Consonants
In French, there are vowels and consonants as there are in English. To pronounce words confidently in French, you need to know which sounds they make.
Most consonants make a similar sound to English – b, c, d, f, g, k, l, m, n, p, s, t, v, w, x, y and z.
Let’s look at the ones which are different. Have a go at saying them out loud.
Single consonants
h
This consonant is always silent, which means you don't say the h at the beginning of words in French.
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – happy
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – the man
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – the hotel
j
The sound of this letter is like the s in the English word 'television'.
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – a skirt
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – yellow
q and qu
These letters make the same sound as a letter c or k in English, like the c in cat.
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – four
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – five
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – the croque-monsieur
r, rr
This letter makes a sound which is not in the English language. It sounds as if you are gargling water. It comes from the back of the throat and sounds longer than the r sound in English.
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – pink
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – the park
Consonants followed by vowels
When followed by certain letters, these consonants make different sounds to English.
c
A c before e, i or y and ç makes a s sound.
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – the cinema
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – the ice cream
Also the same sound as when ‘c’ is written before e, i or y
g
A g before e, i or y makes the sound like s in television.
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – a giraffe
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – a monkey
When written before e, i or y
s between vowels
An s between vowels makes an English z sound.
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – pink
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – the house
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – the shop
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – a shirt
x before a vowel
An x before a vowel or silent h makes an English z sound.
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – she has two children
Double consonants
These double consonants make a different sound to English.
ch
These letters make the same sound as the English for sh.
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – a cat
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – a horse
gn
These letters make the sound similar to that in the middle of the English word onion. This sounds like n followed by y.
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – cute
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – the lamb
ll
After the letter i, these letters make the English y sound.
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – the family
th
These letters make the same sound as t in English.
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – the tea
Silent consonants
Most consonants at the end of words aren't pronounced. These are called silent letters. For example d, p, s, t, x, z are silent at the end of a word.
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – a lot
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – the cat
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – the children
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – happy
However, be CaReFuL with the letters c, r, f and l as they can sometimes be sounded.
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – the bag
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – the day
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – nine
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – Christmas
Watch the video below to find out more about silent letters in French.
Understanding silent letters in French
The sounds you make when you read French out loud are sometimes different to the ones you’d make in English.
One of the big differences are the silent letters.
Take the word duvet. Even English speakers say this word like French speakers. They don't pronounce the 't' at the end – 'duvay'.
Like le parent which means – you guessed it – parent.
The 't' at the end of the word is silent.
The 'd' at the end of a word is silent – as in grand,
'x' is usually silent at the end of a word – like deux,
's' is very often silent at the end of a word as in trois or souris,
and if 'h' is the first letter of a word – it is always silent.
So: J'habite dans un hôtel à Hawaii – I live in a hotel in Hawaii.
When you see the 't','d','s' or 'x' at the end of the word… or 'h' at the start shhhhhhh!
Liaison
In sentences, two words can sometimes sound like one, as the end of one word is linked to the next word by sounding the silent letter. This is called liaison.
The letters d, n, s, t, x and z can be sounded when the next word starts with a vowel or a h. Remember that s and x will sound like a z sound if followed by a vowel.
Can you hear the difference in these phrases?
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – two
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – she has two children
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – three
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – he has three children
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – good
Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. – he is a good friend
Quiz
Play Dash and Blink: Forgotten French! game
Construct simple phrases and develop an understanding of vocabulary and grammar with this KS2 French game.
More on French pronunciation
Find out more by working through a topic
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