The 6 Basic Rules for French Pronunciation376

French pronunciation can seem intimidating at first, but it's actually quite regular once you understand the basic rules. Here are the six most important rules to help you get started:

1. Vowels

French vowels are pronounced very differently from English vowels. The following table shows the six basic vowel sounds and their corresponding IPA symbols:

Letter
IPA Symbol
Example


a
ɑ̃
chat (cat)


e
ɛ
été (summer)


i
i
lit (bed)


o
ɔ
eau (water)


u
y
tu (you)


y
œ
œuf (egg)

Note that the "a" in French is always pronounced with a nasal sound, similar to the "a" in "cat" in English. The "e" in French is pronounced with a slightly open sound, similar to the "e" in "bet" in English. The "i" in French is pronounced with a pure sound, similar to the "i" in "sit" in English. The "o" in French is pronounced with a slightly rounded sound, similar to the "o" in "not" in English. The "u" in French is pronounced with a rounded sound, similar to the "oo" in "boot" in English. The "y" in French is pronounced with a rounded sound, similar to the "u" in "put" in English.

2. Consonants

French consonants are generally pronounced more softly than English consonants. The following table shows the most common French consonants and their corresponding IPA symbols:

Letter
IPA Symbol
Example


b
b
bon (good)


c
k
chat (cat)


d
d
danse (dance)


f
f
fort (strong)


g
ɡ
garçon (boy)


h
h
homme (man)


j
ʒ
jour (day)


k
k
kilo (kilo)


l
l
lait (milk)


m
m
maison (house)


n
n
noir (black)


p
p
pain (bread)


q
k
quoi (what)


r
ʁ
rose (rose)


s
s
soleil (sun)


t
t
table (table)


v
v
ville (city)


w
v
wagon (wagon)


x
ks
examen (exam)


y
j
yacht (yacht)


z
z
zoo (zoo)

Note that the "c" in French is pronounced as a "k" before the vowels "a," "o," and "u," and as an "s" before the vowels "e" and "i." The "g" in French is pronounced as a "ɡ" before the vowels "a," "o," and "u," and as a "ʒ" before the vowels "e" and "i." The "h" in French is silent except when it is followed by a vowel. The "j" in French is pronounced as a "ʒ." The "r" in French is pronounced with a guttural sound, similar to the "r" in the German word "Bach." The "x" in French is pronounced as "ks." The "y" in French is pronounced as a "j." The "z" in French is pronounced as a "z."

3. Nasal Vowels

French has four nasal vowels: "ã," "ẽ," "ĩ," and "õ." These vowels are pronounced with the same vowel sound as their non-nasal counterparts, but with the addition of a nasal sound. The nasal sound is produced by allowing air to flow through the nose while pronouncing the vowel. The following table shows the four nasal vowels and their corresponding IPA symbols:

Letter
IPA Symbol
Example


a
ɑ̃
an (year)


e
ɛ̃
en (in)


i
ĩ
un (one)


o
ɔ̃
on (on)

Nasal vowels are commonly found in French words that end in "-n" or "-m." For example, the word "an" (year) is pronounced with a nasal "a" sound, and the word "en" (in) is pronounced with a nasal "e" sound.

4. Liaison

Liaison is a phenomenon in French where the final consonant of a word is pronounced when it is followed by a vowel in the next word. This happens most commonly with the consonants "s," "t," "d," "z," and "x." For example, the phrase "les enfants" (the children) is pronounced as "lezɑ̃fɑ̃" because the "s" in "les" is pronounced before the "e" in "enfants." Liaison can make French pronunciation seem more fluid and connected.

5. Elision

Elision is the opposite of liaison, where the final vowel of a word is dropped when it is followed by a vowel in the next word. This happens most commonly with the vowels "a," "e," and "i." For example, the phrase "je aime" (I love) is pronounced as "ʒɛm" because the "e" in "je" is dropped before the "a" in "aime." Elision can make French pronunciation seem more clipped and abrupt.

6. Enchaînement

Enchaînement is a phenomenon in French where the final consonant of a word is pronounced differently when it is followed by a vowel in the next word. This happens most commonly with the consonants "d," "t," and "n." For example, the phrase "le chat" (the cat) is pronounced as "ləʃɑ" because the "t" in "le" is pronounced as an "ʃ" before the "a" in "chat." Enchaînement can make French pronunciation seem more nuanced and elegant.

2025-01-25

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