The French ‘ou’ Sound 🇫🇷🗣️

Think of ‘ou’ like ‘oo’ in English, as in “food.”

Examples:

“Sourire” – Pronounced like “soo-reer” (means “to smile”).

“Jouer” – Pronounced like “zhoo-ay” (means “to play”).

“Cours” – Pronounced like “koor” (means “run”).

“Ours” – Pronounced like “oor” (means “bear”).

“Tout” – Pronounced like “too”…Read More

French Pronunciation Recap

Congratulations on following our in-depth exploration of French sounds! Before diving into practice, let’s briefly revisit what we’ve discovered.

“Oi” – Think of “wa” in “water.”
Examples: “Boire” (to drink), “Noir” (black), “Toit” (roof).

“Ui” – Imagine “wee” in English.
Examples: “Fruit” (fruit), “Cuisine”…Read More

“Eil” Sound:

“Soleil” – Pronounced like “so-lay” (means “sun”).
“Conseil” – Pronounced like “con-say” (means “advice”).
“Éveil” – Pronounced like “eh-veil” (means “awakening”).
“Accueil” – Pronounced like “ak-kwey” (means “welcome”).

Feel free to practice these words to get a good grasp of the “eil” sound in French!…Read More

1. “An” Sound:
“Étang” – Pronounced like “eh-tahn” (means “pond”).
“Chante” – Pronounced like “shahnt” (means “sings”).
“Plan” – Pronounced like “plahn” (means “plan”).

2. “En” Sound:
“Mentir” – Pronounced like “mahn-teer” (means “to lie”).
“Vent” – Pronounced like “vahn” (means “wind”).
“Gentil” – Pronounced like “zhahn-teel” (means…Read More

The French ‘ui’ Sound 🇫🇷🗣️
Imagine ‘ui’ like saying “wee” in English but condensed, forming a unique French sound.
Examples:

“Fruit”: Pronounced like “frwee” (means “fruit”). 🍌🍋🍊🍉

“Nuit”: Pronounced like “nwee” (means “night”). 🌃

“Cuisine”: Pronounced like “kwee-zeen” (means “kitchen”). 👨🏻‍🍳🍽

“Huit”: Pronounced like “hweet” (means…Read More

The French ‘eu’ Sound 🇫🇷🗣️

Think of ‘eu’ like a mix between ‘uh’ and ‘ew’ in English, as in “feu” (fire).

Examples:

“Feu” – Pronounced like “fuh” (means “fire”). 🔥
“Peur” – Pronounced like “puhr” (means “fear”). 😨
“Seul” – Pronounced like “suh-l” (means “alone”). 🧘🏻‍♀️
“Deux” – Pronounced like “duh” (means “two”). 2️⃣
“Heure” -…Read More

The French ‘ai’ Sound 🇫🇷🗣️

Think of ‘ai’ like ‘eh’ in English, as in “say.”

Examples:

“Aimer” – Pronounced like “eh-may” (means “to love”).
“Maison” – Pronounced like “meh-zon” (means “house”).
“J’ai” – Pronounced like “zhay” (means “I have”).
“Lait” – Pronounced like “leh” (means “milk”).
“Faire” – Pronounced like “fehr” (means “to…Read More

The French ‘au, aux, eau, eaux’ Sounds

Imagine
au – aux
eau – eaux
like saying ‘o’ in English, but French-style.

“Eau” Sound Examples:

“Eau” – Pronounced like the ‘o’ in “go.”
“Eau” (Water) – Pronounced like “o.”
“Bateau” (Boat) – Pronounced like “ba-to.”
“Chapeau” (Hat) – Pronounced like “sha-po.”
“Eau minérale” (Mineral water)

“Eaux”…Read More