The French Alphabet and Pronunciation Guide115

The French alphabet consists of 26 letters, 20 of which are consonants and 6 of which are vowels. The French alphabet is based on the Latin alphabet, but there are some key differences in pronunciation. For example, the letter "c" is pronounced differently depending on whether it is followed by a vowel or a consonant. The letter "e" can also be pronounced differently depending on whether it is in a stressed or unstressed syllable.

Consonants

The following table shows the French consonants and their pronunciations:| Letter | Pronunciation |
|---|---|
| b | [b] |
| c | [k] before a, o, u; [s] before e, i |
| d | [d] |
| f | [f] |
| g | [g] before a, o, u; [ʒ] before e, i |
| h | silent |
| j | [ʒ] |
| k | [k] |
| l | [l] |
| m | [m] |
| n | [n] |
| p | [p] |
| q | [k] |
| r | [ʁ] |
| s | [s] |
| t | [t] |
| v | [v] |
| w | [v] |
| x | [ks] |
| y | [j] |
| z | [z] |

Vowels

The following table shows the French vowels and their pronunciations:| Letter | Pronunciation |
|---|---|
| a | [a] |
| e | [ə] in unstressed syllables; [ɛ] in stressed syllables |
| i | [i] |
| o | [ɔ] |
| u | [y] |
| y | [ɥ] |

Diphthongs

French also has a number of diphthongs, which are combinations of two vowels that are pronounced as a single syllable. The most common French diphthongs are:| Diphthong | Pronunciation |
|---|---|
| ai | [ɛ] |
| au | [ɔ] |
| ei | [ɛ] |
| eu | [œ] |
| oi | [wa] |
| ui | [ɥi] |

Silent letters

There are a number of silent letters in French. The most common silent letters are:* h
* s

Pronunciation of French words

The pronunciation of French words can be tricky, especially for native English speakers. However, there are a few general rules that can help you to pronounce French words correctly:* Stress the last syllable of a word.
* Pronounce all of the consonants in a word, even if they are silent in English.
* Do not pronounce the final consonant of a word if it is followed by a vowel.
* Pronounce the letter "e" as [ə] in unstressed syllables and [ɛ] in stressed syllables.
* Pronounce the letter "u" as [y].
With a little practice, you will be able to pronounce French words like a native speaker.

2024-11-17

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