Vowels

Some vowels in French have multiple pronunciations determined by specific linguistic rules, letter combinations, and/or accent marks, as shown in Table 1 . You can always find exceptions, however, so when in doubt, consult a dictionary. In addition, expect sounds that are unfamiliar when vowels appear in combinations.

TABLE 1 Vowels and their Sounds

Vowel

Sound

a, à, â

ah as in m a

e, final er and ez, es in some one-syllable words, some ai and et combinations

ay as in d ay

e in one syllable words or in the middle of a word followed by one consonant

uh as in th e

è, ê, and e (plus two consonants or a final pronounced consonant), et, ei, ai

eh as in g et

i, î, y, ui

i as in magaz ine

ill or il when preceded by a vowel

y as in you o (before se)

o (last pronounced sound of word) ô, au, eau

o as in g o

o when followed by a pronounced consonant other than s

oh as in l ove

ou, où, oû

oo as in b oot

oy, oi

wah as in watch

u, ù, û

no English equivalent – try saying ew with lips rounded.

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