Beginning French Pronunciation

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French Language
Beginning French Pronunciation
The basics of French pronunciation
By Laura K. Lawless, About.com Guide

French, like English, can be very difficult in terms of pronunciation, due to intricacies like silent letters, multiple sounds for a single letter, and endless
exceptions to whatever rules you find. This site contains numerous lessons which explain the rules and exceptions of French pronunciation in great detail,
which is fine for advanced students but can be very confusing for beginners. Therefore, this lesson is an attempt to simplify French pronunciation, to make it
easier for you to get started, even if you don't know how every letter combination is pronounced in every situation. While at some point, you will need to
study more in-depth lessons on pronunciation, for the time being, this simplified pronunciation chart can help you get a good idea about how to pronounce
new words.
Whenever possible, I have provided English words which use the same spelling. Failing that, I used French terms used in English, but if you don't know how
to say these la franaise, you will need to look them up in order to get the correct pronunciation. Failing either of these, I used an alternate spelling these words are in [brackets] and the letters which make the relevant sound are in bold. When there is no real English equivalent, the nearest sound, if
any, is explained in (parentheses) - for these letters and letter combinations, you should look really at the in-depth lessons. The LKL column indicates how I
write that sound when spelling out pronunciation in other lessons. The letters and letter combinations are linked to detailed lessons, while the examples are
hyperlinked to sound files in .wav format.
Letter(s)

LKL

English Sound

Examples

A1

father

quatre2, un ami3

AI4

ay

pain

le lait5, frais6

AU7

taupe

chaud8, mauvais9

B10

buy

bonbons11, bas12

C13

can

caf14, sec15

cell

cerise16, nice17

faade

a va18, caleon19

CH20

sh

champagne

chaud21, anchois22

D23

dad

la date24, mardi25

E26, EU27

eu

de trop

le28, un feu29

ay

fianc

t30, gnial31

, , EI32

eh

bte noire

exprs33, une tte34

EAU35

eau de toilette

beau36, eau37

F38

fat

faim39, neuf40

G41

gag

gant42, une bague43

zh

mirage

il gle44, aubergine45

hour

hiver47, un hpital48

H46

(always silent)
I49, ,

ee

nave

dix50, un lit51

J52

zh

dj vu

le jambon53, djeuner54

K55

kit

un kiosque56, le ski57

(rare in French)
L58

M61

N67

like

fleurs59, mille60

mom

Madame62, comment63

(n)

(nasal vowel64)

le parfum65, embouteillage66

no

neuf68, noir69

(n)

(nasal vowel)

un70, le pain71

O72

solo

le dos73, rose74

OI75

wa

foie gras

boire76, trois77

OU78

soup

douze79, nous80

P81

pie

un pre82, la soupe83

PH84

phone

une pharmacie85, tlphoner86

Q87

pique

quinze88, la banque89

R90

rouge91, une ceinture92

(similar to Spanish J, Arabic KH)

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Beginning French Pronunciation

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S93

so

le sucre94, unpoisson95

SC96

sk

scold

une escale97

science

les sciences98

T99

toe

la tarte100, la tte101

TH102

[tea]

le th103, le thtre104

TI105

[silly]

attention106

U107

[food]*

tu108, une jupe109

UE110

weh

suede*

saluer111, la Suisse112

UI113

wee

cuisine*

une nuit114, fruit115

*Approximation - see lesson on U116

V117

W120

vat

vert118, un avion119
un wagon121

(rare in French)
X122

ks

express

exprimer123, taxe124

gz

exit

le xrs125, un exemplaire126

Y127

yes

le yaourt128, les yeux129

Z130

zone

la zone131, la zizanie132

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Beginning French Pronunciation

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Links in this article:

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Beginning French Pronunciation

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http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/a.htm
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/4.wav
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/ami.wav
http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/ai.htm
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/lait.wav
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/frais.wav
http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/au.htm

8. http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/chaud.wav
9. http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/mauvais.wav
10. http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/b.htm
11. http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/bonbons.wav
12. http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/bas.wav
13. http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/c.htm
14. http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/cafe.wav
15. http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/sec.wav
16. http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/cerise.wav
17. http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/niece.wav
18. http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/cava_q.wav
19. http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/calecon.wav
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http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/ch.htm
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/chaud.wav
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/anchois.wav
http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/d.htm
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/date.wav

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http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/mardi.wav
http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/e.htm
http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/eu.htm
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/le.wav
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/feu.wav
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/ete.wav
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/genial-.wav

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http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/ei.htm
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/expres.wav
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/tete.wav
http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/eau.htm
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/beau.wav

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http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/eau.wav
http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/f.htm
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/faim.wav
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/9.wav
http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/g.htm

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http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/gants.wav
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/bague.wav
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/gele.wav
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/aubergine.wav
http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/h.htm
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/hiver.wav
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/hopital.wav
http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/i.htm
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/10.wav
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/lit.wav
http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/j.htm
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/jambon.wav

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http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/dejeuner.wav
http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/k.htm
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/kiosque.wav
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/ski.wav
http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/l.htm
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/fleurs.wav
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/1000.wav
http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/m.htm
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/madame.wav
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/comment.wav
http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/vowels-nasal.htm
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/parfum.wav
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/embouteillage.wav
http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/n.htm
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/9.wav
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/noir.wav
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/1.wav
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/pain.wav
http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/o.htm
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/dos.wav
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/rose.wav
http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/oi.htm
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/boire.wav
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/3.wav
http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/ou.htm
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/12.wav
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/nous.wav
http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/p.htm
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/pere.wav
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/soupe.wav
http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/ph.htm
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/pharmacie.wav
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/telephonera.wav
http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/q.htm
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/15.wav
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/banque.wav
http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/r.htm
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/rouge.wav
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/ceinture.wav
http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/s.htm
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/sucre.wav
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/poisson.wav
http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/sc.htm
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/escale.wav
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/sciences.wav
http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/t.htm
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/tarte.wav
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/tete.wav
http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/th.htm

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http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/the.wav
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/theatre.wav
http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/ti.htm
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/attention.wav
http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/u.htm
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/tu.wav
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/jupe.wav

110. http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/ue.htm
111. http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/saluer.wav
112. http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/suisse.wav
113. http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/ui.htm
114. http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/nuit.wav
115. http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/fruits.wav
116. http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/u_2.htm
117. http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/v.htm
118. http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/vert.wav
119. http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/avion.wav
120. http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/w.htm
121. http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/wagon.wav
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http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/x.htm
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/exprimer.wav
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/taxe.wav
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/xeres.wav
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/exemplaire.wav

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http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/y.htm
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/yaourt.wav
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/yeux.wav
http://french.about.com/od/pronunciation/a/z.htm
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/zone.wav
http://french.about.com/library/media/wavs/zizanie.wav

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