The French alphabet is based on the 26 letters of the Latin alphabet, uppercase and lowercase, with five diacritics and two orthographic ligatures.
Alphabet
All the letters are listed above but if you want more details on this you can go to the link here-
For
Alphabet
| Letter | Name | Name (IPA) | Diacritics and ligatures |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | a | /ɑ/ | Àà, Ââ, Ææ |
| B | bé | /be/ | |
| C | cé | /se/ | Çç |
| D | dé | /de/ | |
| E | e | /ə/ | Éé, Èè, Êê, Ëë |
| F | effe | /ɛf/ | |
| G | gé | /ʒe/ | |
| H | ache | /aʃ/ | |
| I | i | /i/ | Îî, Ïï |
| J | ji | /ʒi/ | |
| K | ka | /kɑ/ | |
| L | elle | /ɛl/ | |
| M | emme | /ɛm/ | |
| N | enne | /ɛn/ | |
| O | o | /o/ | Ôô, Œœ |
| P | pé | /pe/ | |
| Q | qu | /ky/ | |
| R | erre | /ɛʁ/ | |
| S | esse | /ɛs/ | |
| T | té | /te/ | |
| U | u | /y/ | Ùù, Ûû, Üü |
| V | vé | /ve/ | |
| W | double vé | /dubləve/ | |
| X | ixe | /iks/ | |
| Y | i grec | /iɡʁɛk/ | Ÿÿ |
| Z | zède | /zɛd/ |
All the letters are listed above but if you want more details on this you can go to the link here-
For
Consonants and combinations of consonant letters and Vowels and combinations of vowel letters scroll bellow:
Consonants and combinations of consonant letters
| Spelling | Major value (IPA) |
Examples of major value | Minor values (IPA) |
Examples of minor value | Exceptions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -bs, -cs (in the plural of words ending in silent b or c), -ds, -fs (in œufs and bœufs, and words ending with silent -f in the singular), ‑gs, -ps, -ts |
∅ | plombs, blancs, prends, œufs, cerfs, longs, draps, achats | ||||
| b, bb | elsewhere | /b/ | ballon, abbé | |||
| finally | /b/ | Jacob | ∅ plomb, Colomb | |||
| ç | /s/ | ça, garçon, reçu | ||||
| c | before e, i, y | /s/ | cyclone, loquace, douce, ciel, ceux | |||
| initially/medially elsewhere | /k/ | cabas, crasse, cœur, sacré | /s/ | cœlacanthe | /g/ second | |
| finally | /k/ | lac, donc | ∅ | tabac, blanc, caoutchouc | ||
| cc | before e, i, y | /ks/ | accès | |||
| elsewhere | /k/ | accord | ||||
| ch | /ʃ/ | chat, douche | /k/ | chaotique, chlore | ∅ yacht, almanach | |
| -ct | elsewhere | /kt/ | direct, correct | ∅ respect, suspect | ||
| after a nasal vowel | ∅ | instinct, succinct | ||||
| d, dd | elsewhere | /d/ | doux, adresse, addition | |||
| finally | ∅ | pied, accord | /d/ | David | ||
| f, ff | /f/ | fait, affoler, soif | ∅ clef, cerf, nerf | |||
| g | before e, i, y | /ʒ/ | gens, manger | |||
| initially/medially elsewhere | /ɡ/ | gain, glacier | ||||
| finally | ∅ | joug, long, sang | /g/ | zigzag | ||
| gg | before e, i, y | /gʒ/ | suggérer | |||
| elsewhere | /g/ | aggraver | ||||
| gn | /ɲ/ | montagne, agneau | /gn/ gnou | |||
| h | ∅ | habite, hiver | ||||
| j | /ʒ/ | joue, jeter | /dʒ/ jean, jazz /x/ jota |
|||
| k | /k/ | alkyler, kilomètre, bifteck | ∅ skunks | |||
| l, ll | /l/ | lait, allier, il, royal, matériel | ∅ (occasionally finally) | cul, fusil, saoul | ||
| m, mm | /m/ | mou, pomme | ∅ automne, condamner | |||
| n, nn | /n/ | nouvel, panne | ||||
| ng (in loanwords) | /ŋ/ | parking, camping | ||||
| p, pp | elsewhere | /p/ | pain, appel | |||
| finally | ∅ | coup, trop | /p/ | cap, cep | ||
| ph | /f/ | téléphone, photo | ||||
| -pt | /pt/ | concept | /t/ sept, compter, baptême | |||
| r, rr | /ʁ/ | rat, barre | ∅ monsieur (see also -er) | |||
| s | initially medially next to a consonant or after a nasal vowel |
/s/ | sacre, estime, penser, instituer | /z/ transat, transiter | ||
| elsewhere between two vowels | /z/ | rose, paysage | ||||
| finally | ∅ | dans, repas | /s/ | fils | ||
| sc | before e, i, y | /s/ | science | |||
| elsewhere | /sk/ | script | ||||
| ss | /s/ | baisser, passer | ||||
| t, tt | elsewhere | /t/ | tout, attente | |||
| finally | ∅ | tant, raffut | /t/ | est (direction), yaourt | ||
| th | /t/ | thème, thermique, aneth | ∅ asthme, bizuth | |||
| v | /v/ | ville, vanne | ||||
| w | /w/ | kiwi, week-end, whisky | /v/ | wagon | /u/ cowboy | |
| x | initially | /ks/ | xylophone | /ɡz/ | xénophobie | /k/ or /ks/ xérès, xhosa |
| next to a voiceless consonant |
/ks/ | expansion | ||||
| medially elsewhere | /ɡz/ | exigence, exulter | /s/ /z/ /ks/ |
soixante deuxième galaxi.e. |
||
| finally | ∅ | paix, deux | /ks/ | index, pharynx | /s/ six, dix, coccyx | |
| xc | before e, i, y | /ks/ | exciter | |||
| elsewhere | /ksk/ | excaviation | ||||
| z | elsewhere | /z/ | zain, gazette | |||
| finally | ∅ | chez | /z/ gaz | |||
Vowels and combinations of vowel letters
| Spelling | Major value (IPA) |
Examples of major value | Minor values (IPA) |
Examples of minor value | Exceptions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| a, à | /a/ | patte, arable, là | /ɑ/ | araser, base | /ɔ/ yacht | |
| â | /ɑ/ | château | ||||
| ai | /ɛ/ /e/ |
vrai, faite baisser, aiguille |
/ə/ faisons, and all other conjugated forms of faire which are spelt fais- and followed by a vowel. | |||
| aî | /ɛ/ | maître, chaîne | ||||
| aï | /ai/ | naïf, haïr | ||||
| aie | /ɛ/ | baie | ||||
| aou, aoû | /au/ | caoutchouc, aoûtien, yaourt | /u/ | saoul, août | ||
| au | /o/ | haut, augure | /ɔ/ | restaurant, sauropode, dinosaure | ||
| ay | elsewhere | /ɛj/ | ayons, essayer | /ei/ pays (also /ɛi/) /aj/ mayonnaise, papaye |
||
| finally | /ɛ/ | Gamay, margay, railway | /e/ okay | |||
| aye | /ɛi/ | abbaye | /ɛ/ La Haye /aj/ baye |
|||
| e | elsewhere | /ə/ | repeser, genoux | /a/ femme, fréquemment, solennel | ||
| before two or more consonants (including double consonants), x (in all cases), or a final consonant (silent or pronounced) |
/ɛ/ | est, estival, voyelle, examiner, exécuter, quel, chalet | /e/ | essence, effet, henné | /e/ mangez, and any form of a verb in the second person plural that ends in -ez. | |
| in monosyllabic words before a silent consonant | /e/ | et, les, nez, clef | /ɛ/ es | |||
| finally in a position where it can be easily elided |
Ø | caisse, unique, acheter, franchement | /ə/ (finally in monosyllabic words) | que, de, je | /ə/ secret, grenouille, recevoir | |
| é, ée | /e/ | clé, échapper, idée | /ɛ/ | événement, céderai, vénerie | ||
| è | /ɛ/ | relève, zèle | ||||
| ê | /ɛ/ | tête, crêpe, forêt, prêt | ||||
| eau | /o/ | eau, oiseaux | ||||
| ei | /ɛ/ | neige, reine | ||||
| eî | /ɛ/ | reître | ||||
| eu | phonologically finally before /z/ |
/ø/ | heureux, peu, chanteuse | /y/ eu, and any conjugated form of avoir spelt with an eu-. | ||
| elsewhere | /œ/ | beurre, jeune | /ø/ | feutre, neutre | ||
| eû | /ø/ | jeûne | /y/, eût, and any conjugated form of avoir spelt with an eû-. | |||
| i | elsewhere | /i/ | ici, proscrire | |||
| before vowel | /j/ | fief, ionique, rien | ||||
| î | /i/ | gîte, épître | ||||
| ï (initially or between vowels) | /j/ | ïambe, aïeul, païen | /i/ ouïe | |||
| -i.e. | /i/ | régie | ||||
| o | phonologically finally | /o/ | pro, mot, gros | |||
| before /z/ | /o/ | chose, déposes, oser, apozème | ||||
| elsewhere | /ɔ/ | carotte, offre | /o/ | cyclone, fosse, tome | ||
| ô | /o/ | tôt, cône | ||||
| œ | /œ/ | œil | /e/ | œsophage | ||
| oe | /oe/ | coefficient | /wa/ moelle, moellon /we/ moelleux |
|||
| oê | /wa/ | poêle | ||||
| oë | /ɔɛ/ | Noël | /ɔe/ canoë | |||
| œu | /œ/ | sœur, cœur | /ø/ | nœud, œufs, bœufs, vœu | ||
| oi, oie | /wa/ | roi, oiseau, foie, trois, noix | /ɔ/ oignon | |||
| oï | /oi/ | coït, astéroïde | ||||
| ou | elsewhere | /u/ | ouvrir, sous | |||
| before vowel | /w/ | ouest, couiner, oui | ||||
| oû | /u/ | coût, goût | ||||
| -oue | /u/ | roue | ||||
| oy | /waj/ | moyen, royaume | /ɔj/ goyave, cow-boy | |||
| u | elsewhere | /y/ | tu, juge | |||
| before vowel | /ɥ/ | huit, tuer | /w/ cacahuète | |||
| û | /y/ | sûr, flûte | ||||
| ue | elsewhere | /ɥɛ/ | actuel | |||
| after c, g | /œ/ | cueillir, orgueil | ||||
| finally | /y/ | rue | ||||
| y | elsewhere | /i/ | cyclone, style | |||
| initially before vowel | /j/ | yeux, yole | ||||
Combinations of vowel and consonant letters
| Spelling | Major value (IPA) |
Examples of major value | Minor values (IPA) |
Examples of minor value | Exceptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| am, an (before consonant or finally) | /ɑ̃/ | ambiance, France | /am/ Viêt-Nam | ||
| aen (before consonant or finally) | /ɑ̃/ | Caen | |||
| aim, ain (before consonant or finally) | /ɛ̃/ | faim, saint, bains | |||
| aon (before consonant or finally) | /ɑ̃/ | paon | /aɔ̃/ | pharaon | |
| cqu | /k/ | acquit, acquéreur | |||
| -cte (as the feminine adjective ending for words ending in a silent "ct" (see above)) | /t/ | succincte | |||
| em, en (before consonant or finally elsewhere) | /ɑ̃/ | embaucher, vent | /ɛ̃/ | examen | /ɛm/ totem |
| em, en (before consonant or finally after é, i, or y) | /ɛ̃/ | européen, bien, doyen | /ɑ̃/ (before t or soft c) | patient, quotient, science, audience | |
| ein (before consonant or finally) | /ɛ̃/ | plein, sein | |||
| -ent (3rd person plural ending) | Ø | parlent, finissaient | |||
| -er | /e/ | aller, transporter | /ɛʁ/ | hiver, super, éther | |
| -es | Ø | Nantes, faites | /e/, /ɛ/ /ez/ (in liaison) |
les, des, es les attaques |
|
| eun (before consonant or finally) | /œ̃/ | jeun | |||
| ge (before vowel) | /ʒ/ | geai, mangea | |||
| gu | /ɡ/ | guerre, dingue | /ɡɥ/ | aiguille, linguistique, ambiguïté | |
| -ien (before consonant or finally) | /jɛ̃/ | bien, bientôt, chrétien, combien, rien | |||
| -il (after vowel) | /j/ | ail, conseil | |||
| -il (not after vowel) | /il/ | il, fil | /i/ | outil, fils, fusil | |
| -ill- (after vowel) | /j/ | paille, nouille | |||
| -ill- (not after vowel) | /ij/ | grillage, bille | /il/ | mille, million, billion, ville, villa, village, tranquille | |
| im, in (before consonant or finally) | /ɛ̃/ | importer, vin | /in/ sprint | ||
| oin (before consonant or finally) | /wɛ̃/ | point | |||
| om, on (before consonant or finally) | /ɔ̃/ | ombre, bon | /ə/ Monsieur | ||
| qu | /k/ | quand, pourquoi | /kɥ/ /kw/ |
équilatéral aquarium, loquace, quatuor |
|
| ti + vowel (after s, x, or in first position) | /tj/ | bastion, gestionnaire, tiens, aquae-sextien | |||
| ti + vowel (medially elsewhere) | /sj/ | attention, fonctionnaire, initiation | /tj/ | pitié, augmentions, partiez, and all conjugated forms of verbs with a radical ending in -t or derived from tenir |
|
| uil | /ɥil/ | huile, tuile | /il/ (after g or q) | équilibre | |
| uin (before consonant or finally) | /ɥɛ̃/ | juin | |||
| um, un (before consonant or finally) | /œ̃/ | parfum, brun | /ɔm/ | album, maximum | /ɔ̃/ punch |
| ym, yn (before consonant or finally) | /ɛ̃/ | sympa, syndrome | /im/ | gymnase, hymne |
- The French Tutorial can make you learn the pronunciation and the whole language very well too.
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