FIRST STEPS / Beginner
EXERCICES DE
PRONONCIATION
These five French vowel sounds are so important to learn! Unlike English vowel sounds, which tend to drag on, French vowel sounds are short and crisp. Oftentimes, English speakers think that French speakers talk so fast. This observation is made, in part, because the sounds of the vowels are shorter.
In order to feel at ease with these new sounds, practice them frequently with the help of your teacher or the audio.
a – This letter sounds like the “a” when you sing the notes “la-la-la.”
Répéter (repeat!): ananas, garage, madame, papa, salade, plage, chat, rat, cage, mariage, banane, canard, malade
e – This letter sounds like the vowel sound in the English word “pearl.”
ce, le, petit, revenir, me, te, appartement, tenir, menacer, se, chemin, cheval, regarder, lever, jeter, menu
ATTENTION
At the end of words that have more than one syllable, the “e” is silent: girafe, madame, Anne, petite, bonne, service, jolie, mariage, tigre, pharmacie, programme
é – This accent gives the “e” a different sound, which is a little like the “ay” in the English word “day.” It is a shorter sound, though, cut off more quickly than in English.
pépé, été, mené, séparé, précédé, partagé, bébé, hébété, réparé, téléphoné, café, étudié
è or ê – These letters sound like “e” in the word “egg.” The vowel “e” followed by two consonants also sounds like the “e” in “egg.”
tête, fillette, frère, merci, progrès, verbe, mère, père, fenêtre, espère, celle, très, élève, rêve, espoir