician, don’t say this.)
🧼 Definitely not the verb you want at hotel check-in.
🗣 Pronounced: ay-pee-lay
Real-Life Confusion Alert
You’re at a French hotel. The receptionist says:
Pouvez-vous épeler votre nom ?
And you, trying to impress, confidently reply:
Oui, je vais épiler !
Congrats. You’ve just offered to wax yourself (or someone else). 🧴
🐓 Bonus tip from the land of baguettes and moustaches
If you’re ever unsure, just remember:
✍️ épeler is for writing
📞 appeler is for speaking
🧽 épiler is for… screaming
And if someone raises an eyebrow, just pretend you’re very cosmopolitan.
