French spelling looks scary, but the sound rules are consistent. Learn these patterns and you can read almost any word aloud.
1. Final consonants are often silent
In petit, vous, grand and beaucoup, the last letter is not pronounced. Letters in c, r, f, l at the end of words are often pronounced (think “CaReFuL”): avec, bonjour, neuf, mal.
2. Common letter combinations
| Spelling | Sound | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ou | like “oo” in food | vous, tout |
| oi | “wa” | moi, voiture |
| eau, au | “o” | beau, auto |
| ch | “sh” | chat, chez |
| gn | “ny” as in canyon | montagne |
| j, g (before e, i) | “zh” as in measure | je, rouge |
| u | round lips and say “ee” | tu, rue |
3. Nasal vowels
When a vowel is followed by n or m that is not followed by another vowel, the n/m is not pronounced; it nasalises the vowel. Examples: bon, blanc, vin, un. Compare bon (nasal) with bonne (n is pronounced).
4. Accents change sounds
- é (accent aigu): “ay” sound, as in été.
- è, ê: open “eh”, as in mère, fête.
- ç: soft “s”, as in français.
5. Liaison
A normally silent final consonant is pronounced before a vowel sound in a linked group: vous avez sounds like “vou-z-avay”. Liaison is required after articles and pronouns (les amis) and forbidden after “et”.
Tip: listen and repeat short sentences, and record yourself. Your ear improves faster than you expect.