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The alphabet
Before the sounds, the letters. You will need to spell your name aloud and read out addresses, and a few letter names surprise English speakers.
The 26 letters, said aloud
| Letter | Say | Letter | Say |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | [a] | N | [ɛn] |
| B | [be] | O | [o] |
| C | [se] | P | [pe] |
| D | [de] | Q | [ky] |
| E | [ə] | R | [ɛʁ] |
| F | [ɛf] | S | [ɛs] |
| G | [ʒe] | T | [te] |
| H | [aʃ] | U | [y] |
| I | [i] | V | [ve] |
| J | [ʒi] | W | [dublə ve] |
| K | [ka] | X | [iks] |
| L | [ɛl] | Y | [igʁɛk] |
| M | [ɛm] | Z | [zɛd] |
You will often hear Vous pouvez épeler ? The names that trip up English speakers: G [ʒe] and J [ʒi] (swapped from English), E [ə], I [i], Y [igʁɛk] (i grec), W [dublə ve].
The classic mix-up: French G sounds like English “J” and French J sounds like English “G”. And Y is i grec, a “Greek i.”
The letter G is pronounced…
[ʒe], like the English “J”.
The letter J is pronounced…
[ʒi], the mirror of G.
The letter Y is called…
i grec = “Greek i”.
Rhythm & word stress
French does not hit individual words the way English does. It gathers words into groups and lengthens only the end of each group. Getting this even rhythm is what makes speech sound French.
Rhythm groups les groupes rythmiques
A rhythm group is a set of words that forms one idea and is said without a pause. The stress, a small lengthening, lands on the last syllable of the group, on its final pronounced vowel.
Je m’appelle Emma / je suis brésilienne / et j’aime le cinéma. (3 groups, 3 stresses)
Inside a group, every syllable is roughly equal in length. Only the final one stretches. English does the opposite, stressing one strong syllable per word.
English stresses words; French stresses the end of the group. Keep every syllable even and lengthen only the last one.
The stress falls on the ___ syllable of the group.
Last. Only the final syllable of the group lengthens.
Inside a group, the syllables are roughly…
Equal. Even length, then a lift at the end.
French stresses…
The group. English stresses words; French stresses the end of the group.
Intonation
The melody of a sentence tells the listener whether you are stating, asking, ordering, or exclaiming, often without any change to the words.
Rising or falling
| Sentence type | Melody | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Statement (yes or no) | falls at the end ↓ | Ça va. / Ça ne va pas. |
| Question (no inversion) | rises at the end ↑ | Ça va ? |
| Order (imperative) | rises, then falls ↑↓ | Montez dans le bus ! |
| Exclamation | rises ↑ | C’est magnifique ! |
A falling melody is a full stop; a rising melody on a plain question is a question mark. In writing, the punctuation is your guide.
With more than one rhythm group, the voice rises at the end of each group and only falls on the last: Dans une classe (↑), il y a (↑) un professeur (↑) et des élèves (↓).
Voice up = a question, voice down = a statement. That single move turns Ça va. into Ça va ? with no change to the words.
Ça va ? The voice ___ at the end.
Rises. A plain question lifts at the end.
A statement's melody ___ at the end.
Falls. A drop signals a full stop.
Turn Ça va. into a question: make the voice ___.
Rise. Same words, rising melody = a question.
Liaisons & linking
A normally silent final consonant wakes up and joins the next word when that word begins with a vowel. This linking is why spoken French flows without gaps.
When a silent consonant links
A final consonant that is usually silent gets pronounced and attached to the next word if that word starts with a vowel: les‿étudiants, un‿ami, en‿Argentine, aux‿États-Unis.
After plural words the linked sound is [z]: les‿amis, des‿acteurs, mes‿enfants, nos‿activités, vous‿avez. After un, mon, ton, son, en it is [n]: un‿ami, mon‿ami, en‿Italie.
Les‿étudiants parlent avec leurs‿amis. (two [z] liaisons)
The plural words les, des, mes, tes, ses, nos, vos, leurs almost always link to a following vowel with [z].
A liaison is a sleeping consonant that wakes up before a vowel. Plurals link with a buzzing [z]; un / mon / en link with [n].
Enchaînement: carrying a spoken consonant over
When a word ends in a consonant sound (often just before a silent e) and the next word starts with a vowel, you carry that consonant straight over, with no pause: une pièce immense, la porte à droite, vivre ensemble, un immeuble agréable.
They sound alike but differ: enchaînement carries over a consonant that is already pronounced; a liaison wakes up a consonant that is normally silent. Both keep the sentence flowing without gaps.
les amis: the linked s sounds like…
A liaison -s is pronounced [z].
un grand arbre: the linked d sounds like…
A liaison -d is pronounced [t].
Do you make a liaison after et (and)?
You never make a liaison after et.
Silent letters & endings
French writes many letters it never says. Knowing which stay silent is half of clear pronunciation.
Silent verb endings
In the present tense, the endings -e, -es, -ent are all silent, so three forms sound identical: je parle = tu parles = ils parlent, all [paʁl]. Only the spelling changes.
The plural verb ending -ent is completely silent. Do not read it as the nasal [ɑ̃]: ils habitent ends in a [t] sound, not [ɑ̃].
Silent final consonants
A final -e is silent, and so are most final consonants: trop, beaucoup, petit, français all end in a vowel sound. The letters most often still sounded at the end are c, r, f, l (think of the word Ca-Re-Fu-L): avec, mur, chef, hôtel.
Silent h
The letter h is always silent: histoire, homme, habiter. With most words it still lets elision happen: l’homme, j’habite.
When in doubt, a final consonant is probably silent. The ones that often survive are c, r, f, l , remember the word Ca-Re-Fu-L.
The final letter of petit is…
Most final consonants are silent in French.
The final -s of les is…
Final -s is normally silent (until a liaison).
The -ent of ils parlent is…
The 3rd-person plural -ent is always silent.
The vowels [i] [y] [u]
Three close vowels that English blurs together. The whole difference is in the lips.
The three close vowels
dix, lit, vie · lips spread wide, like “ee”
i, y, î
tu, mur, laitue · lips rounded, tongue at the front
u, û
vous, cou, loup · lips rounded, tongue pulled back
ou, où, oû
For [i] smile, lips spread. For [y] say [i], then round your lips without moving your tongue. For [u] round your lips and pull the tongue back.
[y] (as in tu) is the hard one for English. Say [i] (ee), freeze your tongue, and only round your lips. That is the French u.
ou (as in vous) = ?
ou = [u]: lips rounded, tongue back.
u (as in tu) = ?
u = [y]: lips rounded, tongue forward.
i (as in lit) = ?
i = [i].
The other mouth vowels
The remaining oral vowels come in open and closed pairs. A useful rule of thumb: closed sounds tend to end a syllable, open ones come before a pronounced consonant.
Closed and open e
parlé, chez, aller, mes · closed é
é, -er, -ez, e + silent cons.
progrès, chère, treize, fête · open è
è, ê, ai, ei, e + sounded cons.
The ending -er is pronounced [e] (closed) at the end of a word: aller, parler, premier. The exception is a few adjectives where it is [ɛ]: cher → [ʃɛʁ], fier, hier.
The eu and o pairs
feu, chanteuse · closed eu
eu, œu
menteur, cœur, œuf · open eu
eu, œu
trop, rose, hôtel, beau · closed o
o, ô, au, eau
téléphone, note · open o
o
The vowel a
madame, là, pâtes · one open, bright a
a, à, â
As a guide: the closed sounds ([e], [ø], [o]) tend to finish a syllable, and the open ones ([ɛ], [œ], [ɔ]) tend to sit before a pronounced consonant in the same syllable.
au, eau = ?
au / eau = closed [o].
eu (as in deux) = ?
eu = [ø].
é (as in café) = ?
é = closed [e].
The nasal vowels
Three vowels made by letting the air flow through the nose. Crucially, you never pronounce a final n or m: the letter only signals that the vowel is nasal.
The three nasals
vin, pain, un, plein, italien · lips spread
in, im, ain, aim, ein, ien, un, um, yn, ym
an, dans, temps, chambre, vent · lips a little rounded
an, am, en, em
on, sont, pont, macaron · lips very rounded
on, om
In a nasal vowel you never say a [n] or [m]; the letter just tells you the vowel is nasal: pain is [pɛ̃], not [pɛn]. The nasal also disappears before another vowel: bon [bɔ̃] but bonne [bɔn].
Remember, the plural verb ending -ent is silent, never a nasal: ils parlent = [paʁl].
Three nasals, three lip shapes: [ɛ̃] (vin) lips spread, [ɑ̃] (dans) lips a little round, [ɔ̃] (on) lips very round. Never pronounce the n.
an, en = ?
an / en = [ɑ̃].
on = ?
on = [ɔ̃].
in, ain, ein = ?
in / ain / ein = [ɛ̃].
Which one is nasal?
A vowel + n + vowel (bonne) is NOT nasal.
The semi-vowels
Three quick gliding sounds that sit between a vowel and a consonant. Each is a vowel said in a hurry as it slides into the next one.
The three glides
travailler, soleil, crayon, miel · a “y” glide
il, ill, y, i + vowel
lui, muet · a rounded glide
u + vowel
moi, oui, coin, citoyen · a “w” glide
oi, ou, oin, oy
Glides are vowels in a hurry: [j] is a fast i, [ɥ] a fast u, [w] a fast ou, each sliding straight into the next vowel.
lui, muet = which glide?
[ɥ], a fast rounded u.
oui, moi, coin = which glide?
[w], a fast ou.
travailler, soleil = which glide?
[j], a fast i.
The consonants
Most French consonants match English. The ones to watch come in voiced / voiceless pairs, plus a two-faced c and g and the throaty French r.
Voiced and voiceless pairs
Six pairs of consonants are made in exactly the same place. The only difference is whether the vocal cords vibrate. Put a hand on your throat: it buzzes for the voiced one ([b]) and stays quiet for the voiceless one ([p]).
| Voiceless | Example | Voiced | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| [p] | pour, groupe | [b] | beau, belle |
| [t] | tard, université | [d] | douze, diplôme |
| [k] | carte, classe | [g] | groupe, gare |
| [f] | feu, neuf, photo | [v] | vite, avis, neuve |
| [s] | poisson, message | [z] | valise, musique |
| [ʃ] | chat, chercher | [ʒ] | jupe, girafe |
Every pair is one mouth shape with the voice on or off. Master one pair and you have the trick for all six: [f]/[v], [s]/[z], [ʃ]/[ʒ], [p]/[b], [t]/[d], [k]/[g].
The trickiest pair: [ʃ] and [ʒ]
chat, chercher, chaussures · voiceless, as in “she”
ch, sh
jupe, âge, girafe, génial · voiced, as in “measure”
j, g + e/i, ge
Spelling watch: the letter s
A single s between two vowels is [z] (valise, chose); a double ss stays [s] (passer, poisson). The sound [s] is also written ç (leçon), c before e or i (cinéma), and t in -tion (nation).
c and g: hard or soft
With both c and g, the next vowel chooses the sound. Before a, o, u the letter is hard; before e, i, y it is soft. Two small spelling tricks let you force the sound you want.
| g | Sound | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| g + a / o / u | [g] hard, like “go” | garage, gâteau, gomme |
| g + e / i / y | [ʒ] soft, like “measure” | génial, gym, girafe |
| gu + e / i | stays [g] hard | guitare, guide, guillemet |
| ge + a / o | stays [ʒ] soft | nous mangeons, nageais |
| c | Sound | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| c + a / o / u | [k], like “cat” | café, comme, cuisine |
| c + e / i / y | [s], like “city” | ce, merci, cygne |
| ç + a / o / u | stays [s] | leçon, ça, français |
The same trick explains the verb spelling changes: -ger verbs add an e in the nous form (nous mangeons) and -cer verbs take a cedilla (nous commençons), both to keep the soft sound before -ons. See the conjugation guide.
One rule runs through it: a / o / u keep c and g hard, e / i / y make them soft. When the spelling would give the wrong sound, French slips in a u, an e, or a ç to fix it.
The French r and gn
The French r [ʁ] is made at the back of the throat, not rolled at the tip of the tongue: revoir, arriver, sport. Relax the throat and let it scrape gently. The pair gn is [ɲ], like the “ni” in “onion”: gagner, montagne.
ch (as in chat) = ?
ch = [ʃ], like English “sh”.
gn (as in montagne) = ?
gn = [ɲ], like “ny”.
ç = ?
ç is always [s].
Sound-to-spelling chart
Every French sound with the ways it can be spelled. This is the master reference: to read a new word, find the sound; to spell one you hear, find the letters.
Vowels & semi-vowels
| Sound | Spellings | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| [i] | i, y, î | ami, mystère, île |
| [e] | é, -er, -ez, e + silent cons. | parlé, chez, aller, mes |
| [ɛ] | è, ê, ai, ei, e + sounded cons. | progrès, fête, treize, chère |
| [a] | a, à, â | madame, là, pâtes |
| [y] | u, û | culture, sûr, laitue |
| [ø] | eu, œu | feu, chanteuse, œufs |
| [œ] | eu, œu | menteur, cœur, œuf |
| [u] | ou, où, oû | nous, où, goût, août |
| [o] | o, ô, au, eau | trop, hôtel, chaud, beau |
| [ɔ] | o | téléphone, note |
| [ɛ̃] | in, im, ain, aim, ein, ien, un, um, yn, ym | vin, pain, plein, italien, parfum |
| [ɑ̃] | an, am, en, em | avant, chambre, vent, exemple |
| [ɔ̃] | on, om | macaron, pompier |
| [j] | il, ill, y, i + vowel | travailler, soleil, crayon, miel |
| [ɥ] | u + vowel | lui, muet |
| [w] | oi, ou, oin, oy | moi, oui, coin, citoyen |
Consonants
| Sound | Spellings | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| [p] | p, pp | pomme, appel |
| [b] | b | belle |
| [t] | t, tt | tard, attendre |
| [d] | d | douze |
| [k] | k, c, cc, q, qu | kilo, classe, accord, cinq, quitter |
| [g] | g, gu | gare, guide, goûter |
| [f] | f, ff | facile, difficile |
| [v] | v | voiture |
| [s] | s, ss, ç, c + e/i, t (in -tion) | servir, passer, leçon, cinéma, nation |
| [z] | s between vowels, z, liaison | valise, zéro, deux amis |
| [ʃ] | ch, sh | chat, shopping |
| [ʒ] | j, g + e/i | déjà, girafe, gym |
| [m] | m, mm | mère, pomme |
| [n] | n, nn | nous, donner |
| [ɲ] | gn | gagner, montagne |
| [l] | l, ll | Italie, belle |
| [ʁ] | r, rr | revoir, arriver |