🎧 Lesson 0: Guide to Pronunciation

Guide de prononciation française

📑 On this page

Introduction
Vowels (Voyelles)
Semi-Vowels (Semi-voyelles)
Nasal Vowels (Voyelles nasales)
Consonants (Consonnes)
Pronunciation Tips
Exercises

🎯 Introduction

📌 Key Facts About French Pronunciation

French vowels are clear and short, generally placed forward in the mouth
With few exceptions, final consonants of French words are silent
Syllables in French are considered part of an utterance, not part of a word
Words in a phrase are usually linked (liaison)
There is a slight "fall" or descending intonation on the last word of a sentence

🎧 Listening tip: Click the 🔊 Listen buttons throughout this lesson to hear the correct pronunciation of each sound and example word.

🔊 Vowels (Voyelles)

French vowels are pure and short. Unlike English, they don't become diphthongs (two vowel sounds gliding together).

📌 a, à, â → [ah]

Examples:

sa (her/his)

là (there)

pâte (dough/paste)

chat (cat)

💡 Tip: Like the "a" in English "father" — but shorter and crisper.

📌 ai → [ay]

j'ai (I have)

mais (but)

lait (milk)

fait (fact/done)

💡 Tip: Like the "ay" in English "say" — short and clipped.

📌 eau, au, aux → [oh]

eau (water)

auto (car)

jaune (yellow)

bateaux (boats)

📌 é, er, ez, es, et → [ay] (closed e)

pré (meadow)

parler (to speak)

parlez (you speak)

mes (my)

et (and)

📌 è, ê, e + double consonant, -et → [eh] (open e)

chèvre (goat)

tête (head)

belle (beautiful)

effet (effect)

💡 Tip: Like the "e" in English "bet" — open your mouth slightly more.

📌 e in one-syllable words, eu, oeu → [uh]

le (the)

que (that)

de (of)

peu (little)

oeufs (eggs)

bleu (blue)

💡 Tip: To make this sound: hold your tongue as if to make [ay], but round your lips as if to make [oh].

📌 i, î, y → [ee]

cri (cry/scream)

fil (thread)

île (island)

il y a (there is)

📌 o, o before s, ô → [oh] (closed o)

vélo (bike)

zoo (zoo)

roses (roses)

hôtel (hotel)

📌 o before consonants (except s) → [uh] (open o)

bonne (good, feminine)

monnaie (change/money)

homme (man)

📌 ou, où, oû → [oo]

sou (cent)

où (where)

foule (crowd)

📌 u, û → [U]

tu (you)

rue (street)

jupe (skirt)

flûte (flute)

💡 Tip: This sound doesn't exist in English! Hold your tongue as if to make [ee], but round your lips as if to make [oh]. It sounds like the "ü" in German.

🔊 Semi-Vowels (Semi-voyelles)

Semi-vowels are vowel combinations pronounced in a single syllable.

📌 ill, ail, eil → [eey], [ahy], [ayy]

fille (girl)

famille (family)

travail (work)

oreille (ear)

📌 ie, i, y (not final) → [y]

bien (well)

science (science)

croyez (you believe)

📌 oi, ua → [wah]

moi (me)

quoi (what)

revoir (to see again)

guano (guano)

📌 oui → [wee]

oui (yes)

👃 Nasal Vowels (Voyelles nasales)

Nasal vowels are pronounced through both the mouth and nose simultaneously. The letters n or m are NOT pronounced in a nasal combination.

📌 an, am, en, em → [An]

dans (in)

lampe (lamp)

trente (thirty)

exemple (example)

📌 in, im, en, un, ym, ain, aim, ein → [In]

bien (well)

matin (morning)

vingt (twenty)

un (one/a)

train (train)

plein (full)

💡 Note: "un" is pronounced [In] in modern standard French, though some regions distinguish it.

📌 on, om → [On]

bonbon (candy)

son (sound/his)

combien (how many)

🔊 Consonants (Consonnes)

Pronounce consonants forward in your mouth. Avoid making plosive sounds (puffs of air), especially with b, p, and t.

📌 c before a, o, u; qu → [k]

court (short/court)

classe (class)

quelquefois (sometimes)

cinq (five)

📌 c before i, e, y; ç → [s]

merci (thank you)

cercle (circle)

François (Francis)

📌 ch → [sh]

chose (thing)

machine (machine)

📌 g before e, i, y; j → [zh]

bonjour (hello)

joli (pretty)

Georges (George)

💡 Tip: This is the "s" sound in English "pleasure" or "measure."

📌 gn → [ny]

montagne (mountain)

peigner (to comb)

champagne (champagne)

💡 Tip: Like the "ny" in English "canyon."

📌 r, rr → [R] (gargled r)

riche (rich)

bizarre (strange)

original (original)

💡 Tip: The French r is pronounced at the back of the throat, with a slight gargling sound — nothing like the English r.

📌 s, initial or double s; x → [s]

salut (hi)

fausse (false)

six (six)

📌 s between vowels or in -sion → [z]

mademoiselle (miss)

excursion (excursion)

💡 Pronunciation Tips

🎯 Keep vowels short and clear

Unlike English, French vowels don't glide into other sounds. Keep them pure and crisp.

❌ English "see" (cee-ee)

✅ French "si" (short, crisp)

🎯 Silent final consonants

Most final consonants are silent. Be careful with: d, p, s, t, x, z

tard (late) → silent d

temps (time) → silent ps

est (is) → silent t

🎯 Liaison (linking)

Words in a phrase are usually linked. The final consonant of the first word becomes the beginning of the next.

vous avez → voo-zah-vay

les amis → lay-zah-mee

🎯 Intonation

There's a slight "fall" on the last syllable of a sentence. For yes/no questions, intonation rises at the end.

Statement: Tu arrives. (falling)

Question: Tu arrives? (rising)

📖 Quick Reference: Most Important Sounds

[e] (é) → like "ay"

[ɛ] (è, ê) → like "eh"

[ə] (e muet) → like "uh"

[y] (u) → unique! lips rounded, tongue high

[ø] (eu) → lips rounded like "oh", tongue like "ay"

[œ] (œu) → more open version of [ø]

[ɑ̃] (an, en) → nasal "ah"

[ɛ̃] (in, ain) → nasal "eh"

[ɔ̃] (on) → nasal "oh"

✍️ Exercises

Exercise 0.1 – Identify the sound

Listen to each word (click 🔊) and identify which vowel sound it contains:

1. chèvre → [e] or [ɛ] or [ə]?

2. peu → [ø] or [œ] or [y]?

3. tu → [y] or [u] or [ø]?

4. matin → [ɑ̃] or [ɛ̃] or [ɔ̃]?

5. bon → [ɑ̃] or [ɛ̃] or [ɔ̃]?

Answers:
1. [ɛ] (open e) — like "eh"
2. [ø] (closed eu) — lips rounded
3. [y] (French u) — unique sound!
4. [ɛ̃] (nasal "in")
5. [ɔ̃] (nasal "on")

Exercise 0.2 – Minimal pairs practice

Listen to each pair and practice saying them differently:

• dessus (on top) vs dessous (under)

• vu (seen) vs vous (you)

• fait (done) vs fête (party)

• vent (wind) vs vont (they go)

Exercise 0.3 – Read aloud

Practice reading these common French phrases aloud. Click to hear correct pronunciation:

1. Bonjour, comment allez-vous ?

2. Je m'appelle Marie.

3. Où est la gare ?

4. Parlez-vous anglais ?

5. Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît.

📘 Next Lesson: Lesson 1 – Nouns, Articles and Gender →

🎧 Lesson 0: Guide to Pronunciation

📑 On this page

🎯 Introduction

🔊 Vowels (Voyelles)

📌 a, à, â → [ah] 🔊 Listen

📌 ai → [ay] 🔊 Listen

📌 eau, au, aux → [oh] 🔊 Listen

📌 é, er, ez, es, et → [ay] (closed e) 🔊 Listen

📌 è, ê, e + double consonant, -et → [eh] (open e) 🔊 Listen

📌 e in one-syllable words, eu, oeu → [uh] 🔊 Listen

📌 i, î, y → [ee] 🔊 Listen

📌 o, o before s, ô → [oh] (closed o) 🔊 Listen

📌 o before consonants (except s) → [uh] (open o) 🔊 Listen

📌 ou, où, oû → [oo] 🔊 Listen

📌 u, û → [U] 🔊 Listen

🔊 Semi-Vowels (Semi-voyelles)

📌 ill, ail, eil → [eey], [ahy], [ayy] 🔊 Listen

📌 ie, i, y (not final) → [y] 🔊 Listen

📌 oi, ua → [wah] 🔊 Listen

📌 oui → [wee] 🔊 Listen