# Pronunciation

https://langs123.com/en/french/bases/prononciation/
CEFR A0–A2 · 2026-10-24 · CC BY 4.0, langs123 contributors (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

> The oral and nasal vowels, letter groups such as **oi**, **ch** and **gn**, silent letters, the final stress and the French **r**. A final consonant is usually silent: peti**t**, gran**d**

## Summary

| Point | Rule | Example |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oral vowels | **u** is said /y/, with the lips pushed forward; **ou** is said /u/ | t**u** /ty/ · t**ou**t /tu/ | you / all |
| Nasal vowels | **an, en** /ɑ̃/; **on** /ɔ̃/; **in, ain** /ɛ̃/; the **n** is not said | b**on** /bɔ̃/ · p**ain** /pɛ̃/ | good / bread |
| Letter groups | **oi** /wa/; **ch** /ʃ/; **qu** /k/; **au, eau** /o/ | m**oi** / **ch**at / **qu**i / b**eau** | me / cat / who / beautiful |
| More groups | **ai, ei** /ɛ/; **gn** /ɲ/; **ill** /ij/ | m**ai**s / monta**gn**e / f**ill**e | but / mountain / girl |
| Final consonant | usually silent; a final **e** is silent too | peti**t** / gran**d** / tabl**e** | small / big / table |
| Exceptions | a final **c**, **r**, **f** or **l** is often said | sa**c** / bonjou**r** / neu**f** / ma**l** | bag / hello / nine / bad |
| The letter h | the **h** is never pronounced | **h**omme / **h**ôtel | man / hotel |
| Stress | on the last pronounced syllable of the word group | choco**lat** / ba**na**ne | chocolate / banana |
| The r | **r** is said at the back of the throat, /ʁ/ | **r**ouge / me**r**ci | red / thank you |
| The group ill | a few words say /il/: **ville**, **mille** | la **ville** / **mille** euros | the city / a thousand euros |
| Trap | **u** /y/ and **ou** /u/ make two different words | la r**ue** / la r**oue** | the street / the wheel |
| Trap | **bon** has no audible **n**; with **nn** the vowel is oral and the **n** is said | b**on** /bɔ̃/ · b**on**ne /bɔn/ | good (masculine) / good (feminine) |

## Oral vowels

| Sound | Spelling | Example |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| /i/ | **i**, **î**, **y** | m**i**d**i** | noon |
| /e/ | **é**, **er**, **ez**, **et** | caf**é** | coffee |
| /ɛ/ | **è**, **ê**, **ai**, **ei**, **e** | m**è**re | mother |
| /a/ | **a**, **à**, **â** | p**a**p**a** | dad |
| /y/ | **u**, **û** | t**u** | you |
| /ø/ | **eu**, **œu** | d**eu**x | two |
| /œ/ | **eu**, **œu** | p**eu**r | fear |
| /ə/ | **e** | p**e**tit | small |
| /u/ | **ou**, **où** | v**ou**s | you (plural, polite) |
| /o/ | **o**, **ô**, **au**, **eau** | b**eau** | beautiful |
| /ɔ/ | **o** | p**o**rte | door |

- **é** is said /e/, with the mouth almost closed; **è** is said /ɛ/, with the mouth more open. th**é** /te/ · tr**è**s /tʁɛ/ (tea / very)
- To say /y/, say /i/ and round the lips without moving the tongue. t**u** /ty/ · r**ue** /ʁy/ (you / street)
- **eu** is said /ø/ at the end of a syllable or before /z/, and /œ/ before any other pronounced consonant. **deu**x /dø/ · chant**eu**se /ʃɑ̃tøz/ · p**eu**r /pœʁ/ (two / singer (woman) / fear)
- **o**, **au**, **eau** are said /o/ at the end of a syllable or before /z/; **o** is said /ɔ/ before any other pronounced consonant. m**o**t /mo/ · r**o**se /ʁoz/ · p**o**rte /pɔʁt/ (word / rose / door)
- The **e** of **le**, **je**, **de** and **petit** is said /ə/, a short vowel. **le** /lə/ · **je** /ʒə/ (the / I)
- In speech, the /ə/ is often dropped: **samedi** is said /samdi/. **samedi** /samdi/ (Saturday)
- Canada: In Québec, **t** and **d** before /i/ and /y/ become affricates: **tu** is said /tsy/, **dire** is said /dziʁ/. **tu** /tsy/ · **di**re /dziʁ/ (you / to say)
- Canada: In Québec, /i/, /y/ and /u/ go lax in a syllable closed by a consonant: **vite** is said /vɪt/, **jupe** /ʒʏp/, **route** /ʁʊt/. **vite** /vɪt/ · **jupe** /ʒʏp/ (quickly / skirt)

## Nasal vowels

| Sound | Spelling | Example |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| /ɑ̃/ | **an**, **am**, **en**, **em** | d**an**s | in |
| /ɔ̃/ | **on**, **om** | b**on** | good |
| /ɛ̃/ | **in**, **im**, **ain**, **aim**, **ein** | p**ain** | bread |
| /œ̃/ | **un**, **um** | l**un**di | Monday |

- A nasal vowel is said through the nose, and the **n** or **m** after it is not said. d**an**s / b**on** / p**ain** (in / good / bread)
- Before a vowel or before **nn**, **mm**, the vowel is oral and the **n** or **m** is said. **bon** /bɔ̃/ · **bonne** /bɔn/ · **un** /œ̃/ · **une** /yn/ (good (masculine) / good (feminine) / one (masculine) / one (feminine))
- **ien** is said /jɛ̃/ and **oin** is said /wɛ̃/. b**ien** /bjɛ̃/ · l**oin** /lwɛ̃/ (well / far)
- France: In France, /œ̃/ is often said /ɛ̃/: **un** and **brun** then sound like **brin**. **un** /ɛ̃/ · **brun** /bʁɛ̃/ (one / brown)
- Canada: In Québec, /œ̃/ and /ɛ̃/ stay distinct: **brun** is said /bʁœ̃/ and **brin** is said /bʁɛ̃/. **brun** /bʁœ̃/ · **brin** /bʁɛ̃/ (brown / blade (of grass))

## Letter groups

| Letters | Rule | Example |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **oi** | is said /wa/ | m**oi** /mwa/ · tr**oi**s /tʁwa/ | me / three |
| **ch** | is said /ʃ/ | **ch**at /ʃa/ · **ch**ez /ʃe/ | cat / at the home of |
| **qu** | is said /k/ | **qu**i /ki/ · **qu**e /kə/ | who / that |
| **gu** | before **e** or **i**, is said /g/ | **gu**itare /gitaʁ/ · **gu**erre /gɛʁ/ | guitar / war |
| **gn** | is said /ɲ/ | monta**gn**e /mɔ̃taɲ/ · li**gn**e /liɲ/ | mountain / line |
| **ill** | is said /ij/ | f**ill**e /fij/ · fam**ill**e /famij/ | girl / family |
| **ui** | is said /ɥi/ | n**ui**t /nɥi/ · h**ui**t /ɥit/ | night / eight |
| **ph**, **th** | **ph** is said /f/; **th** is said /t/ | **ph**oto /fɔto/ · **th**é /te/ | photo / tea |
| **ail**, **eil** | at the end of a word, **ail** is said /aj/ and **eil** is said /ɛj/ | trav**ail** /tʁavaj/ · sol**eil** /sɔlɛj/ | work / sun |
| **ill** | a few words are said /il/ | v**ill**e /vil/ · m**ill**e /mil/ | city / thousand |

## The letters j, y, c, g, s and x

| Letters | Rule | Example |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **j** | is said /ʒ/ | **j**our /ʒuʁ/ · **j**e /ʒə/ | day / I |
| **y** | vowel /i/ inside a word; consonant /j/ before a vowel | st**y**lo /stilo/ · **y**aourt /jauʁt/ | pen / yoghurt |
| **c** | before **e**, **i**, **y**, is said /s/; elsewhere, /k/ | **c**inéma /sinema/ · **c**afé /kafe/ | cinema / coffee |
| **g** | before **e**, **i**, **y**, is said /ʒ/; elsewhere, /g/ | **g**irafe /ʒiʁaf/ · **g**are /gaʁ/ | giraffe / station |
| **s** | between two vowels, is said /z/; **ss** and elsewhere, /s/ | mai**s**on /mɛzɔ̃/ · poi**ss**on /pwasɔ̃/ · **s**ac /sak/ | house / fish / bag |
| **ge** | before **a** or **o**, is said /ʒ/: the **e** is silent | man**ge**ons /mɑ̃ʒɔ̃/ | we eat |
| **x** | is said /ks/, or /gz/ in **ex** + vowel | ta**x**i /taksi/ · e**x**emple /ɛgzɑ̃pl/ | taxi / example |

## Silent letters

| Letters | Rule | Example |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **s**, **t**, **d**, **x**, **z**, **p** | at the end of a word, these consonants are usually silent | vou**s** / peti**t** / gran**d** / beaucou**p** | you / small / big / a lot |
| **e** | a final **e** is silent; it makes the consonant before it heard | petit**e** /pətit/ · grand**e** /gʁɑ̃d/ | small (feminine) / big (feminine) |
| **c**, **r**, **f**, **l** | at the end of a word, these consonants are often said | sa**c** / bonjou**r** / neu**f** / ma**l** | bag / hello / nine / bad |
| **er**, **ez** | at the end of a word, are said /e/; the **r** and the **z** are silent | parl**er** /paʁle/ · vous parl**ez** /paʁle/ | to speak / you speak |
| **ent** | at the end of a verb after **ils** or **elles**, is silent | ils parl**ent** /paʁl/ · elles mang**ent** /mɑ̃ʒ/ | they speak / they eat |
| **s**, **x** | the plural **s** or **x** is silent | le chat · les chat**s** /ʃa/ | the cat / the cats |
| **h** | is never said | **h**omme /ɔm/ · **h**ôtel /otɛl/ | man / hotel |

- A silent consonant is sometimes said before a vowel, and there are two kinds of **h**: see Liaison and Elision.
- For how the plural is formed, see Plurals.

## Stress and rhythm

- The stress falls on the last pronounced syllable of the word. choco**lat** / ba**na**ne / ca**fé** (chocolate / banana / coffee)
- In a group of words, only the last syllable is stressed. Je voudrais un ca**fé**, s’il vous **plaît**. (I'd like a coffee, please.)
- The other syllables have almost the same force and length.
- A syllable often ends in a vowel: the words are cut **ba-na-ne**, **a-mi**.

## The French r

- The **r** is said at the back of the throat, /ʁ/: the air rubs against the back of the tongue. **r**ouge /ʁuʒ/ · me**r**ci /mɛʁsi/ · **r**ue /ʁy/ (red / thank you / street)
- It is made in the same place as /k/ and /g/: say /ga/, then let the air rub without closing.
- The **r** is also said next to another consonant and at the end of **ir**: **trois**, **partir**. t**r**ois /tʁwa/ · pa**r**ti**r** /paʁtiʁ/ (three / to leave)

## Typical errors

| ✗ | ✓ |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| rue /ʁu/ | rue **/ʁy/** | **u** is /y/, not /u/: **rue** /ʁy/ and **roue** /ʁu/ are two words |
| bon /bɔn/ | bon **/bɔ̃/** | a nasal vowel has no **n** after it: **bon** /bɔ̃/ |
| petit /pətit/ | petit **/pəti/** | the final consonant of **petit** is silent |
| homme /hɔm/ | homme **/ɔm/** | the **h** is never pronounced: **homme** /ɔm/ |
| rouge /ɹuʒ/ | rouge **/ʁuʒ/** | the French **r** is /ʁ/, made at the back of the throat, not the English /ɹ/ |
| moi /moi/ | moi **/mwa/** | **oi** is said /wa/ |
| chat /tʃa/ | chat **/ʃa/** | **ch** is /ʃ/, as in English **machine**, not /tʃ/ |
| montagne /mɔ̃tagn/ | montagne **/mɔ̃taɲ/** | **gn** is one sound, /ɲ/, like the **ny** of **canyon** |
| fille /fil/ | fille **/fij/** | **ill** is said /ij/: **fille** /fij/ |
| ils parlent /paʁlɑ̃t/ | ils parlent **/paʁl/** | **ent** is silent at the end of a verb after **ils** or **elles** |
| parler /paʁlɛʁ/ | parler **/paʁle/** | a final **er** is said /e/, without /ʁ/ |
| **cho**colat | choco**lat** | the stress falls on the last syllable: **chocolat** |
| ville /vij/ | ville **/vil/** | a few words with **ill** are said /il/: **ville**, **mille**, **tranquille** |