FlexiLingoIn one line
These combinations apply to every word — noun, adjective, verb, it makes no difference.
And here is the thing worth knowing before you start. English spelling is genuinely unpredictable — though, through, tough, bough, cough all end in
oughand all sound different. French is not like that. The table below is close to complete: learn these rows and you can pronounce a French word you have never seen, correctly, on the first try. That is not possible in English, and it is the main reason French reading is easier than it looks.
The table
| Written | Sound | IPA | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
ou | as in "soup" | /u/ | oublier nous |
oi | "wa" | /wa/ | oiseau trois |
ui | "wee" with rounded lips | /ɥi/ | huit lui cuisine |
oui | "wee" | /wi/ | oui Louis |
au eau | "o", tongue back | /o/ | jaune tableau |
eu œu | "o", tongue forward | /ø/ · /œ/ | jeune sœur |
ai ei | open "e", as in "bed" | /ɛ/ | aimer neige |
final er ez et | closed "e", as in "may" | /e/ | parler nez |
ill | "ee-y" | /ij/ | fille famille |
final ail eil euil | "eye" · "ay" · "uh-y" | /aj/ /ɛj/ /œj/ | travail soleil |
ch | "sh" | /ʃ/ | chat chercher |
gn | "ny" as in "canyon" | /ɲ/ | montagne espagnol |
qu | "k" | /k/ | quatre qui |
ph | "f" | /f/ | photo |
th | "t" — never as in "think" | /t/ | théâtre |
ti + vowel | "sy" | /sj/ | nation /na.sjɔ̃/ |
y between two vowels | acts as two i | /j/ | voyage /vwa.jaʒ/ |
h | nothing at all | /aʃ/ · /a.bi.te/ | habiter /a.bi.te/ |
Exceptions
| Exception | What happens |
|---|---|
ill has three exceptions | usually /ij/, but in ville /vil/ mille /mil/ tranquille /tʁɑ̃.kil/ it is an "l" sound |
eu has two sounds | closed /ø/ in deux open /œ/ in sœur — it depends on whether the syllable is open or closed |
ay = /ɛj/ | crayon /kʁɛ.jɔ̃/ |
oy = /waj/ | voyage envoyer |
ti = /ti/ not /sj/ when no vowel follows | partie /paʁ.ti/ |
aspirated h | still silent, but it blocks the previous word from eliding: le héros /lə e.ʁo/ |
Examples
| French | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
oiseau | /wa.zo/ | bird |
tableau | /ta.blo/ | board, painting |
jeune | /ʒœn/ | young |
jaune | /ʒon/ | yellow |
famille | /fa.mij/ | family |
montagne | /mɔ̃.taɲ/ | mountain |
nation | /na.sjɔ̃/ | nation |
travail | /tʁa.vaj/ | work |
Common mistakes
| ❌ | ✅ | Why |
|---|---|---|
reading oiseau as "oy-zo" | /wa.zo/ | oi is always "wa" |
reading jeune and jaune the same | /ʒœn/ · /ʒon/ | eu tongue forward, au tongue back |
pronouncing the h in habiter | /a.bi.te/ | h is never pronounced |
reading nation as "nay-shun" | /na.sjɔ̃/ | ti + vowel = "sy", not "sh" |
reading qui as "kwee" | /ki/ | The u in qu is silent |
reading théâtre with a "th" | /te.ɑtʁ/ | French has no "th" sound at all |
The pairs English does not distinguish
and if you merge them, the meaning changes
English has vowels in the same region — the difficulty is that English refuses to hold them still.
| French | English habit | What goes wrong |
|---|---|---|
au·eau /o/ | English "o" is really "oh-w" | tableau /ta.blo/ comes out tabl-ow |
er·ez /e/ | English "ay" is really "eh-y" | parler /paʁ.le/ comes out parl-ay |
French vowels are pure: one steady sound from beginning to end. Say
beauand hold it — if your lips move while you hold it, you are producing an English diphthong. Fixing this one habit does more for a French accent than any single consonant.
And there is a genuine pair English does not have at all:
jaune /ʒon/ | yellow — lips rounded, tongue back |
jeune /ʒœn/ | young — lips rounded, tongue forward |
How to make /ø/: say "ay" as in "bed", keep your tongue exactly where it is, and then round your lips as if for "o". The tongue position of one vowel with the lips of another — that is the whole trick, and it also gives you deux, bleu, peu and sœur.