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French pronunciation rules with examples

Why is beau read “bo” and parler “par-lay”? All the main French reading rules on one page: a short explanation, IPA and words you can listen to — plus exercises at the end to test yourself.

  • 28 rules
  • 87 words with audio
  • IPA and translation
  • 2 exercises
  • No sign-up
To the rulesPractice

How to read French

French looks hard because of all the “extra” letters, but it follows clear rules: eau is always [o], ou is [u], and final consonants are mostly silent. Once you know the rules, you can read even an unfamiliar word correctly.

French stress always falls on the last syllable: café, parler, chocolat. Tap the words to listen, and switch the speed to “Slow” to hear every sound.

Vowels and vowel combinations

Two or three vowels in a row often make a single sound in French: ai — [ɛ], au — [o], ou — [u]. Learn these combinations and half of all words will read correctly.

Speed

final e

silent

A final e is silent, but the consonant before it is pronounced: porte — [pɔʁt].

Examples

é

[e] · ay, short

É with an accent aigu is a closed [e], lips spread as in a smile. It is always pronounced, even at the end of a word.

Examples

è, ê

[ɛ] · e as in “bed”

È (accent grave) and ê (circonflexe) are an open [ɛ]: the mouth is wider open than for é.

Examples

ai, ei

[ɛ] · e as in “bed”

Ai and ei are read as one open [ɛ], not as two separate vowels.

Examples

au, eau

[o] · o as in “go”, short

Au and eau are read as [o]. Eau is three letters for one sound: beau sounds like “bo”.

Examples

ou

[u] · oo as in “food”

Ou is the sound [u], like “oo” in “food”. Don’t confuse it with u, which is [y].

Examples

oi

[wa]

Oi is read [wa]: moi sounds like “mwa”, roi like “rwa”.

Examples

u

[y] · say “ee” with rounded lips

U is the sound [y]: round your lips as for “oo” but say “ee”.

Examples

eu, œu

[ø] · like “ur” in “fur”, rounded

Eu and œu are [ø]: lips rounded as for “o”, saying “ay”. Before a pronounced consonant it is more open, [œ]: fleur, sœur.

Examples

ui

[ɥi] · a quick “ü” + “ee”

Ui is one syllable, [ɥi]: a short [y] gliding straight into “ee”.

Examples

ill, il

[j] · y as in “yes”

Ill after a vowel and a final il after a vowel are read [j], like “y”: travail — “tra-vay”. Exceptions: ville, mille, tranquille are read with [il].

Examples

Nasal vowels

A vowel + n or m at the end of a word or before a consonant makes a nasal sound: air goes through both mouth and nose, and the n itself isn’t pronounced.

an, am, en, em

[ɑ̃] · nasal “ah”

An, am, en and em are all one nasal sound, [ɑ̃]: a deep “ah” through the nose, with no clear n.

Examples

on, om

[ɔ̃] · nasal “oh”

On and om are a nasal [ɔ̃]: a rounded “o” through the nose.

Examples

in, im, ain, ein, un

[ɛ̃] · nasal “eh”

In, im, ain and ein are a nasal [ɛ̃]. Most French speakers say un the same way (in some regions it’s [œ̃]).

Examples

nn, mm, n + vowel

not nasal: the n is heard

When n or m is followed by a vowel, or the n is doubled, there is no nasal: bon — [bɔ̃], but bonne — [bɔn].

Examples

Consonants

Most consonants are read much as in English. Learn a few combinations (ch, gn, ph, qu) and remember that c and g change before e, i and y.

c + e, i, y

[s]

Before e, i and y the letter c is [s]; elsewhere it is [k]: café, comme.

Examples

ç

[s]

Ç (c cédille) is always [s] — even before a, o and u, where a plain c would be [k].

Examples

g + e, i, y

[ʒ] · s as in “pleasure”

Before e, i and y the letter g is [ʒ], like the s in “pleasure”; elsewhere it is [ɡ]: gare, gros.

Examples

gn

[ɲ] · ny as in “canyon”

Gn is a soft [ɲ], like “ny” in “canyon”.

Examples

ch

[ʃ] · sh

Ch is read [ʃ], like “sh” — not like the “ch” in “church”.

Examples

ph

[f]

Ph is [f], just as in English.

Examples

qu

[k]

Qu is just [k], with no “w” sound: qui sounds like “kee”.

Examples

s between vowels

[z]

A single s between two vowels is voiced, [z]. A double ss is always [s]: poisson (fish) and poison (poison) sound different.

Examples

h

silent

H is never pronounced in French: hôtel sounds like “otel”, homme like “om”.

Examples

Word endings and liaison

French stress always falls on the last syllable, and final consonants are mostly silent — but they can come back to life before a vowel in the next word.

final consonants

silent

Final consonants are usually silent: petit — “p’tee”, vous — “voo”. The exceptions are c, r, f and l (see the next rule).

Examples

final c, r, f, l

pronounced

C, r, f and l are usually pronounced at the end of a word — remember them with the English word CaReFuL. But -er in verbs is [e]: parler.

Examples

-er in verbs

[e] · ay, short

The -er ending of verbs is read [e] and the r is silent: parler — “par-lay”.

Examples

liaison

[z] · z (s, x before a vowel)

Liaison: a silent final consonant is pronounced when the next word starts with a vowel or a silent h. S and x then sound [z], n sounds [n].

Examples

Practice: test yourself

10 questions per round, made from the words on this page. After every answer you hear the word and the right option lights up.

Choose an exercise

How to learn the rules faster

  • Learn combinations as a single “letter”: ou, oi, eau, ch, gn.
  • Read aloud: listen to a word, repeat it, then read the next one without help.
  • If in doubt, don’t pronounce a final consonant: more often than not it’s silent.
  • Practise the nasal vowels and [y] separately — English has neither.

FAQ

Didn’t find your answer? Send us a request — we’ll tell you everything.

Why does French have so many silent letters?

French spelling was fixed centuries ago, and pronunciation has changed since: final consonants and e stopped being pronounced, but the spelling stayed. That’s why the rules matter — silent letters follow them almost every time.

How do you pronounce nasal vowels?

Say the vowel while letting air out through your mouth and nose at the same time, without touching your tongue for an “n”. There are three main nasal sounds: [ɑ̃] (an, en), [ɔ̃] (on) and [ɛ̃] (in, ain, un). Listen to the examples and repeat slowly.

What is liaison and when is it required?

Liaison is when a silent final consonant is pronounced before a vowel in the next word: les amis — “lay-za-mee”. It is required after articles, pronouns and numbers (les, des, nous, vous, un, deux) before the word they go with.

Which syllable is stressed in French?

Always the last pronounced syllable of a word or phrase: café, chocolat, je parle français. So you never need to learn stress word by word.

How long does it take to learn to read French?

You can learn the main rules in 1–2 weeks of short daily practice and read confidently after about a month. It goes fastest with a teacher who corrects your pronunciation right away.

What’s next

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