Letter Combinations
French is known for its unique sounds that can sometimes be challenging for learners. Here is a breakdown of all the French letter
combinations.
Le C Cédille (ç)
The letter 'c' combined with the cedilla '¸' modifies the letter 'c' to be pronounced as an 's' sound when it would otherwise be pronounced as a
'k' sound.
Garçon (boy), Leçon (lesson), Français (French), Façade (facade), Ça (this/that), Déçu (disappointed), Aperçu (overview)
AI & EI Sounds
Both "ai" and "ei" are typically pronounced /ɛ/, similar to the grave accent (è). However, when "ai" is placed at the end of a word, it is
pronounced /e/, similar to the acute accent (é).
Mais (but), Treize (thirteen), J’ai (I have), J’aime (I like), J’aimerai (I will like), Seize (sixteen), Beige (beige)
AN, AM, EN & EM Sounds
These letter combinations produce the nasal sound /ɑ̃/.
Chanson (song), Vent (wind), Lent (slow), Lampe (lamp), Ensemble (together), Embaucher (to hire), Dans (in)
AU & EAU Sounds
These letter combinations are pronounced /o/, similar to the letter 'o'.
Eau (water), Auto (car), Château (castle), Bateau (boat), Chaud (hot), Manteau (coat), Gauche (left)
AIN, AIM, EIN, IN, IM, UN, UM, YN & YM Sounds
These letter combinations produce the nasal sound /ɛ̃/.
Pain (bread), Brun (brown), Vin (wine), Parfum (perfume), Symphonie (symphony), Peinture (painting), Important (important)
CH Sound
Pronounced /ʃ/, like 'sh' in "she."
Chien (dog), Chanter (to sing), Chuchoter (to whisper), Chine (China), Chat (cat), Chaussures (shoes), Chapeau (hat)
ER, ET, EZ & ED Sounds
These letter combinations are typically pronounced /e/, similar to the acute accent (é).
Parler (to speak), Nez (nose), Pied (foot), Ticket (ticket), Jouet (toy), Fermer (to close), Vous avez (you have)
EU Sound
Pronounced /ø/ when placed at the end of a word or /œ/ when placed in the middle of a word.
Peur (fear), Heure (time), Leur (their), Joueur (player), Feu (fire), Bleu (blue), Jeu (game)
G & J Sounds
'g' before 'e' or 'i' is pronounced /ʒ/, like the 's' in "measure" and before 'a', 'o', 'u', or a consonant is pronounced like the 'g' in "go."
'j' is always pronounced /ʒ/.
Girafe (giraffe), Guitare (guitar), Jeune (young), Grand (big/tall), Jaune (yellow), Juillet (July), Gaufre (waffle)
GN Sound
Pronounced /ɲ/, similar to the 'ni' in "onion."
Montagne (mountain), Mignon (cute), Araignée (spider), Peigne (comb), Signe (sign), Poignée (handle), Champagne (champagne)
IEN & YEN Sounds
Pronounced /jɛ̃/.
Bien (well), Chien (dog), Lien (link/bond), Italien (Italian), Citoyen (citizen), Musicien (musician), Combien (how much/how many)
AILL, EILL, EUILL, OUILL, UILL & ILL Sounds
Represent a blend of /j/ with another vowel sound.
Travail (work), Vieille (old), Briller (to shine), Bouillir (to boil), Écureuil (squirrel), Abeille (bee), Nouilles (noodles)
ΠSound
Pronounced /œ/.
Sœur (sister), Cœur (heart), Œuf (egg), Œil (eye), Bœuf (beef)
OI Sound
Pronounced /wa/.
Trois (three), Loi (law), Roi (King), Oiseau (bird), Boire (to drink), Croire (to believe), S’asseoir (to sit)
OIN Sound
Pronounced /wɛ̃/.
Loin (far), Moins (less), Point (point/dot), Soin (care), Besoin (need), Foin (hay), Coin (corner)
ON & OM Sounds
Both result in the nasal sound /ɔ̃/.
Non (no), Nom (name), Long (long), Maison (house), Violon (violin), Raison (reason), Boisson (beverage)
OU Sound
Pronounced /u/, like 'oo' in "food."
Fou (crazy), Courir (to run), Cou (neck), Ours (bear), Loup (wolf), Tout (all), Vous (you)
PSY, PSO & PSEU Sounds
The 'p' is pronounced, and the 'sy', 'so', 'seu' follow their usual pronunciations.
Psychologie (psychology), Psoriasis (psoriasis), Pseudonyme (pseudonym)
S, SS & SC Sounds
's' between vowels sounds like /z/.
Double 'ss' and 'sc' before e or i are pronounced as /s/.
Poisson (fish), Poison (poison), Boisson (beverage), Science (science), Raison (reason), Scie (saw), Chaussons (slippers)
SSION, SION & TION Sounds
SSION and TION are pronounced /sjɔ̃/ and SION is pronounced /zɔ̃/.
Mission (mission), Attention (attention), Télévision (TV), Natation (swimming), Passion (passion), Nation (nation), Situation (situation)
R Sound
Pronounced in the back of the throat as /ʁ/. Make sure your vocal cords are vibrating in the back of your throat.
Rouge (red), Rue (street), Rat (rat), Rose (pink), Riz (rice), Route (road), Rapide (fast)
TH Sound
Pronounced as a simple 't' sound, without the English 'th' sound.
Théâtre (theater), Thé (tea), Thème (theme), Méthode (method), Mathématiques (mathematics), Thérapie (therapy), Théorie (theory)
