French sounds and pronunciation patterns — click any example to hear it
Soft 'c' — like English 's'
Silent final -s — not pronounced at end of word
Nasal vowel — like 'an' in 'tank' (nasalised)
Like 'er' in English 'her' (no r sound)
Final -e, -t, -d are silent in French
Final -x is silent
Like 'yen' — common nationality ending
Like 'wa' in 'waffle'
Open 'e' — like 'e' in 'bed'
Like 'er' — a rounded open vowel
Like 'e' in 'bed' — same as è
Nasal vowel — like 'on' in 'long' (nasalised)
The letter h is always silent in French
French r — throaty sound, made at the back of the throat
Like English 'k' — the u is silent
En français, les consonnes finales sont généralement silencieuses (par exemple : grand, petit, les). Les voyelles nasales (in, an, on) se prononcent sans fermer complètement la bouche — laissez l'air passer par le nez !