French Number Pronunciation: A Comprehensive Guide from 0 to 100228

Mastering the pronunciation of French numbers is crucial for effective communication and accurate language comprehension. The French language employs a unique system for representing numbers, differing significantly from English. This comprehensive guide will provide a detailed overview of French number pronunciation, ranging from 0 to 100, ensuring that you navigate numerical expressions confidently.

0-19

• 0: zéro (zay-roh)
• 1: un (on) / une (une) [for feminine nouns]
• 2: deux (duh)
• 3: trois (trwah)
• 4: quatre (kah-tr)
• 5: cinq (sank)
• 6: six (sees)
• 7: sept (set)
• 8: huit (weet)
• 9: neuf (nuf)
• 10: dix (dees)
• 11: onze (onz)
• 12: douze (dooz)
• 13: treize (trez)
• 14: quatorze (kah-torz)
• 15: quinze (kanz)
• 16: seize (sayz)
• 17: dix-sept (dees-set)
• 18: dix-huit (dees-weet)
• 19: dix-neuf (dees-nuf)

20-99

Numbers between 20 and 99 follow a specific pattern:
• Tens place: pronounced as the corresponding number + "ante" (e.g., vingt for 20, trente for 30, etc.)
• Ones place: follows the pronunciation rules for numbers 0-19, except that "et" (ay) is added before the ones digit when it's not zero (e.g., vingt-et-un for 21, trente-et-cinq for 35, etc.)
• Exception: 80 and 90 are pronounced as "quatre-vingts" (kah-tr-van) and "quatre-vingt-dix" (kah-tr-van-dees), respectively.

100

• 100: cent (son)

Special Considerations

• Numbers ending in "-mille" (thousand): pronounce the "-mille" as "mil" (mee)
• Numbers ending in "-million": pronounce the "-million" as "mee-yon"
• Numbers ending in "-milliard": pronounce the "-milliard" as "mee-yar"
• Compound numbers: when numbers are combined, the general rule is to pronounce the digits separately, but there are some exceptions (e.g., "soixante-dix" for 70, "quatre-vingt-dix" for 90)
• Ordinal numbers: formed by adding "-ième" (ee-em) to the cardinal number (e.g., "premier" for first, "deuxième" for second, etc.)

Tips for Practice

• Listen to native French speakers counting or reading numbers.
• Practice pronouncing numbers aloud regularly.
• Use flashcards or online resources to reinforce your learning.
• Engage in conversations or exercises that require you to use French numbers.

2024-11-19

Previous：The Pronunciation of French G and J

Next：French Phonetic Alphabet and Pronunciation Guide