French Pronunciation Guide
How Practically Anyone Can Pronounce Practically Anything in French
Here is a brief explanation of French sounds, using mostly words you already know. If you practice this, it will be particularly useful in pronouncing words on menus, on signs, and people's names.
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vowels |
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a |
madame, Carnaval, pâté |
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é, et, ez |
fiancé, café, thé, cachet, parlez-vous |
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è, ê, ait, ais, e + 2 conson., e + l |
belle, tête-à-tête, hôtel, Vittel, français, discothèque |
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mute e |
madame, Renaissance |
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i |
bikini, Nice |
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eu |
deux, bleu |
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ou |
mousse, bonjour, voudou, soupe, touriste |
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oi |
toilettes, soir, moi |
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o, au, eau |
coca, bravo, auto, beau (note: no diphthong in French) (A dipthong is two vowels together. When most Americans say "spoke" they use a blend of two successive vowels. Especially southerners.) |
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u |
déjà vu (say "i" [as in "bikini"] on the inside of your mouth and "o" with your lips. Different!) |
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an, en |
enfant, français, France, temps |
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on |
bon, mouton |
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ein, in, un, um, ain |
un (1-2-3), boudin |
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th |
discothèque (= t) |
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h |
hôtel (don=t pronounce) |
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gn |
espagnol; champagne (as Engl. ny) |
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ge, gi |
oblige (as Engl. garage) |
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ch |
chanson (as Engl sh) |
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final letters |
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é |
fiancé (pronounce) |
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e |
américaine, française (don't pronounce, but do pronounce preceding consonant) |
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[consonants] |
français, américain (Don't pronounce, usually. The exceptions are the CaReFuL consonants : saC, jouR, oeuF, ChantaL which are pronounced in most words.) |
Practice, practice: (just pronounce)
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une |
la viande |