French pronunciation for English speakers

French spelling hides a lot. Many letters are silent, and words run together. A few sounds also do not exist in English. Here are the ones that matter most.

The French r

The French r comes from the back of the throat, not the tongue tip. Try gargling softly, then make the sound without water. Practise with "rue" and "rouge". It feels odd for a few weeks, then it becomes natural.

Nasal vowels

French has nasal vowels, as in "bon", "vin" and "blanc". Air goes through the nose, and you do not say the n. Hold your nose and say "bon". If the sound changes, you are on track.

The u and ou

French has two sounds that English mixes up. "ou" is like the "oo" in "food". "u" is made with rounded lips while saying "ee". Practise the pair "tout" and "tu".

Silent letters and linking

Final consonants are often silent: "petit", "grand", "vous". When the next word starts with a vowel, the sound can appear and link: "vous avez". Listen for it.

Stress

French stress is flat. Each syllable has nearly the same weight, and the last one is slightly longer. English speakers tend to stress one syllable too hard. Try to keep it even.

How to practise

• Learn new words by sound first, then spelling.
• Record yourself and compare with a native speaker.
• Ask your partner to repeat a word slowly, then at normal speed.

A native speaker can tell you when a sound is off. See how to find a language partner, or read about French on Nearly Fluent.