All French sounds explained in detail

 

The consonants in French:
 

/b/

The sound /b/ which is represented by the letter (b) at the beginning of a word as in "bateau" or in the middle of a word as in "abeille".
 

/d/

The sound /d/ represented by the letter (d) at the beginning of a word as in "domino" or in the middle of a word as in "addition".
 

/f/

The sound /f/ represented by the letter (f) as in "fleur" or by (ph) as in "téléphone".
 

/g/

The sound /g/ represented by the letter (g) at the beginning of a word as in "gâteau".
 

/k/

The sound /k/ represented by the letters (c, k, qu) as in "clé", "kilo", "aquarium".
 

/l/

The sound /l/ represented by the letter (l) at the beginning of a word as in "lion" or at the end of a word as in "sol".
 

/m/

The sound /m/ represented by the letter (m) at the beginning of a word as in "maison" or in the middle of a word as in "femme".
 

/n/

The sound /n/ represented by the letter (n) at the beginning of a word as in "neige" or in the middle of a word as in "tonnerre".
 

/ɲ/

The sound /ɲ/ represented by the combination of letters (gn) as in “gnou” or in "oignon".
 

/p/

The sound /p/ represented by the letter (p) at the beginning of a word as in "pomme" or in the middle of a word as in "groupe".
 

/ʁ/

The sound /ʁ/ represented by the letter (r) at the beginning of a word as in "rouge" or in the middle of a word as in "carré".
 

/s/

The sound /s/ represented by the letters (s, ss) as in "soleil", "poisson", or by the letters (sc) as in "scie" or by the c cédille (ç) as in “ça”. But also in the combination of letters (ti) in certain words as in “attention”
 

/ʃ/

The sound /ʃ/ represented by the combination (ch) as in "chapeau" or by the combination of letters (sh) as in "shampooing"
 

/t/

The sound /t/ represented by the letter (t) at the beginning of a word as in "table" or in the middle of a word as in “château”.
 

/v/

The sound /v/ represented by the letter (v) at the beginning of a word as in "voiture" or (w) as in "wagon".
 

/z/

The sound /z/ represented by the letter (z) at the beginning of a word as in "zèbre" or by (s) in the middle of a word as in "rose".
 

/ʒ/

The sound /ʒ/ represented by the letter (j) at the beginning of a word as in "journal" or by the letter (g) before an (i), an (e) or a (y) as in "genou”, “girafe” or “gyrophare”
 

/j/

The sound /j/ represented by the letter (y) as in “payer”, this sound can also be represented by the combination of letters (ille) as in the words “famille” or “fille”.
 

/w/

The sound /w/ represented by the combination (w) as in "kiwi" or by the combination of letters (oui) as in “pingouin”.
 

 

 

The vowels in French:
 

/a/

The sound /a/ is represented by the letter (a) as in "chat" or "patte".
 

/ɑ/

The sound /ɑ/ is represented by the letter (â) as in "pâte".
 

The sound /ɑ/ is a bit longer and more open than the previous sound /a/.

Patte /a/

Pâte /ɑ/
 

/e/

The sound /e/ is represented by the letters (é, er, ez) as in "été", "parler", "nez", or by (es) as in "les".
 

/ɛ/

The sound /ɛ/ is represented by the letters (è, ê, ai, ei) as in "fête", "près", "reine", “faire”.
 

/i/

The sound /i/ is represented by the letters (i, î, y) as in "île", "fil" or “idylle”.
 

/o/

The sound /o/ is represented by the letters (eau, au, o) as in "eau", "auberge", "dos".
 

/ɔ/

The sound /ɔ/ is represented by (o) as in “or”, “pomme”, “bestiole”. It's here an (o) more open than the previous (o).
 

/u/

The sound /u/ is represented by (ou) as in "outil" or represented by two (oo) as in the English word “cool”.
 

/y/

The sound /y/ is represented by (u) as in "lune" or in “urgent”.
 

/ø/

The sound /ø/ is represented by (eu) as in “jeu” or “peu” or by the letters (œu) as in “vœu”
 

/œ/

The sound /œ/ is represented by (eu, œ, œu,ue) as in “peur”, "sœur", "cœur", “cueillir*”,* “neuf”.
 

/ə/

The sound /ə/ is represented by the letter (e) without accent as in "le", "je" or exceptionally by the letters (on) as in “monsieur”.
 

 

The nasal vowels in French:

/ɛ̃/

The sound /ɛ̃/ is represented by (in, im, ain, aim, ein, eim, en, un, yn or ym) as in "pain", "daim", "plein", “thym”, “rein”, “citoyen”, “impossible”.
 

/ɑ̃/

The sound /ɑ̃/ is represented by (an, am, en, em) as in "champ", "ample", "empreinte", “enfant”.
 

/ɔ̃/

The sound /ɔ̃/ is represented by (on, om) as in "nom", "ombre".