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.
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TABLE 1
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Vowels and their Sounds
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Vowel
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Sound
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a, à, â
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ah as in m
a
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e, final
er and
ez, es in some one-syllable words, some
ai and
et combinations
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ay as in d
ay
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e in one syllable words or in the middle of a word followed by one consonant
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uh as in th
e
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è, ê, and
e (plus two consonants or a final pronounced consonant),
et, ei, ai
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eh as in g
et
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i, î, y, ui
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i as in magaz
ine
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ill or
il when preceded by a vowel
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y as in
you
o (before
se)
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o (last pronounced sound of word) ô,
au, eau
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o as in g
o
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o when followed by a pronounced consonant other than
s
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oh as in l
ove
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ou, où, oû
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oo as in b
oot
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oy, oi
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wah as in
watch
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u, ù, û
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no English equivalent – try saying
ew with lips rounded.
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French I: Verb Charts
French I: Pronunciation
