Words are read in French. A comprehensive guide to reading and pronunciation in French

Rules for reading in French

(for beginners)

France is a fabulous country of lovers, it is a kind of capital of the world, where unique sights are concentrated: ancient castles, unique ancient palaces, ancient towers and house museums. Every person whose soul constantly strives for romance dreams of living here. But in order to live in France, work there, or even just come here for the weekend, you must follow one rule - learn French.

Reading rules French seem very complicated. A jumble of consonants and vowels, half of which are unreadable, an abundance of strange sounds, some lines and sticks above each vowel letter (diacritics). The first piece of advice when learning French is not to use textbooks where the transcription is given in brackets or, even worse, the transcription is written in Russian letters. The habit of peeking at the transcription can stick in your head more firmly than the rules of reading. The second piece of advice is to memorize words in parallel with studying the rules of reading, so that when studying grammar, words will not be an empty phrase for you. And you must memorize words together with the article, since in the French language there is a masculine and feminine gender.

It is better to study the rules of reading in small portions. The main difficulty for most students is not the rules themselves, but the fact that they distribute information incorrectly. Let's say the pronunciation of the letter"e" It’s better to devote one lesson entirely, without being distracted by other sounds. By studying the rules of reading French wholesale, you risk coming to the conclusion that more than one student has come to: “it’s too difficult.”

The phonetic system of the French language includes 36 phonemes: 16 vowels, 17 consonants and 3 semivowels. There are only 42 phonemes in the Russian language. Despite the slight difference in quantitative ratio, however, the phonetic systems of these two languages have large differences.

In French, vowel sounds predominate, while in Russian, consonants predominate. French sounds are characterized by greater clarity and stability of articulation.

The pace of French speech is faster than Russian. French stress is fixed, it always falls on the last syllable of a single word, phrase or entire phrase

The simplest rules for reading in French

Let's list what you definitely need to know to get started and what will allow you to move forward without fear.

1. Accent always (without exception) falls on the last syllable (this applies to a separate word and a rhythmic group, which will be discussed below) Along with grazing, with nasal vowels, this constitutes a unique melody of speech.

2. Letters – E, S, T, D, X, Z, P, G words at the end are not readable.

3. Letter "e" deserves a separate description, it occurs at the end of words, in combinations of vowels and can be accompanied by diacritics (see below).

4. Letter "h" » is read only in combinations of consonants ph and сh. At the beginning of words there is an aspirated h; in dictionaries, words with an aspirated h are indicated by an asterisk (*haut).

5. Nasal vowels - this is the salt and zest of the French language. They provide the characteristic and unique sound of this speech. Out of habit, they may seem quite complicated. However, their sonority undoubtedly compensates for all difficulties. They are pronounced nasally, as if approaching the nasal “n”, but without turning into it. The vowels before the letters n and m become nasal. There are four such vowels in total: i, a, o, u . These letters are never nasalized before doubled nn and mm, or before other vowels.

6. Letters "c" and "g" » depend on what vowel comes after them.

7. Double consonants are read as one sound.

Diacritics

A diacritic is a superscript, subscript, or intraline character used to change or clarify the meaning of other characters denoting sounds. There are 5 diacritics used in French:

1) accent aigu (axant aigu):«é» - the most common diacritic in the French language, but is placed only above one letter “e”;

2) accent grave (aksan grave):«è, à, ù» - above the last two, it does not affect the sound quality and plays only a semantic role;

3) accent circonflexe (Axan circonflex):«ê, â, ô, î, û» - in the first three cases it affects the pronunciation of vowels, in the last two it is written according to tradition instead of those that disappeared during historical development language of letters;

4) tréma (trema): “ë, ï, ü, ÿ” - shows that in in this case no diphthong or other sound is formed;

5) cédille (sed): “ç” - placed only under “s”, shows that the letter is read as [s] regardless of the letter following it.

Particular attention should be paid to diacritics on the letter"E" , since the first, second and third characters change its pronunciation. Above other vowels, e.g."A" or "U" These signs perform a meaningful function and rather help, rather than complicate, the process of language acquisition. For example,"ou" translated as “or”, and"où" translated as “where, where”. At the same time, these words are pronounced the same.

Rhythm group

The French language has the following feature. Words in speech often lose their independence, their stress and phonetic boundaries. In other words, they seem to merge into a single whole, the so-called rhythmic group, which has a common semantic meaning and a common stress that falls on the last vowel. At the same time, this happens often, but not always. Exist certain rules, through which this connection of words occurs. Rhythmic groups in French are groups of words that are united by one meaning, with the emphasis on the last syllable.

The rhythmic group consists of:

∙ Function words (articles, prepositions, auxiliary verbs, personal pronouns, numerals, demonstrative adjectives and possessive adjectives): Les élèves, ces élèves, nos élèves, trois élèves, sous un arbre, téléphone-moi, je veux partir.

∙ Stable combinations expressing one concept: le chemin de fer, une salle de bains, coûte que coûte.

∙ Defined words with qualifying words in front of them (e.g. adjective + noun, adverb + adjective): Une vieille maison, strictement nécessaire.

∙ A short qualifying word with a qualifying word, even if it comes after: Chanter bien, l’oiseau bleu

Thus, in the speech stream, the stress falls not on each individual word, but on the last pronounced vowel of the rhythmic group. It is necessary to distribute stress in a French sentence based on the law of French rhythm: There cannot be two stressed syllables in a row within one rhythmic group. Naturally, if a rhythmic group consists of many syllables, it will be difficult to pronounce it with only one stress. Therefore, there are additional stresses that are placed on odd syllables, starting from the end of the rhythmic group.

When reading a rhythmic group, be sure to observe two important rules: cohesion and binding. To learn to hear, distinguish and understand words in a stream of French speech, you need to know these two phenomena.

Coupling and binding

Clutch – This is a phenomenon in which a pronounced consonant at the end of one word forms one syllable with a vowel at the beginning of the next word (elle aime, j'habite, la salle est claire).

Linking – This is a phenomenon in which the final unpronounceable consonant is pronounced by linking it with the vowel at the beginning of the next word. Examples: c'est elle or à neuf heures.

Ligatures

A ligature is a sign formed by merging two or more graphemes. Two ligatures are used in French:"œ" and "æ" . They are digraphs, i.e. They convey one sound, but in writing they consist of two graphemes.

All reading rules are presented in the presentation in the form of tables that will help you overcome the initial stage of learning this beautiful language without fear.

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Rules for reading in French

Diphthongs (combinations of vowel letters) Combination of vowels Pronunciation Examples ou [u] – transcription; (у) - the closest pronunciation sound of the Russian language Sous, une cour, un journal oi [wa]; (ua) Voici, trois, noir ai [ɛ] open; (uh) as in the word “echo” Le maître, français, une maison au [o]; (o) Jaune, aussi, Claudine eau [o]; (o) Un tableau, un chapeau, un drapeau eu, oeu [œ] / [ø] / [ǝ]; (average between o and e), as in the word “chalk” Une fleur, bleu, deux

Nasal vowels Letter combinations Pronunciation Examples an [ ã ] a nasal Maman, blanc, grand am Une lampe, une chambre en Un encrier, entre, rentre em Ensemble, septembre, novembre on [ õ ] o nasal Un garçon, bonjour, non in [ ɛ̃] Un jardin, un sapin, un magasin ain Un pain, une main ien [jɛ̃] Bien, un chien, viens un [œ̃] Un, brun, lundi

Rules for reading consonant letters Letter Pronunciation Examples c [k] (k) Une cour, une classe, une cravate [s] (c) before e, i; y Merci, voici, un cyclon ç [s] always Un garçon, une leçon g [g] (g) Un garçon, grand, unr gomme [j] (g) before e, i; y Un page, un gilet h Unreadable Un hiver, un cahier

Rules for reading consonant letters Letter (combination of letters) Pronunciation Examples s [s] (с) Sur, une veste, une tasse [z] (з) between two vowels Rose, une maison, une chaise ch [ʃ] (ш) Un chat , une chambre, une chaise qu [k] (k) Qui, que, quand

Reading exercises Letter combinations Reading exercises Ou, oi Une tour, sous, une armoire, une noix, une poule, un jour, froid, je vois, un loup, pourquoi, trois, une voix, la soupe, une poupée, une cour, le soir, toujours, partout Ai, au, eau Un bateau, l'eau, jaune, un manteau, un portrait, une chaise, sauter, aujourd'hui, mais, chaud, la laine, un oiseau, le lait, un gâteau, je vais, gauche, beau, une faute, un plaisir Eu, au, eau L'eau, le berre, bleu, un couteau, beaucoup; pleurer, beau, jeudi, leur, un cadeau, la peur, neuf, un morceau, jaune

Reading exercises Combination of letters (nasals) Reading exercises An, am, en, em Maman, blan, chanter, une lampe, une jambe, trente, vendredi, cent, ensemble, septembre, une tante, dans, sans, trembler, novembre On Un garçon, mon, bonjour, rond, une chanson, pardon, le plafon, un bonbon In, ain, ien Un lapin, un jardin, la fin, un bassin, la fin, intimate, un chien, bien, le pain, sain Un Brun, aucun, un, chacun, lundi

Reading exercises Letter Reading exercise C, ç Une cour, une carte, une cravate, une leçon, voici, le sucre, difficile, français, mercredi, un costume, un cinéma, merci, c'est, une place, une école , cette, un morceau G g Un garçon, une gomme, grand, manger, la neige, un gilet, rouge, le fromage, gris, un agronomr, un tigfen un manège Qu qu Qui, que, la musique, quatre, pourquoi, quitter, quarante, un bouquet, un disque, quoi, une queue H h L'hiver, aujoud'hui, un héros, une histoire, un cahier, l'herbe, une horloge, huit, une heure S s Un sapin, rose , un vase, une veste, une tasse, une pose, un costume, la musique, rester

in French

French is famous for its complex spelling. Such a number of silent letters, that is, letters that are not pronounced, as well as combinations of several letters that are read with one sound, are not found in any other European language. This is due to the history of the development of the language and the national characteristics of its people - the French do not want to forget their ancestors and, in tribute to them, they retain their complex written language, but constantly simplify their oral speech.

If you accept the fact that you don’t need to read some of the letters, then reading French is quite easy, but writing it is much more difficult. And by ear, there is very little chance of spelling a word in French correctly if you have never seen how it is written, which is why it is so important to read books in French. Only books can help you learn French spelling.

For Russian speakers there is a certain difficulty in mastering French pronunciation, since it contains a number of sounds that have no analogues in the Russian language. But these sounds are few and quite easy to master.

The French language uses the Latin alphabet, there are no letters of its own, but there are letters with so-called diacritics (dashes, sticks, checkmarks and dots above the letters), which we will consider below

Let's move on to the reading rules.

Vowels and their combinations

In general, vowels are read fairly standardly: a [a], e [e], i [and], o [o], u [y], y [and]

But they have some peculiarities

1. Letter e:

in an open unstressed syllable reads like [œ] - something in between o, e and e (we put our lips together as to pronounce o, but try to pronounce e)
at the end of a word of several syllables it is not readable at all

2. Letter u read as something between u and yu (as in the word tulle)

3. Letter y:

between vowels it is read as [th] ( royal).
between consonants is read as [and] ( style).

4. Before the consonant sounds [r], [z], [zh], [v], [v], stressed vowel sounds become long: base [baaz].

Vowels with diacritics (dashes and sticks)

Above French vowels we often see various dashes, sticks, ticks, dots, etc. This is again a tribute from the French to their ancestors, since these symbols mean that next to this letter there used to be a consonant, which is no longer written. For example, the word holiday fête came from a Latin word and lost the letter s in the middle, but in the Russian word of the same origin “festival” and the Spanish “fiesta” this letter remained.

In most cases, these symbols do not affect pronunciation, but help to distinguish similar words meaning, but you won’t hear this difference by ear!

You only need to remember the following options:

è And ê read as [ɛ] (like Russian e): tête.
é read as [e] (like the e in a smile): tele.
If there are two dots above a vowel, then you just need to pronounce it separately from the previous one: Noël, egoïst

Special vowel combinations

oi reads like [ua]: trois [trois].
ui read as [ui]: n uit [nui]
ou reads like [y]: cour [chickens].
eau andau read as [o]: beaucoup [side], auto [from].
eu, œu and letter e(in an open unstressed syllable) are read as [œ] / [ø] / [ǝ] (something between o and e): neuf [nave], regarder [regarde].
ai And ei read as [e]: mais [me], beige [bezh].

Consonants and their combinations

Most of the consonants are read standardly:

b - [b]; s - [k]; d - [d]; f -[f]; g - [g]; h - [x]; j - [j]; l - [l]; m - [m]; n - [n]; p - [p]; r -[r]; s - [s]; t - [t]; v - [in]; w - [ue]; x - [ks]; z - [z]

Features of French consonants:

h never read
l always reads softly
n at the end of a syllable is always read nasally
r always reads burly

But, of course, there are other options for reading these consonants:

1. consonants are NOT readable (silent consonants):

The words at the end are unreadable: t, d, s, x, z, p, g, es, ts, ds, ps (rose, nez, climate, trop, heureux, nid, sang; roses, nids, cadets)
The end of the word is unreadable c after n: unbanc.
The endings of verbs are not readable -ent: ilsparlent.
At the end of the word the r after the e is not readable (- er): parler.

Exceptions: in some nouns and adjectives, for example: hiver [iver] , cher [share] mer [mayor],hier [yer], fer [fair] ,ver [ver] .

2. special cases of reading consonants

double consonants are read as one sound: pomme [pom],classe [class].
c read as [s] before i, e, y and, if written with a tail at the bottom ç : Circe,garçon , V in other cases it is read as [k]
g reads like [zh] before i, e, y: courage, inin other cases it is read as [g]: garçon [garcon]
s between vowels is read as [z]: vase [vaaz]
x reads:

at the beginning of a word between vowels like [gz]: exotic ]
in cardinal numbers as [s]: six [sis], dix[dis].
in ordinal numbers as [z]: sixième [light blue], dixième[disiem]
in other cases as [ks]

t read as [s] before i + vowel: national [national]

3. special combinations of consonants

ch reads like [sh]: chercher [chershe].
phreads like [f]:photo [photo].
gn reads like [н]: ligne [tench].

Special combinations of vowels and consonants

qu reads like [k]: qui [ki].
gu before a vowel it is read as [g]: guerre [ger].
il And ill reads like [th]: travail [travai], famille [surname].

Exceptions: ville [ville], mille [miles], tranquille [tranquille], Lille [lil].

Nasal sounds (n at the end of a syllable is always read nasally):

an, am, en, em[en]: enfance, ensemble
on, om[He]: bon, nom
in, im, ein, aim, ain, yn, ym[en]: jardin
un, um[yong]: brun, parfum
oin[wen]: coin.
ien[en]: bien.

Accent

Simply wonderful news awaits you here! In French, the stress always falls on the last syllable. There are no more rules. There is no such gift for language learners in any other European language.

But remember, if words are connected or concatenated, then the stress falls on the last syllable last word this design.

Cohesion and linking of words in French

Concatenation: the final pronounced consonant of one word forms one syllable with the initial vowel of the next word: el l e aime [elem]
Linking: The final unpronounceable consonant begins to sound by linking with the initial vowel of the next word: c'es t elle [se tel], à neu f heures [and never].

Apostrophe

An apostrophe is a comma at the top.

Pronouns and articles ending in a vowel lose it and are replaced with an apostrophe if they are followed by a word beginning with a vowel sound

Instead of c e est - c’est [se], l e arbre – l’arbre [lyarbr], j e ai – j’ai [zhe], je t e aim - je t’aim [zhe tem]

If you are in doubt about how to read a word, enter it into any free online translator and click "listen". Google has such a translator. His French-Russian version of the translator is so-so, but he pronounces the words well :)

Typical mistakes Russian speakers make in pronunciation of French words:

Usually, the easiest way to identify a Russian person speaking French is by the incorrect pronunciation of those French sounds that have no analogues in the Russian language:

Russians make a sound [œ] like [e], but it should be like something in between o, e and e (we put our lips together as to pronounce o, but try to pronounce e). This sound appears when reading eu and e at the end of a word consisting of one syllable (qu e,f eu, p eu x, m e,t e, c e,v oeu, nerve eu x, s eu l, l eu r, c oeu r, s oeu r)
we make a sound [u] like a regular [u] or [yu], but you need something in between u and u (as in the word “tulle”)
carat french r we pronounce it awkwardly
and we pronounce nasal sounds as simply [n].
Also, Russians in French often have no difference between long and short vowels
and too solid pronunciation letters l

But even if you say it this way, you will still be understood. It’s better to speak French with a Russian accent than not to speak it at all.

Reading rules in French are not the simplest, but they are still more consistent than, for example, in English: there are much fewer exceptions. Below are the rules with approximate reading in Russian: focus not on the transcription, but on the descriptions of sounds. The peculiarities of the French accent, which is very bright and characteristic, are still better practiced by the sound of the French language in the speech of native speakers. In French, the stress ALWAYS falls on the last syllable. Moreover, often on the last syllable not even of a word, but of a phrase or a significant part of a phrase, that is, before a pause in speech. The letters -e, -s, -t, -d, -z, -x, -p, -g (and often their combinations) at the end of words are NOT READABLE. Remember that there are exceptions to every rule: fils (son) is read as [fis]. Voiced consonants are always pronounced clearly and are not deafened at the end of the word: Parade, plage, journal, telephone, Arabe. Double consonants are read as one: Personne, adresse, professeur. The letter combination “oi” gives a semivowel semivowel sound in Russian transcription [ua]: Trois [trois], voilà [veil], trottoir [sidewalk], répertoire [repertoire]. The letter combinations “eau”, “au” give a closed sound [o]: Tableau [table], bureau [bureau]. The letter combinations “ai” and “ei” give an open sound [ɛ]: Chaise [shez], portrait [portre], neige [nezh]. The letter combinations “eu” and “œu” give a sound similar to the Russian Ё after the consonants Adieu, il veut, sérieux, vœu, nœud, sœur, cœur, fleur, directeur, couleur œuf, bœuf, manœuvre, chef-d'œuvre (masterpiece ). E, è, ê, é, е under stress and in a closed syllable is read as “e”: fourchette [buffet] - fork. e in an unstressed syllable is read approximately like the German “ö” - like the letter “e” in the word Möbius: menu [menu], regarder [rögarde]. In order to make this sound, you need to stretch your lips forward like a bow and at the same time pronounce the letter “e”. In the middle of words in an open syllable, this letter is dropped completely during pronunciation (e is fluent). So, for example, the word carrefour (crossroads) is read as [kar "fur] (the unstressed "e" in the middle of the word is not pronounced). It would not be a mistake to read it [karefur], but when you speak quickly, it falls out, as it turns out to be a weak sound . Madeleine - [madeleine]. E at the end of words (see exceptions below) is not read (it is sometimes pronounced in songs and poems). If there are any symbols above it, it is always read, no matter where it stands. For example: régime [mode], rosé [rose] - pink wine. In monosyllabic words, e is read at the end of words - if it is not read there, the syllable cannot be formed at all. These are articles, prepositions, pronouns, demonstrative adjectives: le [le], de [de], je [zhe], me [мё], ce [сё]. The letter “s” between vowels is voiced - gives the sound [z]: Lise, Basile, une surprise, visa, visite, dose, pose, rose, viscose, casino, camisole, crise, sclerose, narcose, crise. The unreadable ending -s, which forms the plural of nouns and adjectives, even if it appears, does not make the letter -e at the end of the word readable: régime and régimes are read the same - [mode]. -er at the ends of words is read as “e”: parler [parle] – talk. -er is the standard ending for French regular verbs. The u is pronounced like the "yu" in the word "muesli". Example: cuvette is read [ditch] and means “ditch”, parachute [parachute] means “parachute”, the same thing happens with purée (mashed potatoes) and confiture (jam). To make an open "u" sound, use the combination ou. Souvenir [souvenir] - memory, fourchette [buffet] - fork, carrefour [carrefour] - crossroads; pronouns nous (we) read [well], vous (you and you) read [vu]. y is read as [i], but next to vowels it is more like the Russian Y. The letter l is read softly: étoile [etoile] - star, table [table] - table, banal [banal] - banal, canal [channel], carnaval [carnival] ]. g is read as "g", but before e, i and y it is read as "zh". For example: général - read [general], régime [mode], agiotage [excitement]. A good example is the word garage - read [garage] - the first g before a is read firmly, and the second g before e is read as "zh". The letter combination gn is read as [н] - for example, in the word cognac [cognac] - cognac, champignons [champignon] - mushrooms, champagne [champagne] - champagne, lorgnette [lornet] - binoculars. s is read as "k", but before e, i and y it is read as "s". For example: certificat reads [certificate]. If it is necessary to change this behavior, that is, to force this letter to be read as [s] before other vowels, a tail is attached to it at the bottom: Ç and ç. Ça is read as [sa]; garçon [garson] - boy, maçon (mason), façon (style), façade (facade). The famous French greeting Comment ça va [coma~ sa va] (or more often just ça va) means “how are you”, and literally “how is it going”. In films you can see - they say hello like that. One asks: “Ça va?”, the other answers: “Ça va, ça va!”. (High punctuation marks - exclamation and question marks, semicolons, as well as parentheses and quotation marks - are separated from words by spaces, unlike in Russian.) At the ends of words, c is rarely found. Unfortunately, there is no hard and fast rule about when to read it and when not to. This is simply remembered for each word - fortunately there are few of them: for example, blanc [bl "an] - white, estomac [estoma] - stomach and tabac [tab] is unreadable, and cognac (cognac) and avec (with, together with) - readable. h is NEVER readable. As if it doesn’t exist. Except for the combinations “ch”, “th” and “ph”. Sometimes this letter acts as a separator - if it occurs inside a word between vowels, then this indicates their separate reading: Sahara [sa-ara], cahier [ka-ye]. In any case, it itself is not readable. The combination ch gives the sound [w]. For example, chance [chance] - luck, luck, chantage [blackmail], cliché [cliché], cache-nez [muffler] - scarf (literally: hiding my nose); ph reads like "f": photo. th reads like "t": théâtre [theater], thé [those] - tea. p - reads like Russian "p ": portrait [portrait]. In the middle of the word, the letter p before t is not readable: sculpture [sculpture] j - reads like Russian zh: bonjour [bonjour] - hello, jalousie [blinds] - envy, jealousy and blinds, sujet [story] - plot.s reads like Russian “s”: geste [gesture], régisseur [director], chaussée [highway]; between two vowels s is voiced and read as “z”: fuselage [fuselage], limousine [limousine] - very intuitive. The letter combination “ier” gives the semivowel sound [je] or [е] (Russian transcription): Plumier, pionnier, papier, tablier, cahier, calendrier. The letter combination “ill” gives the semivowel sound [j] or [й] (Russian transcription): Famille, fille, pavillon, quadrille, médaille, oreille, gorille, feuille, vieille, maquillage. The letter combination “qu” gives the sound [k]: Qui, que, quatre, quarante, quatorze, cirque, masque, fabrique, polyclinique, bibliothèque, disque, baraque, panique, squelette, jaquette, kiosque, paquet, breloque, quadrille, coquette, mosaïque, Monique, Afrique, Amérique, critique. The remaining consonants - n, m, p, t, x, z - are read more or less obviously. But N and M, when combined with vowels, give rise to a whole class of sounds. The fact is that after vowels (but not before other vowels), N and M themselves are not read, but they nasalize (that is, force them to be pronounced “in the nose”) the preceding vowels: mon [mo~] (my, mine, etc.) n.) rejoindre [rəzhua~dr] (to connect) But at the same time: madame [madam] (madam) mademoiselle [mademoiselle] (mademoiselle) Letter combinations “in, im” give a nasal sound [ɛ] before a consonant or at the end of a word: Singe , magasin, jardin. Before vowels “in, im”, as well as inn, imm, are read as , magazine, inértion, immeuble, marine. Letter combinations “ein, aim, ain” give a nasal sound [ẽ] before consonants or at the end of a word: Plein, peintre, train , pain, demain, faim The nasal sound is lost before vowels: Baleine, migraine The letter combinations “yn, ym” give the nasal sound [ẽ]: Syndicat, sympathie, symphonie. The letter combinations “un, um” give the nasal sound [œ]: Brun, parfum, un, lundi, tribun. But before the vowel “un, um” they lose their nasal sound and read brune, parfumérie. The letter combination “oin” gives a nasal sound: Loin, point, coin. The letter combination “ien” produces a nasal sound: Bien, rien, chien, musicien.

Sung to the tune of the song “A grasshopper sat in the grass”

Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, – 3 times

Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, – 1 time

Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, – 2 times

Vv, Ww, Xx, Yy, Zz

Basic rules of pronunciation and reading.

1. The stress in a word always falls on the last syllable:

Radi o,panorama a.

2. Voiced consonants are always pronounced clearly and are not deafened at the end of the word:

Para d e, plage, journal, telephone, Arabe.

3. Under stress and before the consonants “r”, “s”, “z”, “v”, “j”, “g” vowel sounds acquire length:

Bas e, bagag e.

4. Double consonants are read as one:

Perso nn e,adre ss e, professeur, classe, tasse, pomme, cotelette, omlette, batterie, presse, commode, cassette, colonne, balle, massage, gramme, gamme, grotte, collège, parallèle, illegal, massage, buffet, pommade, tablette, adresse, carriere.

5. The letter “e” at the end of a word is not readable:

Banane, jupe, brune, banane, drame, limonade, litre, mètre, batiste, lustre, mode, nature-morte, nicotine, marinade, vitrine, parade, sorte, benzine, plate-forme, parole, pilote, artiste, parfumerie, sardine, lune, tulipe.

6. The letters “t”, “d”, “s”, “x” at the end of the word are not readable:

Appeti t, anana s, pri x Bernard d, dessert, soldat, bandit, passeport, salut, port, pistolet, sujet, jabot.

But: dix, six.

7. The letter “s” between vowels is voiced = “sings” - gives the sound [z]:

Li s e,Ba s ile, une surprise, visa, visite, dose, pose, rose, viscose, casino, camisole, crise, sclerose, narcose, crise.

In other cases – [s]:

Vi s cose, sortir.

The letter “x” between vowels is voiced – giving the sound [gz]:

E x amen, e x ercice, exotic.

But the letter “x” gives the sound [ks] in the words:

Te x te, taxi, expédition, extra.

8. The letter “c” retains its sound [s] before “i”, “e”, “y”:

le, Alice, Lucie, ici, farce, merci, trace, cycliste, cycle, cyclope, bicyclette, France, police, océan, place, cin&@233ma, palace, trace.

In other cases it gives the sound [k]:

Vi c tor C olette, Nicole, carte, classe, corde, actrice, cocarde, anecdote, manicure, costume, decolté, caravane, casino, café, cube, cascade, canal, académie, calmar, cacao, scandale, cadre, reclame, bocal, carcasse, accordéon, caramel, dictée, comité, cabine, acacia, culture, acrobat, octobre, crocodile, bissectrice.

If “s” is marked “ç”, it is read as the sound [s]:

Gar ç on, leçon, façon, maçon, ça, ça va, commerçant, façade, Besançon.

9. The letter “g” retains its sound before “i”, “e”, “y”:

Re g ime, girafe, gelée, agiotage, plage, gilet, gymnastique, gymnage, générale, dragée, reportage, geste, budget, prestige, énergie, page, plage, cage, vitrage, virage, geste, Norvège, tirage, étage.

In other cases, the letter gives the sound – [g]
:

Alina, Ol g a, margarine, garage, galerie, garrison, garniture, grippe, garde-marine, garde-robe, gravure, gomme, règle, egoïste, glycerine, grimace, gourmand, brigade, garnir, gramme, gamme, cigarette, figure, bagage, grotte, wagon, tango, golfe.

To save the sound [zh] (Russian transcription)
– “e” is added after “g””:

orges, mangeons.

To save the sound [ g ], add the letter “and” after “g”:

erre, guide, intrigue, guirlande, marguerite, guitare.

The combination “gn” gives the sound [н] – (Russian transcription):

Campa gn e, Champagne, champignon, peigne, montagne, magnétophone, ligne.

10. The letter “h” is never read:

Héros, Nathalie, Edith, Elisabeth, homme, humanité, hectar.

11. The letter combination “ch” gives the sound:

ef, chiffre, chimie, chocolat, chinchilla, charme, affiche, capuchon, machine, parachute, brochure, vache, cheval, champagne, champion, dépêche, chassis.

12. The letter combination “ph” gives the sound [f]:

éle ph ant, photo, phrase, phare, naphtaline, telephone, saxophone, paragraphe, alphabet, physionomie, pharaon, pharmacie.

13. The letter combination “qu” gives the sound [k]:

Qui, qu e, quatre, quarante, quatorze, cirque, masque, fabrique, polyclinique, bibliothèque, disque, baraque, panique, squelette, jaquette, kiosque, paquet, breloque, quadrille, coquette, mosaïque, Monique, Afrique, Amérique, critique.

14. Letter combination “ ier" gives a semivowel sound [je]:

Plum ier, pionnier, papier, tablier, cahier, calendrier.

15. Letter combination “ ill" gives a semivowel sound [j]:

Fam ill e, fille, pavillon, quadrille, médaille, oreille, gorille, feuille, vieille, maquillage.

16. The letter “y” between vowels gives the semivowel sound [j]:

Ro y al, les y eux, crayon, foyer.

But :p y ramide, stylo, physique, style, Yves, lyre, lyrique, analyze, rytme, gymnaste, Egypte, Pyrenées, mystique.

17. The letter combination “oi” gives the semivowel sound semivowel [wa]:

Tr oi s, voilà, trottoir, répertoire.

18. The letter combination “ui” gives the semivowel sound [ui] (Russian transcription):

H ui t, nuit, suis, fruits.

19. The letter combination “ou” gives the sound [u]:

D ou che, blouse, gourmand, bouquet, jalousie, troupe.

20. The letter “o” gives the “front” sound [o]:

Ph o to, Igor, Victor.

Only

Lauréat, l'aurore.

21. Letter combinations “eau”, “au” give the sound [o]:

Tabl eau, bureau, manteau, chapeau, plateau, eau-de-cologne + ch au d, journaux.

22. The letter combination “eu” gives a closed sound:

Fl eu r, direct eu r, couleur, neuf.

23. The letter combination “u” gives an open sound:

S u r, cur, uf, buf, manuvre, chef-d’uvre.

24. The letter “è” with an icon and the letter “ê” with an icon make the sound:

Ir è ne, règle, père, fenêtre, fête, tête, сortège.

The letter “é” with a sign makes the sound [e]:

D é but, êmigrê, protégé, cérémonie, télé, dictée, fée, étage, armée, decolleté.

25. The letter combinations “ai” and “ei” make a sound :

Cha ise, portrait, nei ge, treize, seize.

But: gai [e], quai, j’ ai, je vais.

26. The letter combinations “an, am, en, em” make a nasal sound:

Or an ge, France, ch am bre, lampe, en fant, dent, encore, sept em bre, assemblé, centre, temperature, example, genre, mélange, entracte, ensemble, contour, divan.

French is one of the most studied languages in the world. Whether you want to go to university in France, work for a French company, travel around the country, or learn French for fun, you'll need to master French pronunciation before speaking.

"The Language of Love" is also famous complex rules reading. You've probably heard that in a French word, half of the letters are often not readable at all. It may be difficult at the initial stage of learning French, but by regularly practicing reading, you will soon notice that you can read French without difficulty and the reading rules will be remembered automatically.

For a beginner special difficulty represents the French "R". To learn how to pronounce French words correctly, at the initial stage of learning, we recommend studying with a teacher. In this article we will look at general rules French pronunciation and we will try to make out some of them.

French alphabet

We should start with the alphabet. Let's listen to the pronunciation of French letters and repeat them after the announcer:

So, in French there are 26 letters, in addition to which there are also spelling signs:

“ – trema means that the vowel it stands above must be pronounced separately from the previous one: maïs .

` – accent grave means open syllable: bière .

? – accent aigu denotes a closed syllable: école .

^ – accent circonflexe indicates the length of the sound: la fête .

c–c cedille denotes soft sound"c": le garçon .

French consonants

Voiced consonants are always pronounced clearly and are not deafened at the end of the word: parade , telephone , Arabe .
Under stress and before consonants r,s,z,v,j,g vowel sounds acquire length: base ,bagage .
Double consonants are read as one: personne , address , professeur , class , tasse .
Letters and letter combinations t,d,s,x, z,g,p, es,ts,ps,ds(and r after e, except for some adjectives and nouns, for example: hiver , cher ) at the end the words are not readable: appetit , prix , Bernard , nez , aller . Exception: dix , six .
Letter s between vowels gives the sound [z]: Lise , Basile , surprise . In other cases it is read as [s].
Letter x between vowels gives the sound: examen , exercise , exotic .
Letter x gives sound in words: texte , taxi , expédition ,extra .
Letter c retains its sound [s] before i,e,y: Alice , Lucie , ici , farce , merci , trace .
In other cases the letter c gives the sound [k]: caravane , casino , cafe . After nasal vowels c the end of the word is unreadable: banc .
Letter g has the sound [zh] before i,e,y: girafe , gelée , agiotage .
In other cases the letter g gives sound – [g]: bagage , grott , wagon , tango , golfe .
Combination gn gives the sound [nn]: ligne .
Letter h never read: hobby .
Letter y between the vowels you need to sort of split them into two letters i and read in accordance with the remaining rules: loyal==> loi – ial = .
Letter l always read softly: London .
ch gives the sound (sh): chapeau .
ph gives the sound [f]: photo
Letter t gives the sound [s] before i + vowel: alimentation , except amité , pitie . If before t there is a letter s, That t read as [t]: question .
qu read [k]: quoi .

We looked at the basic rules for pronunciation and reading consonants in French. Practice your pronunciation by listening to the words above. I also suggest watching the training video and practicing.

French "R"

Now I would like to dwell on a sound that is particularly difficult for many who are just starting to learn French. You probably already guessed what it is French "R". Not everyone can pronounce it the first time, but here, as in learning any language, the main thing is constant practice. The "R" sound is the back row sound. Try to pronounce the Ukrainian sound "G". Now, without changing position speech apparatus, say "R". Practice by repeating the words after the speaker in the following video:

Another good "R" training video.

French vowels

The stress in a word always falls on the last syllable.
During speech fluent French e may fall out of pronunciation: acheter .
Linking in French means that the last unpronounceable consonant of a word is connected to the first vowel of the following word: elle est a llemande .
Letter i before a vowel and a combination il after the vowel at the end, the words are read as [j]: ail . Exceptions: miel ,сiel .
Letter combination ill read as [j] or : famille . Exceptions: ville , mille , tranquille .
Letter combination oi gives a semivowel sound: сrois .
Letter combination ui gives a semivowel sound: oui .
Letter combination ou gives the sound [u]: pour .
Letter combinations eau,au give the sound [o]: beaucoup , manteau .
Letter è and letter ê give sound: crème , tête .
Letter é read as [e]: tele .
Letter combination eu and letter e(in an open unstressed syllable) read like this: neuf , regarder .
Letter combinations ai And ei read as: sais .
Letter combinations an, am, en, em give a nasal sound: enfant .
Letter combinations on, om give a nasal sound: nom .
Letter combinations in,im, ein, aim, ain, yn, ym give a nasal sound: jardin , copain .
Letter combinations un, um give a nasal sound: brun .
Letter combination ien reads: tien .
Letter combination oin reads: soin .
Letter y between consonants is read as [i]: stylo .
The vowel at the end of words is not readable e: league and verb endings ent: ils travaillent .

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