French Language Tools
French Pronunciation Guide
Every French sound explained for English speakers — from the vowels and nasal sounds to the infamous French R and the rules of liaison. Click 🔊 on any example to hear it.
How to use this guide
Click the 🔊 button next to any French example to hear it spoken. Work through each section in order — vowels first, then nasals, then the tricky consonants. Listen, repeat, listen again.
French Vowels
a
/a/
Like "ah" in "father" — open and clear
e (silent)
/ə/
The schwa — a soft unstressed "uh". Often silent at the end of words
é
/e/
Like "ay" in "say" but without the glide — clean and closed
è / ê
/ɛ/
Like "e" in "bed" — open and short
i / y
/i/
Like "ee" in "see" — pure and sustained
o (closed)
/o/
Like "o" in "so" but without the "w" glide at the end
o (open)
/ɔ/
Like "o" in "hot" — open and short
u
/y/
No English equivalent. Round your lips for "oo" but say "ee" — the hardest French vowel
ou
/u/
Like "oo" in "food" — round lips strongly
eu / œu
/ø/ or /œ/
Round your lips for "o" but say "e" — similar to the "u" in "burn"
Nasal Vowels
an / en
/ɑ̃/
Like "ah" spoken through the nose. The "n" is not pronounced — it nasalises the vowel
in / ain / ein
/ɛ̃/
Like "eh" through the nose. Common and very useful
on
/ɔ̃/
Like "oh" through the nose — round lips
un
/œ̃/
Like "uh" through the nose. Merging with /ɛ̃/ in modern French
Tricky Consonants
r
/ʁ/
The French R is made at the back of the throat — like a gentle gargle. Never roll it like Spanish
j / ge
/ʒ/
Like the "s" in "treasure" or "measure" — a soft buzzing sound
ch
/ʃ/
Like "sh" in "shoe" — softer than the English "ch"
gn
/ɲ/
Like "ny" in "canyon" — the tongue touches the roof of the mouth
h
silent
Always silent in French. Never aspirated like English "h". Two types: h muet allows liaison, h aspiré blocks it
ll
/j/ or /l/
Usually sounds like "y" in English. After ill: /j/. In ville, mille, tranquille: /l/
Key Rules
Liaison
linking
When a word ending in a normally silent consonant is followed by a vowel, the consonant is pronounced and links to the next word
Elision
contraction
When le, la, de, que, je etc. are followed by a vowel or h muet, the final vowel drops and is replaced by an apostrophe
Silent final consonants
usually silent
Most word-final consonants are silent in French. Exceptions: C, R, F, L are often pronounced (CaReFuL)
Accent marks
change sound
é = closed e, è/ê = open e, â/ô = slightly longer vowel, ç = s sound, ï/ü/ë = separate syllable
Practice What You've Learned
The best way to improve pronunciation is to hear and repeat — use our tools to practise with real French audio.