2.3: Other Silent Letters (Silent H and Lapsed E)
- Page ID
- 272492
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)In this section, you will learn how to pronounce:
- The silent h
- The e caduc
Listen to the audio clips that follow on this page to hear the French pronunciation of vocabulary and examples presented.
Let's get started !
Silent Letters
Both consonants and vowels may be silent (unpronounced) in French.
The Silent H
The letter h, however, is always silent. Here are a few examples:
habiter, thé, athlète, héros
However, the letter h can be mute (muet) or aspirated (aspiré). When mute, it is basically non-existent; it connects to the previous consonant through elisions or liaisons.
Here are a few examples of the silent h:
J'habite, les hôtels, l'horloge
Here are a few examples of the aspirated h:
le hérissons, les héros, des haricots
The lapsed E
What is the e caduc, or lapsed e? It is usually the letter e that appears in the middle of a word. It can be skipped (made silent) or pronounced depending on the region or the person speaking.
- The first rule is that if the letter e is usually pronounced when it appears in the middle of a word, and after two consonants.
| Français | Anglais |
|---|---|
| gouvernement | government |
| mercredi | Wednesday |
| appartement | apartment |
- When the e caduc is placed in the middle of a word and after one consonant or vowel, it is pronounced by some and not by others, depending on the region, the language level, and diction.
| The regular spelling of the word | It can be pronounced... |
|---|---|
| petit | p’tit |
| maintenant | maint’nant. |
| au revoir | au r’voir |
| des remerciements | des remerci'ments |
| le dénouement | le dénou'ment |
Again, depending on the region, language level, and diction, when the e is preceded by the following consonants, it can be dropped: je, me, te, ne, se, de, ce.
| The regular spelling of the word | It can be pronounced... |
|---|---|
| Je vais bien. | J’vais bien. |
| Je me demande. | Je m’demande. |
| Je te donne. | J’t’donne. |
| Je ne sais pas. | Je n’sais pas. |
| Il se dépêche. | Il s’dépêche. |
| Pas de croissants. | Pas d’croissants. |
| C’est cela. | C’est ç’la. |
Let's practice !
Activity A
Listen and repeat.
- Le treizième arrondissement.
- Donner un coup de main ?
- Justement, elle aime le Petit Prince.
- Sa dernière année de lycée.
- Je ne te le demanderai pas deux fois.
- Tu n’as pas de voiture ?
- Franchement, je ne sais pas !
Activity B
Listen and determine whether or not the letter e is pronounced.
- Je vais bien.
- Les aboiements du chien.
- Notre département
- Comment vous appelez-vous ?
- Le musée du Louvre
- Il a pratiquement fini.
- Le comportement des élèves
- Nous aimons le tutoiement
- Leur gouvernement
- Une vue