Language/French/Grammar/The-French-Alphabet

French Grammar → Alphabet and Pronunciation → The French Alphabet

In this lesson, we will learn about the French alphabet and its pronunciation. French is written in the Latin script, like many other Western languages, but it has a few letters and sounds that are unique to the French language. Let's start with the basics: the French alphabet.

The French Alphabet

The French alphabet consists of 26 letters, just like the English alphabet. However, there are a few differences you should note:

• The letters "w" and "k" are not used in traditional French words, except for loanwords from other languages, like "week-end" or "karaté".
• The letters "q", "x", and "y" are less frequently used in French words, but they still have their own unique sounds.

Here is the French alphabet in order, with pronunciation notes:

French	Pronunciation	English Translation
A, a	/a/	a
B, b	/be/	b
C, c	/se/	c
D, d	/de/	d
E, e	/ə/ (in unstressed syllables), /ɛ/ (in stressed syllables)	e
F, f	/ɛf/	f
G, g	/ʒe/ (before "i" or "e"), /ɡe/ (otherwise)	g
H, h	/aʃ/	h
I, i	/i/	i
J, j	/ʒi/	j
K, k	/ka/	k
L, l	/ɛl/	l
M, m	/ɛm/	m
N, n	/ɛn/	n
O, o	/o/	o
P, p	/pe/	p
Q, q	/ky/	q
R, r	/ɛʁ/ (in Parisian French), /ʁ/ (in other French dialects)	r
S, s	/ɛs/	s
T, t	/te/	t
U, u	/y/	u
V, v	/ve/	v
W, w	/dubləve/	w
X, x	/iks/	x
Y, y	/iɡrɛk/ (as a vowel), /i/ (as a consonant)	y
Z, z	/zɛd/	z

Practice your Pronunciation

Now that we have covered the French alphabet, it's time to test your pronunciation skills. Repeat after me the following vowels and consonants:

• A: /a/
• E: /ɛ/
• I: /i/
• O: /o/
• U: /y/
• B: /be/
• D: /de/
• F: /ɛf/
• G: /ʒe/ (before "i" or "e"), /ɡe/ (otherwise)
• J: /ʒi/
• K: /ka/
• L: /ɛl/
• M: /ɛm/
• N: /ɛn/
• P: /pe/
• S: /ɛs/
• T: /te/
• Z: /zɛd/

Conclusion

Congratulations, you have just learned about the French alphabet and its pronunciation. Keep practicing your pronunciation and don't forget to use the audio resources available online to perfect your accent. In the next lesson, we will study the French vowels and consonants in more detail.

Sources

• French Alphabet
• IPA for French

Table of Contents - French Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Alphabet and Pronunciation

• The French Alphabet
• French Vowels and Consonants
• French Accent Marks
• Introductions and Greetings

  ---

Nouns and Articles

• Gender and Number of Nouns
• Definite and Indefinite Articles
• Partitive Articles

  ---

Verbs and Tenses

• Present Tense of Regular Verbs
• Common Irregular Verbs
• Passé Composé
• Futur Proche

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Agreement of Adjectives
• Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
• Formation and Use of Adverbs

  ---

Negation and Interrogation

• Negation
• Interrogation

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Cardinal and Ordinal Numbers
• Time and Dates

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Romantic Relationships

  ---

Food and Drink

• Food and Eating Habits
• Beverages and Drinking Habits

  ---

Hobbies and Interests

• Sports and Fitness Activities
• Music and Entertainment

  ---

Geography and Travel

• Regions and Cities in France
• Transportation and Accommodation

  ---

French Culture and Arts

• French Cuisine and Gastronomy
• French Cinema and Literature

  ---

French History and Society

• Major Events in French History
• French Society and Lifestyle

Related Lessons

• Differences in the use of numbers in French and English Addresses
• Adjectives preceded by de
• Plurals in cardinal numbers
• Intransitive constructions
• Active Voice and Passive Voice
• Conditional Mood and Future Tense
• Agreement with a preceding direct object in a relative clause when the participle is followed by an infinitive
• Omission of the article in compound nouns linked by à
• How to Use Be
• Stressed pronouns with ne — que and ni — ni — ne

Sources

• French Alphabet 101: Your Complete Guide | OptiLingo
• The French Alphabet
• Accents in the French Alphabet - IFALPES Annecy