Let me tell you now which word you should use to correctly translate those English words.

- acheive : obtenir, atteindre, réussir
- actually : en fait, à vrai dire
- advertisement : une publicité
- agenda : un ordre du jour
- ancient : antique, très vieux
- argument : une dispute
- bail : une caution
- but : mais
- cap : une casquette (hat) , un bouchon (bottle cap)
- chandelier : un lustre
- coin : une pièce de monnaie
- conductor : un chef d'orchestre
- confectioner : un confiseur de bonbons
- crayon : un crayon de couleur
- delayed : retardé
- envy : envier, convoiter
- fabric : un tissus
- fortunate : chanceux, choyé
- furniture : un meuble, le mobilier
- glass : un verre
- habit : une habitude
- if : si
- injure : blesser
- issue : un problème
- journey : un voyage, un trajet
- lecture : une conférence, sermoner
- library : une bibliothèque
- location : un emplacement
- note (as in bank note) : un billet de banque
- piece : un morceau
- part : une partie
- plume : un bouquet (a handful), une trainée (of smoke)
- prevent : empêcher
- proper : corect, formel, approprié
- replace : remplacer, changer
- sensible : sage, raisonnable
- store : un magasin, entreposer
- tissue : un mouchoir

You can add "mammal" to that list.  I thought I was describing bats - mammals that fly - to my friend. Nope. I was raving about flying lady parts.

I came across something funny this week. An English speaker friend of mine wrote "Je reste ma valise" on Facebook. I thougth : "I stay my suitcase"...what does she mean?! Then she explained: "I rest my case". That, I did not see coming because it's an expression translated litterally with a false friend in the middle, gibberish to me! Our lawyers don't say this particular phrase, more like "rien à ajouter votre honneur" (nothing add your honor) or "mon dossier est clos" (my file is shut). So: beware of false friends and above all, beware of idioms!

Very useful. I have great problem with French vocabulary, because I have such impression, that English vocabulary is very similar to the French one. Previously I thought, that English is more similar to German (I was completely wrong). Now I am stuck, frankly speaking, It is very hard to me, to learn these French words which are unique, different English-like. I don't speak Latin or any other Romance language, it would be very helpful.

Great article :-) The "actually / actuellement (currently)" is such a common mistake French people do when learning English.