INTRODUCTION AUX ALPHABETS FRANÇAIS (FRENCH ALPHABETS)
(ref. French Manual :Apprenons le français, Let’s learn French, pages 1-3)
L’ALPHABET
L’alphabet français consiste vingt-six (26) lettres. Ces lettres sont divisées en deux qui sont :
Vingt et un (21) consonnes ( B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, Q, R, S, T, V, W, X, Y, Z
Cinq (5) voyelles ( A, E, I, O, U)
Lettres majuscules : A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Lettres minuscules : a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
BASIC FUNDAMENTALS OF FRENCH LETTERS
As similar as French and English letters appear to be, some basic fundamentals differentiate their
meanings and pronunciations. These fundamentals include intonation, accents and positions in a
sentence.
This section offers relatively close Anglophone sounds of the French alphabets within an
Anglophone environment.
French Alphabets Relatively close anglophone sound Examples
A ( ha ! ) Afrique
B ( bay ) Boire
C ( say ) Ce ci
D ( day ) Dormir
E ( owl ) Eau
F ( elf ) Faire
G ( jay ) Genou
H ( ash ) Enchanté
I ( he ) ȋle
J ( gee ) Je
K ( car ) Cadeau
L ( hell ) Lait
M ( hem ) Manger
N ( hen ) Nager
O ( hoe ) Orange
P ( pay ) Parler
Q ( queue ) Queue
R ( herr ) Rire
S ( hess ) Sortir
T ( tay ) Travailler
U ( hew ) Utile
V ( vay ) Vice Recteur
W ( double vay) Wagon
X ( hiks ) Xylophone
Y ( he-grek ) Igrek
Z ( zed ) Zèbre
FRENCH ACCENTS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS
In recognition of French words and their pronunciations, some marks which are put on or under
some letters are called accents. This is to differentiate either the meaning or the pronunciation of
such word. Five of such marks are identified in this segment. They are acute accent, grave
accent, cedilla mark, circumflex accents and trema marks.
These marks make some changes in the meaning and pronunciation of the letters.
L’accent grave (grave accent) [ \ ]: This mark is particularly put on letters ‘e’, ‘u’ and ‘a’ thus
changes their traditional meanings. When placed on a letter ‘a’, it changes the meaning from an
ordinary letter [a] to a preposition [à]. It also changes the meaning of a letter [e] to appear as [ è ]
to be pronounced and sound as [ɛ] in words like 2ere [mother] and père [father]. When placed on
a letter ‘u’, it changes the meaning from ordinary ‘u’ to mean the adverb of place when
combined with a letter ‘o’ as in ‘ où [where].
Exemples:
1. Bisi a deux stylos - Bisi has two pens
2. Faith va à l’école - Faith goes to school.
L’accent aigu (Acute accent) [ / ]: This mark is mostly placed on a letter ‘e’ to form the past
participle ending [é] of ‘er’ verbs. This mark changes the silent nature of a letter ‘e’ and makes
the letter ‘e’ to be pronounced in words like parlé [spoken].
Exemples:
1. Je mange - I am eating/ I eat
J’ai mangé - I ate
L’accent circonflèxe ( circumflex accent) [ ˆ ]: This mark is placed on letters such as [a, e, i, o,
u] principally to indicate contraction of two vowel letters within a word. It appears in words such
as:
Eage - âge
Figure - figûre
L’accent cédille ( cedilla accent) [ ç ]: This mark is placed under the letter ‘c’ which ordinarily
sounds as [say] to maintain its sound when followed by letters such as ‘[ o, a, u]. Otherwise, it
will sound and be pronounced as [kay] without the cedilla accent.
Exemples:
1. Placons [plakon]
Plaçons [plason]
2. Garcon [gaR-kon]
Garçon [gaR-son]
L’accent trema ( Trema accent) [ ]: This accent is placed on one of two vowels that follow
themselves within a word thus seperating one pronunciation from the other. This means that, the
two vowel letters are pronounced separately.
Exemples:
1. Israël [isRa-ɛl]
2. Maïs [ma-is]
