Pronunciation Guide

Since many French sounds have no English equivalent, this chart is an approximation. Keep in mind a few rules. Unless otherwise directed, always accent the last syllable. Most of the words I list here are singular, so pronouncing the plural isn’t an issue, but most French plurals end in s, which should be pronounced only if the next word in the sentence starts with a vowel. An s that is followed by a vowel should be pronounced like a z; a double s is pronounced with a hard s sound, as in “hiss.” Here I’ve done my best to describe the sound of French words without using symbols. Keep in mind that when shown alone, vowels are pronounced with their long sound. For example, a is pronounced like the a in “paint”; s is pronounced like the e in “e-mail.” The French on sound is impossible to replicate in English. I’ve written it “ohn (n silent),” meaning you should start to pronounce the English “on” but don’t stop short of touching your tongue to the roof of your mouth to make the final n sound. Letters written as consonants (eg., s, n) are pronounced as though you are saying the word for the letter.