How to pronounce French : Pronunciation Guide for English Speakers
It is possible to read French based on English pronunciation. This system has its limitations, but we should not deprive ourselves of the similarity between the two languages. Although not all French sounds are in the English language, we can get close to them by following the instructions below.
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A. The French Vowels :
Simple Vowels
Let’s first see how to read the vowels a, e, i, o, u, y
| Vowel | Description | French Example | English Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| a | Like “ah” in “father” | chat | cat | / ʃa / |
| sac | bag | / sak / | ||
| là | there | / la / | ||
| e | Often silent at the end. The French “e” is pronounced like “the”, “of”, “a” in English. | le | the | / la / |
| Followed by two consonants, the “e” is pronounced [e] or [ɛ] like “bet”, “set” in English. | merci | thank you | / mɛrsi / | |
| Followed by two “m”, the “e” is pronounced [a] like “a” in “father”. | femme | woman | / fam / | |
| i, y | are pronounced [i] like “ee” in “see” | si | if | / si / |
| livre | book | / livr / | ||
| midi | noon | / midi / | ||
| o | is pronounced [o] or [ɔ] | originalité | originality | / ɔriʒinalite / |
| vélo | bicycle | / moto / | ||
| zoo | zoo | / zo / | ||
| u | is pronounced [y]. Unique in French; form an “o” shape with your lips and try saying “ee” | lune | moon | / lyn / |
| du | some | / dy / | ||
| mur | wall | / myr / |
Compound Vowels
| Vowel Combination | Description | French Example | English Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ai/ei | is generaly pronounced like “ay” in “say” | j’ai | I have | / ʒɛ / |
| peine | penalty | / pɛn / | ||
| reine | queen | / rɛn / | ||
| ou | Like “oo” in “food” | vous | you | / vu / |
| clou | nail | / klu / | ||
| fou | crazy | / fu / | ||
| eu/œu | Souvent prononcé comme “e”. | neveu | nephew | / nəvø / |
| feu | fire | / fø / | ||
| nœud | node | / nø / | ||
| au, eau | is pronounced [o] | au | in, at ( preposition) | / o / |
| eau | water | / o / | ||
| oi | is pronounced [wa] | soir | evening | / swar / |
| toit | roof | / twa / |
Nasal Vowels
Nasal vowels are based on the vowels [ɑ] [ɔ] [ɛ] [œ]. Air passes through the mouth and nose when pronouncing these vowels. The vowels are written and pronounced as follows: [ɑ̃] [ɔ̃] [ɛ̃] [œ̃].
Let’s see some examples:
| Vowel Combination | Description | French Example | English Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| an/en/am/em | Like “ah” in “father” but nasal.
⚠️ note that we do not pronounce the “n” or the “m” |
enfant | child | / ɑ̃fɑ̃ / |
| temps | time | / tɑ̃ / | ||
| champ | field | / ʃɑ̃ / | ||
| in/im/ain/aim | Like “bet”, “set” in English.but nasal.
⚠️ note that we do not pronounce the “n” or the “m” |
impossible | impossible | / ɛ̃pɔsibl / |
| américain | american | / amerikɛ̃ / | ||
| on/om | pronounced [o] but nasal.
⚠️ note that we do not pronounce the “n” or the “m” |
bon | good | / bɔ̃ / |
| pompon | pompom | / pɔ̃pɔ̃ / | ||
| un/um | pronounced [œ] but nasal.
⚠️ note that we do not pronounce the “n” or the “m” |
un | a, an | / œ̃ / |
| parfum | parfume | / paʀfœ̃ / |
The French Consonants: A Guide for English Speakers
Simple Consonants
note that the “s, t, d” at the end of a word are generally not pronounced.
| Consonant | Description | French Example | English Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| b, d, f, k, l, m, n, p, t, v, z | Generally similar to English pronunciation | table | table | / tabl / |
| bébé | baby | / bebe / | ||
| papa | dad | / papa / | ||
| g | Hard as in “go” or soft as in “giraffe” | gâteau | cake | / gato / |
| girafe | giraffe | / ʒiraf / | ||
| j | Like “s” in “measure” | jour | day | / ʒur / |
| r | Guttural, like in the back of the throat | restaurant | restaurant | / rɛstɔʀɑ̃ / |
| s | Like “s” in “sun” or “z” between vowels | festival | festival | / fɛstival / |
| rose | rose | / roz / | ||
| not pronounced at the end of words | pas | not | / pa / | |
| h | Always silent in French | homme | man | / ɔm / |
| Special Cases | ||||
| c | At the end of the word, or followed by “a, o, u”, “c” is pronounced [k]. | café | coffe | / kafe / |
| sac | bag | / sak / | ||
| Followed by “e, i, y”, “c” is pronounced [s].or soft like in “city” | cerise | cherry | / səʀiz / | |
| g | Hard as in “go” or soft as in “giraffe” | girafe
garage |
giraffe
garage |
zhee-raf
ga-razh |
compound consonants
Now let’s look at consonants made up of two letters (digraphs)
consonants |
Description | French Example | English Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ch | The most common pronounciation is [ʃ], equivalent to “sh” in English. | chat | cat | / ʃa / |
| proche | near | / prɔʃ / | ||
| Sometime pronounced [k] | orchestre | orchestra | / ɔrkestra / | |
| gn | pronounced like the “ni” in “onion | campagne | campaign | / kɑ̃paɲ / |
| qu | pronounced [k] | quiche | quiche | / kiʃ / |
| ph | pronounced [f] like “fire” | philosophie | philosophy | / filɔzɔfi / |
| ss | pronounced [s] like “sauce” | essai | essay | / esɛ / |
| ll | pronounced [l] like “ball” | balle | ball | / bal / |
| preceded by “i”, ll is generally pronounced [j] | fille | girl | / fij / |