Voyelles de base : [a], [i], [u]
Learn to distinguish and pronounce the core French vowels [a], [i], and [u].
| Français | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
πpapa | dad | a β [a] |
πici | here | i β [i] |
πmouton | sheep | ou β [u] |
πQui est-ce ? | Who is it? | [ki Ιs] |
πC'estβ¦ | It'sβ¦ | [sΙ] |
πici | here | [isi] |
π
Qui est-ce ? C'est Marie. Elle est ici.
Who is it? It's Marie. She is here.
Pronunciation Notes
Each vowel corresponds to one pure, stable sound β no gliding like in English. [i] is a tight, forward vowel; [u] uses rounded lips. [a] is open and short β not the English 'ay'.
Syllables with [a], [i], [u]: pa β pi β pou
pa β pi β pou
[pa β pi β pu]
Syllables with [a], [i], [u]: la β li β lou
la β li β lou
[la β li β lu]
Minimal pairs: la vs li
la [[la]] vs li [[li]]
Minimal pairs: tu vs ta
tu [[ty]] vs ta [[ta]]