Skip to content

Paper Together: sit a paper in a room with your friends.See how it works

Pronunciation: sounds, silent letters and liaison – GCSE French

Foundation and Higher · Grade 3

The sounds that matter most in French: vowels, nasal vowels, the French r, silent letters, liaison, accents and rhythm, with words to hear and say.

Objectives

Explained

Vowels and stress

French vowels are short and pure. Say each vowel steadily; do not glide into another sound as in English. «a» as in «chat», «e» in «le» (a weak sound, as the a in about), «é» as in «été» (close), «è» as in «mère» (open), «i» as in «ici», «o» as in «vélo», «ou» as in «vous». The «u» in «tu» is made by saying "ee" with rounded lips. The «eu» in «deux» is similar to the sound in the English "fur" without the r.

French has no strong stress on one syllable. Give each syllable about the same weight, and put a slight stress on the last syllable of a word group: «Je voudrais un café.» Tap the words to hear them. Listen to «tu» and «tout» again: «u» and «ou» are different sounds and change the meaning.

Nasal vowels and the French r

Four nasal vowels: «an / en» (as in «enfant», «dans»), «on» (as in «bon», «maison»), «in / ain / ein» (as in «vin», «pain»), «un» (as in «un»). The air goes through the nose and the n is not pronounced as a separate sound. Compare «bon» and «bonne»: the double n means the n is pronounced («bonne»), while in «bon» it is only a nasal vowel.

The French «r» is made at the back of the throat, a soft scrape like gargling. Practise: «Paris», «rouge», «très», «rue», «restaurant». Avoid rolling the r as in Spanish or Scottish. Words with «r» are everywhere: «merci», «bonjour», «mardi», «pour». Say each slowly then at normal speed.

Check

Which pair shows a difference between the sounds u and ou?

  1. tu and tout
  2. chat and chien
  3. mère and père
Show answer

tu and tout Tu has the rounded u sound and tout has ou.

Silent letters and liaison

Most final consonants are silent: «petit» (pe-ti), «grand» (gran), «trois» (trwa), «vous» (vou), «chez» (shé), «nous» (nou). Exceptions: the letters C, R, F and L are often pronounced at the end («sac», «air», «neuf», «bal»). The final «e» is silent: «grande» sounds like «grand-» with a final d. And «-ent» in verbs is silent: «ils parlent» sounds like «il parle».

Liaison links a silent final consonant to the next word if it begins with a vowel: «vous avez» (vou-za-vé), «les enfants» (lé-zan-fan), «un petit ami» (un pe-ti-ta-mi), «ils ont» (il-zon). The linking s or x sounds like z, d sounds like t, and n sounds like n. Liaison is not made before a consonant («les chats») or after «et». Listen and repeat to learn it.

Accents and spelling-sound links

Accents change the sound: «é» (close, as in «café»), «è» and «ê» (open, as in «mère», «fête»), «à» and «â» (a), «ù» (as in «où», sounding like ou), «ç» (soft s, as in «français»), «î» and «ô» (long vowel). Accents also tell you a word: «a» (has) and «à» (to), «ou» (or) and «où» (where), «la» (the) and «là» (there).

Common spelling-sound links: «ch» is sh («chat»), «gn» is ny («montagne»), «qu» is k («qui»), «ph» is f («photo»), «oi» is wa («moi»), «ai» is è («j'aime»), «ou» is oo («pour»), «au / eau» is o («chaud», «beau»), «eu» is as in «deux», «ill» is y («fille») except in «ville», «mille», «tranquille». Learn these and you can read aloud almost any word.

Check

How is "les enfants" pronounced?

  1. lé-zan-fan
  2. less en-fants
  3. lay on-fon
Show answer

lé-zan-fan The s links to the vowel and sounds like z, and the nasal an is used.

Similar words and tricky pairs

Some pairs are easy to confuse. «dessus» (above, u) and «dessous» (below, ou); «rue» (street, u) and «roue» (wheel, ou); «poisson» (fish) and «poison»; «pain» (nasal in) and «peine»; «sans» (without) and «cent» (hundred) and «sang» (blood) and «s'en» all sound the same. «Deux» (two) and «de» (of) differ clearly. «Six», «dix» and «sept» can change sound in different contexts (six garçons: si garçons; six amis: si-z-amis).

Some numbers are tricky: «huit» (weet), «neuf» (nuf), «cinq» (sank), «vingt» (van), «quatre-vingts» (ka-tr-van). Practise «un, deux, trois… dix» daily. Also some verb pairs: «tu parles» and «ils parlent» sound the same; «je parle» and «il parle» too. Use the spelling and context to decide which is which.

Intonation and rhythm

In French, intonation carries meaning. A statement falls at the end: «Il habite à Paris.» A yes/no question rises: «Il habite à Paris ?» A list rises on each item and falls on the last: «du pain, du fromage, et du vin.» Pitch also carries emotion: surprise, doubt, enthusiasm. Practise changing intonation: «C'est vrai.» (statement) and «C'est vrai ?» (question).

Group words in rhythm groups of three to six syllables, with a slight stress on the last: «je voudrais / un café / s'il vous plaît». Do not stress each word. Avoid English habits: do not add a final «-ay» sound to «é» (say «é», not «éy»), do not say the final «s» in «très», do not hesitate in the middle of a word. A calm, even rhythm is easy to understand.

Check

How does the voice change at the end of a yes/no question?

  1. It rises.
  2. It falls.
  3. It stays flat.
Show answer

It rises. A rising intonation signals a question in French.

Reading aloud: practice sentences

Practise short sentences aloud, slowly and then at speed. «Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît.» «Nous avons visité la tour Eiffel en été.» «Ils ont un petit chien qui s'appelle Max.» «Ma grand-mère habite dans une petite maison près de la mer.» «Hier, j'ai mangé des croissants et j'ai bu du jus d'orange.» Mark the liaisons, silent letters and nasal vowels in pencil, then read.

Record yourself and compare with a native speaker. Check the vowels, the nasal sounds, the r, liaison and silent endings. Focus on one feature at a time. Reading aloud tasks assess sound-spelling knowledge, so accuracy matters. Say words you do not know by applying the rules: they are mostly regular. Stay calm: a slow, clear reading is better than a fast, rushed one.

Exam tips: pronunciation

Pronunciation is marked in speaking, separately or as part of communication. You do not need a perfect accent, but you must be understood without effort. In preparation, say your key phrases aloud, not in your head. In the exam, speak a little slower than normal and open your mouth for the vowels. Do not mumble the ends of words.

Practise for ten minutes a day: say a few sentences with an accent focus, listen to French audio, repeat after it. Record yourself weekly and compare. Learn the sounds of numbers, days and months. If you are unsure how to say a word, say it clearly with the sounds you know: the examiner will understand. Do not stop and apologise, just continue.

Check

What is the best way to improve pronunciation before the exam?

  1. Say sentences aloud and compare with a French speaker.
  2. Read silently.
  3. Memorise spellings only.
Show answer

Say sentences aloud and compare with a French speaker. Speaking and listening practice trains the sounds and rhythm.

Key points

Worked examples

Example 1

Write the word that has a silent final consonant: petit, sac, bonjour.

  1. Petit ends in t, which is silent.
  2. Sac ends in c, which is pronounced.
  3. Bonjour ends in r, which is pronounced.

Answer: petit

Common slips
  • Slip: sac The c in sac is pronounced.
  • Slip: petit Sac has a final k sound.
  • Slip: bonjour The r in bonjour is pronounced.

Example 2

Which letter sounds like z in the liaison "les enfants"?

  1. Les ends in s.
  2. The next word starts with a vowel.
  3. The s links and sounds like z.

Answer: s

Common slips
  • Slip: n The n is not the link here.
  • Slip: f Enfants starts with e.
  • Slip: t It is the s that links.

Example 3

Explain why "ils parlent" and "il parle" sound the same.

  1. The -ent ending of verbs is silent.
  2. The stem parl- is the same.
  3. So both sound like il parle.

Answer: The -ent ending is silent, so both sound the same.

Common slips
  • Slip: ent is pronounced It is silent.
  • Slip: the stems differ The same stem.
  • Slip: they sound different They sound alike.

Questions and answers

Try each one, then open the answer.

Question 1 Easy

Which letter is silent at the end of "grand"? (one letter)

Show answer

Answer: d

  1. Final d is silent.
  2. Grand sounds like gran.

Question 2 Easy

Which letter is pronounced at the end of "sac"? (one letter)

Show answer

Answer: c

  1. C is one of the CaReFuL letters.
  2. Sac sounds like sak.

Question 3 Easy

What sound does "ch" make in "chat"? (English letters)

Show answer

Answer: sh

  1. Ch is sh in French.
  2. Chat sounds like sha.

Question 4 Easy

What sound does "ç" make in "français"? (English letter)

Show answer

Answer: s

  1. Ç is a soft s.
  2. Français sounds like fran-say.

Question 5 Medium

Which letter makes the liaison sound z in "vous avez"?

Show answer

Answer: s

  1. The s of vous links to avez.
  2. It sounds like z.

Question 6 Medium

What does "oi" sound like in "moi"? (two English letters)

Show answer

Answer: wa

  1. Oi is wa.
  2. Moi sounds like mwa.

Question 7 Medium

Which word sounds the same as "il parle": "ils parlent" or "ils parlez"? (the correct spelling)

Show answer

Answer: ils parlent

  1. The -ent ending is silent.
  2. Ils parlent.

Question 8 Medium

Complete: The word "où" means where and "ou" means ___ .

Show answer

Answer: or

  1. Ou is or.
  2. Où is where.

Question 9 Hard

How many syllables does "un petit chien" have when pronounced? (a number)

Show answer

Answer: 4

  1. Un-pe-ti-chien: 4.
  2. The t is silent.

Question 10 Hard

In "des enfants", which letter links the two words and sounds like z? (one letter)

Show answer

Answer: s

  1. The final s of des.
  2. It links to the vowel.

Question 11 Hard

Write the French for "six friends" (six amis), thinking about the liaison: which sound does the x of six make?

Show answer

Answer: z

  1. Six amis: si-z-amis.
  2. The x sounds like z.

Question 12 Hard

What does the liaison do in "ils ont" compared with "ils sont"? (choose: it adds z or it adds s)

Show answer

Answer: it adds z

  1. Ils ont has a z liaison (il-zon).
  2. Ils sont has a normal s (il-son).

Exam-style questions

Longer tasks with the marking points. These are Yumio practice questions.

Exam-style question 15 marks

Which two of these words end in a silent consonant: petit, sac, bonjour, grand, avec? [5 marks]

Show answer

Answer: petit and grand

  1. Final t and d are silent.
  2. Sac, bonjour and avec end in pronounced C or R.
  • Mark (2): petit
  • Mark (2): grand
  • Mark (1): Final consonants are usually silent (C, R, F, L excepted)

Exam-style question 26 marks

Write the three liaisons in this sentence and say how each sounds: "Les enfants ont un petit ami et vous avez des idées." [6 marks]

Show answer

Answer: les enfants (lé-zan-fan), un petit ami (un pe-ti-ta-mi), vous avez (vou-za-vé), des idées (dé-zi-dé)

  1. Liaison with s as z.
  2. Liaison with t.
  3. Liaison with s as z.
  • Mark (2): Les enfants (z)
  • Mark (2): Petit ami (t)
  • Mark (2): Vous avez (z)

Common mistakes

  1. Pronouncing the final s in "très"

    Most final consonants are silent.

  2. Rolling the French r

    Say it at the back of the throat.

  3. Saying "tu" like "too"

    Round your lips and say ee.

  4. Pronouncing the -ent of verbs

    It is silent.

  5. Missing the liaison in "vous avez"

    Link the s as z: vou-za-vé.

Back to all exam skills pages or the GCSE French hub.

Practise free

Start free

Yumio is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to AQA, Pearson Edexcel or any other exam board.

Next topicPractise free