Letter

Pronounced

Examples

Notes

a, à, â

ah (as in father)

chat (shah) = cat

à (ah) = to

pâte (paht) = dough

é, er, ez, et

eh (as in bed),

but with very tight lips

été (eh-teh) = summer

aller (ah-leh) = to go

allez (ah-leh) = Go!

ballet (bah-leh) = ballet

Be very careful not to pronounce the eh sound as eh-ee at the end of the word.

e + a final pronounced consonant

è, ei, ai, aî

eh (as in bed),

but with very relaxed lips

belle (behl) = beautiful

père (pehr) = father

veine (vehn) = vein

faire (fehr) = to do

e (at the end of the word or without an accent)

uh (as in above)

le (luh) = the

level (luh-veh) = to lift

eu, oeu

uh (as in fur), but keep your lips very rounded

feu (fuh) = fire

coeur (kuhr) = heart

Pronounced with tight lips when no other sound follows (feu), but with relaxed lips when other sounds follow (coeur).

i

ee (as in beet)

ici (ee-see) = here

o, au, eau, ô

oh (as in caught)

mot (moh) = word

mode (mohd) = fashion

auteur (oh-tuhr) = author

eau (oh) = water

hôtel (oh-tehl) - hotel

ou

oo (as in tool)

fou (foo) = crazy

u

ü (no equivalent), keep your lips rounded as you pronounce ee

tü (tü) = you