Voyelles : [e], [ɛ], [ø]
Learn and differentiate the mid vowels [e], [ɛ], and [ø].
| Français | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
🔊café | coffee | é → [e] |
🔊père | father | è / ê → [ɛ] |
🔊feu | fire | eu / œu → [ø] |
🔊père | father | [pɛʁ] |
🔊feu | fire | [fø] |
🔊léger | light (weight) | [leʒe] |
🔊
C'est le père de Léa. Il voit le feu.
He is Léa's father. He sees the fire.
Pronunciation Notes
[e] = closed, like the end of 'say' but shorter. [ɛ] = open, like English 'bed'. [ø] requires rounded lips — an important French feature.
[e] vs [ɛ]: clé vs clair
clé [[kle]] vs clair [[klɛʁ]]
[e] vs [ɛ]: ré vs raie
ré [[ʁe]] vs raie [[ʁɛ]]
Contrast with [ø]: fée vs feu
fée [[fe]] vs feu [[fø]]
Contrast with [ø]: laid vs leur
laid [[lɛ]] vs leur [[lœʁ]]