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Heading level 1
In this French lesson, you will learn how to master the pronunciation of French vowels and consonants.
French Vowels
French has 12 vowel sounds. It can be tricky for beginners to get the pronunciation right, but with practice, you'll get the hang of it. Here's a table of the French vowels:
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| a | /a/ | back |
| e | /ɛ/, /ə/ | bed, another |
| i | /i/ | see |
| o | /o/ | hot |
| u | /y/ | do |
- French vowels have different sounds depending on the word they're in. For example, the "e" sound in the word "merci" sounds different than the "e" in the word "été".
- Practice saying each vowel sound until you get it right. Listen to French native speakers if you can.
French Consonants
There are also some tricky French consonant sounds. Here's a table of some common French consonants:
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| b | /b/ | bear |
| c | /k/ or /s/ | car, city |
| d | /d/ | door |
| f | /f/ | fish |
| g | /ɡ/ or /ʒ/ | go, measure |
| h | silent | - |
| j | /ʒ/ | pleasure |
| k | /k/ | kite |
| l | /l/ | love |
| m | /m/ | map |
| n | /n/ | no |
| p | /p/ | pen |
| q | /k/ | kite |
| r | trilled "r" /ʀ/ or guttural /ʁ/ | red (in Parisian French, the "r" is often pronounced in the back of the throat) |
| s | /s/ | sun |
| t | /t/ | tea |
| v | /v/ | vane |
| w | /w/ | water |
| x | /ks/ | extra |
| z | /z/ | zoo |
- As with vowels, practice each consonant sound until you get it right.
- Pay attention to the differences between the French and English pronunciation of consonants. Some sounds may be unfamiliar to English speakers.
Now that you're familiar with French vowels and consonants, practice them as much as you can. Listen to French music and TV shows to get used to the sounds. Your French pronunciation will improve with practice.