The Alphabet
French: KS3, topic 1.1.1
Pronunciation
It is important to understand the differences between the pronunciation of the alphabet in English and French.
Vowel sounds
- A [ah]
- E [eh]
- I [ee]
- O [o]
- U [ew]
Vowel sounds (cont.)
- Vowel sounds make sure we are understood correctly in French.
- Unlike English, all French vowel sounds are short.
- Join vowels with consonants to create short words, and practice saying them out loud. For example:
- MA
- ME
- MI
- MO
- MU
Silent letters
- There are many silent letters in French.
- Silent letters are usually at the end of the words.
- For example, je chante, tu chantes, il/elle chante, ils/elles chantent all sound the same.
- There is no pronunciation of -e -es or -ent.
- The letter 'H' is always silent at the beginning of a word.
- For example, hotel = 'otel'.
Silent letters (cont.)
- Never pronounce the -s or -z at the end of verbs.
- For example, nous chantons [noo shanton] and vous chantez [voo shanteh].
- Never pronounce the -s or -z at the end of plural nouns or adjectives.
- For example, les petits pois [leh pertee pwa].
- The consonant is only pronounced in the feminine form when the adjective has an extra -e at the end.
- For example, petit [pertee] petite [pertit], grand [gran] grande [grand]
Test yourself on The Alphabet
In which of these words is the final consonant pronounced?