U and ou: two sounds, two meanings
French has two different “oo”-like vowels, and swapping them changes the word. Ou is the English “oo” of food. U on its own has no English equivalent: say “ee”, keep your tongue exactly there, and round your lips tightly. Pronunciations on this page write the French u as ü.
The nasal vowels: on, an, in, un
A nasal vowel is a vowel said with air flowing through the nose as well as the mouth. In French, a vowel followed by n or m in the same syllable usually becomes nasal, and the n or m itself is not pronounced: bon is “boh(n)”, with no n at the end. Pronunciations here write the nasal as (n). Hold your nose lightly while saying them: if the sound changes, you are doing it right.
| Nasal | Spellings | How to make it | Examples | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| on | on, om | Round your lips as for “oh” and let air through the nose. | bonbon · nomboh(n)-BOH(N) · noh(n) · sweet · name | |
| an | an, am, en, em | Open “ah” from the back of the mouth, through the nose. En usually sounds like an. | enfant · chambreah(n)-FAH(N) · SHAH(N)-bruh · child · bedroom | |
| in | in, im, ain, ein, un | Spread lips, the “a” of cat, through the nose. Most speakers now say un the same way. | vin · pain · unva(n) · pa(n) · uh(n) · wine · bread · one | |
| ien | ien | A “y” glide into the in nasal. | bien · chienbya(n) · shya(n) · well · dog |
The vowel stays plain when the n or m is doubled or followed by a vowel: bon (boh(n), good, masculine) but bonne (bon, good, feminine), where you hear a real n. This is how many feminine forms are told apart by ear, as shown in le, la, les.
The French r
The French r is made at the back of the mouth, where English makes g and k. The back of the tongue rises towards the soft palate and the air rubs through the narrow gap, a soft friction like a light gargle. The tip of the tongue does nothing: rest it behind your lower front teeth.
- Say “k”. Notice where the back of your tongue touches. That is the spot.
- Say “g” and hold it. Then loosen the contact slightly so air can pass with a rasp.
- Add voice. Hum through the gap. That is the French r.
- Practise between vowels. Start with “a-ra-ra” before trying r next to other consonants.
Pure vowels and their spellings
English vowels slide: the “o” of “go” ends in a w sound, the “ay” of “day” ends in a y sound. French vowels hold still from start to finish. Several spellings often share one vowel sound, which is why written French looks longer than it sounds.
The accents that mark some of these sounds, é for “ay” and è or ê for “eh”, are explained in the French alphabet and accents.
H is never pronounced, and -tion is “syoh(n)”
Practice sentences
Each sentence packs several of the sounds above. Play it, then say it with even beats and a little lift on the last syllable. Every word has its English meaning underneath.
Tu or tout? The u that English doesn’t have
French u is made by saying “ee” with your lips rounded as for “oo”. ou is the English “oo”. Mixing them changes the word.