6.2: Simple Vowels
- Page ID
- 268164
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Listen to the audio clips that follow on this page to hear the French pronunciation of vocabulary and examples presented.
Let's get started!
This is a quick guide to the pronunciation of simple French vowels that appear in the French alphabet. Later, we will also cover vowels that are made up of vowel combinations, and nasal vowels.
| French Simple Vowel | Sample Words | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| A, a |
animal partir cinéma |
Open mouth wide and drop chin. This letter is longer than the English a. It's similar to the a in animal or apple in English. |
| E, e |
je peler |
In French, they say that to make this sound, your mouth should have the shape of the bottom of a chicken, "cul de poule". Your mouth should be closed, as if you want to give a kiss, or in the shape of an 8. This sound is similar to the u sound in curtain in English. |
|
I, i Y, y |
biologie synonyme |
These two vowels are pronounced the same in French. The sound is similar to ee in the words see or fee in English. |
| O, o |
Closed [o] examples: mot rose Open [ɔ] examples: sonner bol |
This vowel has two sounds, open and closed. The closed [o] is similar to the pronunciation in the English words no or go. The open [ɔ] is like the u or o sounds in the words fun or son. |
| U, u |
cru vue ridicule |
This [y] sound does not exist in English. It's similar to u in the word rule but one's lips must be more pursed. |
Let's practice!
Activity
Practice pronouncing these words.
- a: arbre, architecture, trauma, banane.
- e: je, le, appeler, mener, se.
- i/y: biologie, synonyme, mime, timide.
- o: sonner, bonheur, opérer, porter, soleil.
- u: volume, vue, bu, pure, sur.