When you speak French, you want to sound like they do in the movies: irresistible, romantic, sexy, sophisticated, chic. It's only natural. So lose your inhibitions, put on your best French accent, and repeat and practice the sounds of the language. Although different from English, these sounds are not too difficult to master. Just follow the rules, learn the proper pronunciation of the phonetic symbols, be patient, and you're on your way!
This is a work chapter. It's not terribly exciting, it's not particularly fun, and it's not especially amusing—but don't be reluctant to see it through. Just like anything you might have to learn (a sport, a hobby, a trade or profession), there's work involved, and you must be committed to putting in a certain amount of effort. Think of learning a language as a mental fitness routine. Start slowly and carefully work up to a pace that suits you. Remember, you don't want to burn yourself out at the first workout. So give it your best shot and practice, practice, practice.
Do You Have Stress?
Shall We Have a Liaison? Or Would You Prefer an Elision?
Liaison (linking) and elision (sliding) are two linguistic elements of the French language that give it its fluidity and melodious beauty.
Liaison:
Liaison refers to the linking of the final consonant of one word with the beginning vowel of the next word. There are many rules in French explaining when a liaison is mandatory, optional, and forbidden. I could go on for pages boring you with rules you'll probably never remember. For that reason, simply follow the pronunciation guide provided and the phonetic keys for words and phrases throughout the page. Make a liaison when you see that the pronunciation of the last consonant sound of one word precedes the beginning vowel of the next word. Look at the first example to get a better idea. The first word is vous, pronounced voo. Its final s (pronounced z) is linked to the beginning of the next word, arrivez. The pronunciation of this word is now zah-ree-vay, and the necessary liaison has been painlessly achieved. When in doubt, follow the guide.
Words Liaison
Vous arrivez voo zah-ree-vay
mon ami mohN nah-mee
Elision
Elision occurs when there are two pronounced vowel sounds: one at the end of a word, and the other at the beginning of the next word. The first vowel is dropped and replaced by an apostrophe. To pronounce the words, simply slide them together. If you try to say them separately, the vowel sounds will clash, and you will probably feel like you have a word stuck in your throat. Elision is a very natural device and gives the language fluidity. The following is an example of elision:
Words Elision Pronunciation
Je arrive J'arrive zah-reev
le hôtel l'hôtel lo-tehl
Accentuate the Positive
If this is your first experience with a foreign language, you'll probably be mystified by accent marks. Just think of them as pronunciation guideposts that will help you speak like an old pro.
Your Own Personal Accent
For some, French pronunciation is a breeze. If you are lucky enough to have been born with a “good ear,” chances are you can carry a tune or play a musical instrument. You'll imitate the lilt, intonation, and stress without a problem.
For most of us, however, pronunciation is not without problems. If this is you, you're in good company. Consider my former college French literature teacher, a Rhodes scholar from Oxford University, who later went on to become chairman of the Romance Language Department. He was charming, interesting, sweet, very, very intellectual, well-read, and knowledgeable. He also had the worst French accent I have ever heard. He pronounced every word, every syllable, every letter so harshly and with such stress and emphasis that the students would sit in class squinting in pain. He butchered the pronunciation so much that it was memorable.
In my more naïve days, I often wondered why he would teach a language he obviously had so much trouble speaking. When I think back, I realize that it really didn't matter at all. Why? Because we all understood him despite his terrible pronunciation. And that débutant(e)s, is a very valuable lesson for us all. No matter what you sound like (and you couldn't sound any worse than this teacher), if you use the correct vocabulary words, you will be able to make yourself understood. That should be your goal. Nobody is going to laugh at you; they might just say “Pardon” more than usual. In the end, your level of competence in pronunciation is no big deal. So relax, try your best, and, above all, don't be discouraged.
Accent Marks
There are five different accent marks in French that may be used to change the sounds of letters (é versus è, a versus â, and so on), to differentiate between the meanings of two words whose spellings are otherwise the same (a has and à to, at, ou or and où where, and so on) or to replace an s that was part of the word many centuries ago in old French.
An accent aigu (´) is seen only on an e (´).
é produces the sound (ay), as in day.
An accent grave (`) is used with a (à), e (è), and u (ù).
On an e, an accent grave produces the sound of (eh) as the e in the English word met.
It doesn't change the sound of the a (à) or u (ù).
An accent circonflexe may be used on all vowels: â, ê, î, ô, û. The vowel sounds are longer for â and ô, are slightly longer for ê, and are imperceptible on î and û.
A cédille (ç) is used only on a c (ç). When the c comes before a, o, or u, it means that you pronounce the letter as a soft c (the sound of s).
A tréma (..) occurs on a second vowel in a series. This accent indicates that the two vowels are pronounced separately, each having its own distinct sound: Haïti (ay-ee-tee), Noël (noh-ehl).
There Sure Are a Lot of Vowel Sounds!
French vowels are a bit complicated. Why? In general, each vowel has a number of different sounds, and there are specific rules and accent marks that help you determine how a vowel is to be pronounced. I'll included some practice exercises to help you. Some of the sentences are pretty silly, but they will help you learn how to pronounce the vowel sounds.
French Letter Symbol Pronunciation Guide
a, à, â ah Say a as in spa
Open wide (but not too wide) and say ahhh….
ça la ma sa ta va papa Canada
sah lah mah sah tah vah pah-pah kah-nah-dah
French Letter Symbol Pronunciation Guide
é final er and ez; es in some ay Say ay as in day
one-syllable words; a few
ai, et combinations
é, final er, and ez are always pronounced ay. Instead of driving yourself crazy trying to remember the rules (which are vague), just look at the following guide.
bébé télé météo été René
bay-bay tay-lay may-tay-o ay- tay ruh-nay ruh-nay
danser arriver désirer parler tourner
dahN-say ah-ree-vay day-zee-ray pahr-lay toor-nay
chez nez allez passez assez
shay nay ah-lay pah-say ah-say
des les mes tes ces
day lay may tay say
ai gai et
ay gay ay
French Letter Symbol Pronunciation Guide
e in one-syllable words or in the uh Say e as in the
middle of a word followed by a
single consonant
Again, this is another rule that requires too much thought for simple conversational French. Consult the pronunciation guide until the rule becomes second nature.
ce je le ne de
suh zhuh luh nuh duh
regarder demander prenons venir repasser
run-gahr-day duh-mahN-day pruh-nonN vuh-neer ruh-pah-say
French Letter Symbol Pronunciation Guide
è, ê, and e (plus two consonants or a eh Say e as in met
final pronounced consonant) et, ei, ai
At this point, don't overwhelm yourself with rules. When in doubt, let the guide do the work for you. With practice, you'll get the hang of it.
très mère père achète bibliothèque
treh mehr pehr ah-sheht bee-blee-oh-tehk
fête tête être même prêter
feht teht ehtr mehm preh-tay
est sept rester concert Suzette
eh seht reh-stay kohN-sehr sew-zeht
quel sel chef cher cette
kehl sehl shehf shehr seht
ballet bonnet jouet complet cabinet
bah-leh bohN-neh zhoo-eh kohN-pleh kah-bee-neh
seize treize Seine peine pleine
sehz trehz sehn pehn plehn
aider jamais chaise mais américaine
eh-day zhah-meh shehz meh ah-may-ree-kehn
French Letter Symbol Pronunciation Guide
i, î, y, ui ee Say i as in magazine
Smile and show your teeth when you say ee.
il ici midi timide visiter
eel ee-see mee-dee tee-meed vee-zee-tay
Sylvie lycé mystère dêne île
seel-vee lee-say mee-stehr deen eel
huit nuit qui guide bruit
weet nwee kee geed brwee
French Letter Symbol Pronunciation Guide
i + ll il when preceded by a y Say y as in your
vowel
For the ill, ail, or eil combinations, remember to keep the l silent.
fille famille gentille billet
fee-y fah-mee-y zhahN-tee-y bee-yeh
travail soleil oeil détail
trah-vahy soh-lehy uhy day-tahy
French Letter Symbol Pronunciation Guide
i + ll in these words only eel Say the word eel
Every rule has an exception; or in this case, because there aren't too many, the words might be worth memorizing—especially because they're used frequently.
ville village mille million tranquille
veel vee-lahzh meel mee-lyohN trahN-keel
French Letter Symbol Pronunciation Guide
o (before se), o Say o as in no
o (last pronounced sound of
word), ô, au, eau
Keep your lips rounded to pronounce this very open o sound. Once again, for o, there are many letter combinations you will have to learn eventually. For the time being, follow the pronunciation guide.
radio trop mot stylo vélo
rah-dyo tro mo stee-lo vay-lo
hôtel allô tôt bientôt hôpital
o-tehl ah-lo to byaN-to o-pee-tahl
au aussi jaune autre auteur
o o-see zhon otr o-tuhr
eau beau cadeau gâteau manteau
o bo kah-do gah-to mahN-to
French Letter Symbol Pronunciation Guide
o when followed by a oh o as in love
pronounced consonant other
than s
This o sound is not nearly as rounded and open as the one before. It may take some practice to distinguish between the two. If you can't, don't worry—chances are no one is listening that closely anyway. As you practice, try to hear the difference.
notre pomme donner téléphone octobre
nohtr pohm doh-nay tay-lay-fohn ohk-tohbr
French Letter Symbol Pronunciation Guide
ou, où, oû oo Say oo as in tooth
Round your lips to say oo.
toujours écouter douze doux beaucoup où goût
too-zhoor ay-koo-tay dooz doo bo-koo oo goo
French Letter Symbol Pronunciation Guide
oy, oi wah Say w as in watch
moi trois soir froid voiture pourquoi
mwah trwah swahr frwah vwah-tewr poor-kwah
voyage voyez
vwah-yahzh vwah-yay
French Letter Symbol Pronunciation Guide
u, û ew No equivalent
There really is no English sound that is equivalent to the French u sound. Try the following for best results: Say thesound oo as in Sue while trying to say ee as in see. As you try to make the sound, concentrate on puckering your lips as if you just ate a very sour pickle. That's about as close as you can get. If you say oo, don't worry, you'll be understood. This is a foreign sound that requires concentration and practice.
super sur tu du une salut
sew-pehr sewr tew dew ewn sah-lew
So That's Why I Have a Nose
You must use your nose and your mouth to produce a French nasal sound. Here's how it's done. Hold your nose, then use your mouth to say the vowel sound. It's that simple. Of course you're not going to walk around with your hand on your nose. That's just a technique to get you started and to make you aware of what a nasal sound should sound like. We are so accustomed to taking English pronunciation for granted that we never stop to consider how we produce certain sounds. When learning a foreign language, it's sometimes necessary to pause and think about the sounds we want to make.
Nasal sounds will occur when a vowel is followed by a single N or M in the same syllable. In the pronunciation guide, you will see a vowel sound followed by N. This indicates that you must make a nasal sound.
French Nasal Symbol Pronunciation Guide
an (am), en (em) ahN Similar to on with little emphasis on n
Now hold your nose, say on, and you'll quickly get the hang of it. Watch for the N indicating the vowel sound.
français dans anglais grand
frahN-seh dahN ahN-gleh grahN
lampe maman ambiance ambition
lahNp mah-mahN ahN-byahNs ahN-bee-syohN
en encore souvent attendre
ahN ahN-kohr soo-vahN ah-tahNdr
décembre temps sembler employé
day-sahNbr tahN sahN-blay ahN-plwah-yay
French Nasal Symbol Pronunciation Guide
in (im), ain (aim) aN Similar to an with little emphasis on n
Hold your nose again and practice the sounds:
cinq Martin cousin demain américain
saNk mahr-taN koo-zaN duh-maN ah-may-reekaN
simple important impossible impatient faim
saNpl aN-pohr-tahN aN-poh-seebl aN-pahsyahN faN
French Nasal Symbol Pronunciation Guide
oin waN Similar to wa of wag
You should be getting the hang of nasals by now. Try these:
loin coin moins point soin
lwaN kwaN mwaN pwaN swaN
French Nasal Symbol Pronunciation Guide
ien yaN Similar to yan of Yankee
Try these sounds:
bien rien vient italien Lucien
byaN ryaN vyaN ee-tahl-yaN lew-syaN
French Nasal Symbol Pronunciation Guide
on (om) ohN Similar to on as in long
Here are some more to try:
on bon sont non onze pardon
ohN bohN sohN nohN ohNz pahr-dohN
tomber bombe comprendre compter combien
tohN-bay bohNb kohN-prahNdr kohN-tay kohNbyaN
French Nasal Symbol Pronunciation Guide
un (um) uhN Similar to un as in under
Be patient for the last of the nasal sounds:
un brun lundi parfum emprunter
uhN bruhN luhN-dee pahr-fuhN ahN-pruhN-tay
Continuing with Consonants
Most final consonants are not pronounced except for final c, r, f, and l (think of the word careful). Final s is not pronounced in French, so avoid the temptation. Doing so will quickly unveil your amateur status.
Eric Luc avec parc
ay-reek lewk ah-vehk pahrk
amour bonjour tour cour
ah-moor bohN-zhoor toor koor
neuf sauf chef actif
nuhf sof shehf ahk-teef
il Michel journal cheval
eel mee-shehl zhoor-nahl shuh-vahl
BUT
salut dessert beaucoup minutes
sah-lew duh-sehr bo-koo mee-newt
French Letter Symbol Pronunciation Guide
b, d, f, k, l, m, n, p, s, t, The same Same as English
v, z
These letters are all so easy because they are pronounced exactly the same in French and in English. You will, however, have to follow the rules for the pronunciation of other consonants.
French Letter Symbol Pronunciation Guide
c (hard sound before a, o, u, or k Say c as in card
consonant) qu, final q
carte court document classe
kahrt koor doh-kew-mahN klahs
qui quoi quatre pourquoi cinq
kee kwah kahtr poor-kwah saNk
French Letter Symbol Pronunciation Guide
c (soft sound before e, i, y), ç, s at s cent
beginning of word, s next to a
consonant, tion (t), x (only in the
words given)
As you can see, there are lots of ways to get the s sound. Practice them all:
ce cinéma Nancy ça
suh see-nay-mah nahN-see sah
nation attention invitation action
nah-syohN ah-tahN-syohN aN-vee-tah-syohNn ahk-syohN
six dix soixante
sees dees swah-sahNt
French Letter Symbol Pronunciation Guide
ch sh Say the ch in machine
We've all had practice with this sound—especially those of us with children. Shhh.
chanter chocolat sandwich toucher
shahN-tay shoh-koh-lah sahNd-weesh too-shay
French Letter Symbol Pronunciation Guide
g (hard sound before a, o, u, or g Say the g in good
consonant), gu (before i, e, y)
these words should present no problem:
garçon goûter glace légume
gahr-sohN goo-tay glahs lay-gewm
Guy bague fatigué guide
gee bahg fah-tee-gay geed
French Letter Symbol Pronunciation Guide
g (soft sound before e, i, y), ge (soft zh Say the s as in pleasure
before a, o), j
This might take a little practice before you get used to it:
garage girafe Gisèle Égypte
gah-razh zhee-rahf zhee-zehl ay-zheept
âge orange manger voyageons
ahzh oh-rahNzh mahN-zhay vwah-yah-zhohN
je jour jaune jupe
zhuh zhoor zhon zhewp
French Letter Symbol Pronunciation Guide
gn ny Say the n as in union
This sound will take some practice, too. Be careful not to overemphasize it:
montagne Espagne gagner accompagner
mohN-tah-nyuh ehs-pah-nyuh gah-nyay ah-kohN-pah-nyay
French Letter Symbol Pronunciation Guide
h Always silent
We've come to the easiest letter of all. H is always silent. Most of the time, it is used as a vowel and, therefore, equires elision with a vowel that might precede it: l'homme (the man). In other instances, h is used as a consonant nd does not require elision with the preceding vowel: le héros. To tell how h is being used, you must look in a ictionary, where the consonant h is usually indicated with an *.
huit hôtel heure homme
weet o-tehl uhr ohm
French Letter Symbol Pronunciation Guide
r r No equivalent
The French r requires the participation of your throat. First, drop your tongue to the bottom of your mouth and rest it against your teeth. Keep it out pressed there, out of your way. Now clear your throat or gargle and say “r” at the back of your throat at the same time. That's it—you've got the French r. A few words of advice: Do not roll your r; that's what they do in Spanish. Do not roll your tongue; that's what we do in English. This will require a fair amount of practice on your part until you get it down pat.
merci au revoir parler r entrer
mehr-see o ruh-vwahr pahr-lay rahN-tray
French Letter Symbol Pronunciation Guide
s (between vowels), sion z Say z as in zero
This sound is easy:
musée musique cousin télévision
mew-zay mew-zeek koo-zaN tay-lay-vee-zyohN
French Letter Symbol Pronunciation Guide
th t Say t as in to
There is no th sound in French. Native French speakers have a tremendous amount of difficulty with our words the, this, and there because they pronounce th as t. You, of course, will want to say th. Don't. Your nationality will be showing again.
Catherine thé théâtre sympathique
kah-treen tay tay-ahtr saN-pah-teek
French Letter Symbol Pronunciation Guide
x ks Say xc as in excel
This last sound (that's right, we've finally reached the end) is a little tricky. Practice it well:
extra mixte excellent exprimer
ehks-trah meekst ehk-seh-lahN ehks-pree-may
Practice Makes Perfect
Now that you are an expert, put on your best accent and practice pronouncing these names that were taken from a Parisian phone book:
You will notice that many French family names begin with Le and La and are taken from elements in nature. It really does lend an extra beauty to the language when the people are named for beautiful things. In number 14, however, I am sure that Jean Lavache (John the Cow) would probably have been happier had his ancestors been associated with something different.
1. Éric Le Parc
9. Philippe Lebec
2. Colette Lapierre 10. Florence Lavigne
3. Michel Lechien 11. Monique Le Pont
4. Alain Lechat 12. Dominique Lafontaine
5. Agnès Leloup 13. Daniel La Tour
6. Roland Lamouche 14. Jean Levache
7. Patrick Leboeuf 15. Jeanne Larivière
8. Solange Laforêt 16. Hubert La Fleur
The Least You Need to Know
• Perfect your pronunciation by losing your inhibitions and by reading aloud French newspapers, magazines, and literature.
• It's best to allow yourself to slip and slide the sounds together while speaking the language.
• If your accent is poor, you'll still be understood.
• Practice and devotion will help improve your accent.
• Remember that some French accents change the sound of the letter on which they appear.
• Use your nose wisely for the correct pronunciation of French nasal sounds.
