7.1: The Silent E
- Page ID
- 268176
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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 about the silent E.
Listen to the audio clips that follow on this page to hear the French pronunciation of vocabulary and examples presented.
In the audio players, you can slow down the audio by clicking on the turtle and speed up by clicking on the rabbit. The turtle and rabbit are located at the bottom right corner of each audio player.
Let's get started!
The silent E at the end of words
An unaccented -e (or -es) at the end of a multi-syllable word is usually silent:
française, plage, silence, rêves, nuages
In one syllable words that end with -e or -es must be pronounced. For example:
le, je, de, les, des
A few multi-syllable words can also pronounce the e [ə]:
jusque, lorsque, puisque
In verb conjugations ending in -e, -es or -ent, the -e, -es and ent are all silent.
parle, manges, dansent
When an e at the end of a word has an acute accent (accent aigu) é, then it must be pronounced [e] as in play. Compare:
e = [ø]: rêve, chante, énonce, fonde
é = [e]: rêvé, chanté, énoncé, fondé
When the silent -e or -es is added to a word ending with a silent consonant, it will cause that consonant to be pronounced. Compare:
petit ➔ petite
grand ➔ grande
un ➔ une
plein ➔ pleine
tout ➔ toutes
américains ➔ américaines
Keep in mind that a pronounced e will disappear into silence in elisions, whether required or optional:
| Required elisions | Result |
|---|---|
| te + aime | t'aime |
| de + ici | d'ici |
| se + appeler | s'appeler |
| je + habite | j'habite |
| quelque + un | quelqu'un |
| que + est | qu'est |
| Optional elisions | Result |
|---|---|
| je ne sais pas | [jə n(ə) sɛ pa] |
| le bateau | [l(ə) ba to] |
| je suis | [ʃyi] |
French in the World
The pronounced silent e.
This may sound strange, but sometimes the silent e can be pronounced. That's why it is also sometimes called the "unstable e" (e instable) or the "dropped e" (e caduc)
More often than not, the -e at the end of a word will remain silent and unaccented e's in the middle of words will often be dropped or cancelled (e caduc), (such as the e in "médecin", which is usually pronounced "méd'cin").
In some cases, however, the silent e can be pronounced. For example, the silent -ue as the end of "chaque" The silent e at the end of a word may be pronounced to fit the rhythm of a poem. For example the 3-syllable passage "chaque baiser" (each kiss) can pronounced at 4 syllables by pronouncing the e as a schwa (/ə/).
The silent e can be pronounced in a song such as in the opening verse of the French National Anthem, La Marseillaise:
Allons enfants de la patrie !
The -e at the end of "patrie" si normally silent, but when people sing this song they will pronounce it like a schwa (/ə/), thus adding a 3rd syllable to the pronunciation of "patrie".
Sometimes the silent e will be pronounce the emphasize emotion or add intensity, such as in the use of the expression "Merde !". While this is normally one syllable, the addition of a schwa (/ə/) at the end makes it two. It makes the expression more dramatic.
Some French speaking regions will pronounce the silent more often than others. People from the South of France, for example, are more likely to pronounce unaccented e at the ends of words or phrases. This is one of the reasons why many people describe French in the South of France as more musical or melodic.
Watch this video on the Marseillais accent.
Listen to the southern French accent:
Let's practice
Activity A
Listen and choose whether the e is silent or not.
- Silent / Pronounced.
- Silent / Pronounced.
- Silent / Pronounced.
- Silent / Pronounced.
- Silent / Pronounced.
- Silent / Pronounced.
- Silent / Pronounced.
- Silent / Pronounced.
- Silent / Pronounced.
- Silent / Pronounced.
- Silent / Pronounced.
- Silent / Pronounced.
Activity B
Do we pronounce the e or not in the folloiwing words?
- livre
- craie
- gouvernement
- une
- musée
- active
- le
- revoir
- elle voyage
- vue