Pronunciation

✅ How to pronounce [i]

Mouth: Open your mouth slightly (not wide)

Tongue: Raise the front of your tongue very high, close to the roof of your mouth

Lips: Spread (not rounded, like smiling slightly)

Voice: Vocal cords vibrate (voiced sound)

✅ Spelling patterns in French

[i] can be written as:

• i → vie[vi]

• î → île[il]

• ï → naïf[naif]

• y → style[stil]

🎧 Similar sound in English

Like “ee” in see

BUT:

• French [i] is purer and tenser

• No glide (don’t turn it into “iy”)

⚠️ Important tip

• In English, “see” often ends with a slight glide → [siy]

• In French, keep it steady and pure → [si]

Pronunciation

✅ How to pronounce [y]

This sound is a combination of [i] + rounded lips:

Tongue: Same position as [i] (like “ee” in see)

Lips: Round them (like “oo” in food)

Voice: Vibrate (voiced)

✅ Spelling patterns in French

[y] can be written as:

• u → lune[lyn]

• û → flûte[flyt]

👉 In short:

Say “ee” but shape your lips like “oo”

🎧 Comparison with English

• ❌ English does NOT have this sound

• Closest way to learn:

1. Say “ee” [i]

2. Without moving your tongue, round your lips

→ you get [y]

⚠️ Common mistake

• Don’t pronounce it like [u] (as in “food”)

• The tongue must stay front (like [i]), not back

Pronunciation

✅ How to pronounce [e]

Mouth: Slightly open (more than [i], less than [ɛ])

Tongue: Front of the tongue raised, but not as high as [i]

Lips: Spread (not rounded)

Voice: Voiced

👉 Position is between [i] and [ɛ]

✅ Spelling patterns in French

[e] can be written as:

• é → été[ete]

• er, ez, ed at the end of words → limiter[limite], nez[ne], pied[pje]

• es in monosyllabic words → des[de]

🎧 Similar sound in English

• Somewhat like:

• “ay” in say

BUT ⚠️:

• English “say” is usually [seɪ] (with a glide)

• French [e] is pure and steady → [se], no “ɪ” at the end

⚠️ Common mistake

• ❌ Don’t say “ei” or “ey”

• ✅ Keep it as a single, stable vowel

Pronunciation

✅ How to pronounce [ø]

This is similar to [e] + rounded lips:

Tongue: Same position as [e] (like “ay” without glide)

Lips: Rounded (like “oo” in food)

Voice: Voiced

👉 In short:

Say [e] but round your lips

✅ Spelling patterns in French

[ø] can be written as:

• eu precedes [z], [t], [d], and [tr] → heureuse[œrøz], émeute[emøt], jeudi [ʒødi], neutre [nøtr]

• eu, œu in open syllable → jeu[ʒø], bœufs[bø]

🎧 Comparison

• ❌ English does NOT have this sound

• Closest method:

1. Say “ay” (pure [e])

2. Keep tongue still

3. Round lips → [ø]

⚠️ Common mistakes

• ❌ Don’t turn it into [o] (too back)

• ❌ Don’t say [y] (too high)

• ✅ Keep tongue front + mid height

Pronunciation

✅ How to pronounce [ɛ]

Mouth: Open more than [e]

Tongue: Front, but lower than [e]

Lips: Spread (not rounded)

Voice: Voiced

👉 Think: a more open version of [e]

✅ Spelling patterns in French

[ɛ] can be written as:

• ê, è, ë → tête[tɛt], père[pɛr], Noël[nɔɛl]

• ai, aî, ei → gai[gε], paraître[parεtr], neige[nεʒ]

• e in closed syllables → fer[fεr]

• e in front of doubled consonants → cesse[sɛs]

• et, êt, and ect at the end of words → ticket[tikε], arrêt[arε], respect[rεspε]

🎧 Similar sound in English

• Like “e” in bed, get, pen → [bɛd], [gɛt], [pɛn]

✅ This is actually very close to French [ɛ]

⚠️ Common mistake

• ❌ Don’t confuse with [e]

• [e] = “ay” (closed)

• [ɛ] = “eh” (open)

Pronunciation

✅ How to pronounce [œ]

This is like [ɛ] + rounded lips:

Tongue: Same as [ɛ] (like “e” in bed)

Mouth: More open (mid-open)

Lips: Rounded (like “oo”)

Voice: Voiced

👉 In short:

Say “eh” [ɛ], but round your lips

✅ Spelling patterns in French

[œ] can be written as:

• œ → œil[œj]

• eu, œu in closed syllables → heure[œr], sœur[sœr]

🎧 Comparison

• ❌ English does NOT have this sound

• Closest method:

1. Say [ɛ] (bed)

2. Keep tongue still

3. Round lips → [œ]

⚠️ Common mistakes

• ❌ Don’t say [ø] (too closed)

• ❌ Don’t say [o] (tongue too back)

• ❌ Don’t say [ɛ] (no lip rounding)

Pronunciation

✅ How to pronounce [ɛ̃]

This is basically:

👉 [ɛ] (as in “bed”) + nasal airflow

Step-by-step:

Tongue: Same as [ɛ] (front, mid-low)

Mouth: Open-mid

Lips: Not rounded

Soft palate (velum): Lowered → air goes through the nose

Voice: Voiced

✅ Spelling patterns in French

[ɛ̃] can be written as:

• in, im → inviter[ɛ̃vite], impur[ɛ̃pyr]

• yn, ym → syntaxe[sɛ̃taks], sympathique[sɛ̃patik]

• ain, aim → pain[pɛ̃], faim[fɛ̃]

• ein, eim → peintre[pɛ̃tr], Reims[rɛ̃s]

• ien → bien[bjɛ̃]

• oin → coin[kwɛ̃], loin[lwɛ̃]

🎧 What is “nasal”?

• Air flows through both:

• mouth

• nose

👉 Try:

1. Say “eh” [ɛ]

2. Then let air escape through your nose (like a soft “ng” feeling, but don’t close your mouth)

⚠️ Common mistakes

• ❌ Don’t pronounce it as [ɛn] (with an “n” sound)

• ❌ Don’t fully close with “ng”

• ✅ It’s one vowel, not vowel + consonant

Pronunciation

✅ How to pronounce [œ̃]

Think of it as:

👉 [œ] + nasal airflow

Step-by-step:

Tongue: Same as [œ] (front, mid-low)

Mouth: Open-mid

Lips: Rounded

Soft palate: Lowered → air flows through the nose

Voice: Voiced

✅ Spelling patterns in French

[œ̃] can be written as:

• un, um → parfum[paʁfœ̃], lundi[lœ̃di]

🎧 How to build it

1. Start with [ɛ̃] (like “eh” nasal)

2. Then round your lips

→ You get [œ̃]

⚠️ Common mistakes

• ❌ Don’t say [ɔn] / [on]

• ❌ Don’t say [ɛ̃] (no lip rounding)

• ❌ Don’t pronounce a clear “n”

✅ It must be:

• nasal

• rounded

• one single vowel

Pronunciation

✅ How to pronounce [a]

Mouth: Open wide

Tongue: Low (flat), toward the front or center

Lips: Relaxed (not rounded)

Voice: Voiced

👉 This is a fully open, clear vowel

✅ Spelling patterns in French

[a] can be written as:

• a, à, â → pas[pa], voilà[vwala], âme[am]

• e in front of mm, nn → femme[fam], solennel[sɔlanɛl]

🎧 Comparison with English

• Similar to:

• “a” in father (American English [ɑ])

BUT ⚠️:

• French [a] is usually more front and brighter

• Keep it pure and steady (no glide)

⚠️ Common mistakes

• ❌ Don’t make it too back like [ɑ] (deep sound)

• ❌ Don’t reduce it (French vowels are always clear)

• ✅ Keep it open and stable