Question 1

Why does muette have a double 't' at the end?

Accepted Answer

Muette is describing lettre, which is a feminine noun. The masculine form of this adjective is muet. In French, adjectives ending in -et usually double their final consonant and add an 'e' in the feminine form, changing to -ette.

Question 2

If muette doubles its final consonant, why doesn't dernière become 'dernierre'?

Accepted Answer

Different adjective endings follow different rules! While adjectives ending in -et, -en, and -on double their last consonant for the feminine form, adjectives ending in -er do not. Instead, an -er ending changes to a grave accent plus an 'e' (-ère). So, the masculine dernier simply becomes dernière.

Question 3

Why does dernière come before the noun lettre?

Accepted Answer

Most French adjectives go after the noun, but a few categories of common adjectives go before it. Words that describe order or rank in a sequence, like premier (first) and dernier (last), are placed before the noun.

Question 4

Why use cette instead of ce?

Accepted Answer

Cette is the feminine singular word for 'this' or 'that'. Because lettre is a feminine noun, it requires cette. If the noun were masculine, you would use ce (or cet if the masculine noun started with a vowel sound).

Cette dernière lettre est muette.

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