Reading rules in French are not the simplest, but they are still more consistent than, for example, in English: there are much fewer exceptions. Below are the rules with approximate reading in Russian: focus not on the transcription, but on the descriptions of sounds. The peculiarities of the French accent, which is very bright and characteristic, are still better practiced by the sound of the French language in the speech of native speakers. In French, the stress ALWAYS falls on the last syllable. Moreover, often on the last syllable not even of a word, but of a phrase or a significant part of a phrase, that is, before a pause in speech. The letters -e, -s, -t, -d, -z, -x, -p, -g (and often their combinations) at the end of words are NOT READABLE. Remember that there are exceptions to every rule: fils (son) is read as [fis]. Voiced consonants are always pronounced clearly and are not deafened at the end of the word: Parade, plage, journal, telephone, Arabe. Double consonants are read as one: Personne, adresse, professeur. The letter combination “oi” gives a semivowel semivowel sound in Russian transcription [ua]: Trois [trois], voilà [veil], trottoir [sidewalk], répertoire [repertoire]. The letter combinations “eau”, “au” give a closed sound [o]: Tableau [table], bureau [bureau]. The letter combinations “ai” and “ei” give an open sound [ɛ]: Chaise [shez], portrait [portre], neige [nezh]. The letter combinations “eu” and “œu” give a sound similar to the Russian Ё after the consonants Adieu, il veut, sérieux, vœu, nœud, sœur, cœur, fleur, directeur, couleur œuf, bœuf, manœuvre, chef-d'œuvre (masterpiece ). E, è, ê, é, е under stress and in a closed syllable is read as “e”: fourchette [buffet] - fork. e in an unstressed syllable is read approximately like the German “ö” - like the letter “e” in the word Möbius: menu [menu], regarder [rögarde]. In order to make this sound, you need to stretch your lips forward like a bow and at the same time pronounce the letter “e”. In the middle of words in an open syllable, this letter is dropped completely during pronunciation (e is fluent). So, for example, the word carrefour (crossroads) is read as [kar "fur] (the unstressed "e" in the middle of the word is not pronounced). It would not be a mistake to read it [karefur], but when you speak quickly, it falls out, as it turns out to be a weak sound . Madeleine - [madeleine]. E at the end of words (see exceptions below) is not read (in songs and poems it is sometimes pronounced, if there are any symbols above it, it is always read, no matter where it is). régime [mode], rosé [rose] - pink wine. In monosyllabic words, e is read at the end of words - if you don’t read it there, the syllable cannot be formed at all. These are articles, prepositions, pronouns, demonstrative adjectives: le [le], de [de], je [zhe], me [мё], ce [сё]. The letter “s” between vowels is voiced - gives the sound [z]: Lise, Basile, une surprise, visa, visite, dose, pose, rose, viscose, casino, camisole, crise, sclerose, narcose, crise. The unreadable ending -s, which forms the plural of nouns and adjectives, even if it appears, does not make the letter -e at the end of the word readable: régime and régimes are read the same - [mode]. -er at the ends of words is read as “e”: parler [parle] – talk. -er is the standard ending for French regular verbs. The u is pronounced like the "yu" in the word "muesli". Example: cuvette is read [ditch] and means “ditch”, parachute [parachute] means “parachute”, the same thing happens with purée (mashed potatoes) and confiture (jam). To make an open "u" sound, use the combination ou. Souvenir [souvenir] - memory, fourchette [buffet] - fork, carrefour [carrefour] - crossroads; pronouns nous (we) read [well], vous (you and you) read [vu]. y is read as [i], but next to vowels it is more like the Russian Y. The letter l is read softly: étoile [etoile] - star, table [table] - table, banal [banal] - banal, canal [channel], carnaval [carnival] ]. g is read as "g", but before e, i and y it is read as "zh". For example: général - read [general], régime [mode], agiotage [excitement]. A good example is the word garage - read [garage] - the first g before a is read firmly, and the second g before e is read as "zh". The letter combination gn is read as [н] - for example, in the word cognac [cognac] - cognac, champignons [champignon] - mushrooms, champagne [champagne] - champagne, lorgnette [lornet] - binoculars. s is read as "k", but before e, i and y it is read as "s". For example: certificat reads [certificate]. If it is necessary to change this behavior, that is, to force this letter to be read as [s] before other vowels, a tail is attached to it at the bottom: Ç and ç. Ça is read as [sa]; garçon [garson] - boy, maçon (mason), façon (style), façade (facade). The famous French greeting Comment ça va [coma~ sa va] (or more often just ça va) means “how are you”, and literally “how is it going”. You can see in films that they say hello like that. One asks: “Ça va?”, the other answers: “Ça va, ça va!”. (High punctuation marks - exclamation and question marks, semicolons, as well as parentheses and quotation marks - are separated from words by spaces, unlike in Russian.) At the ends of words, c is rarely found. Unfortunately, there is no hard and fast rule about when to read it and when not to. This is simply remembered for each word - fortunately there are few of them: for example, blanc [bl "an] - white, estomac [estoma] - stomach and tabac [tab] is not readable, and cognac (cognac) and avec (with, together with) - is read. h is NEVER read. As if it does not exist. Except for the combinations of “ch”, “th” and “ph”, sometimes this letter acts as a separator - if it occurs within a word between vowels, this indicates their separate reading: Sahara. [sa-ara], cahier [ka-ye]. In any case, the combination ch gives the sound [w]. For example, chance [chance] - luck, chantage [blackmail], cliché [cliché], cache-nez [muffler] - scarf (literally: I hide my nose); ph is read as "f": photo. th is read as "t": théâtre [theater], thé [thé] - tea - read as Russian "p". ": portrait [portrait]. In the middle of the word, the letter p before t is not readable: sculpture [sculpture] j - reads like Russian zh: bonjour [bonjour] - hello, jalousie [blinds] - envy, jealousy and blinds, sujet [story] - plot. s reads like Russian “s”: geste [gesture], régisseur [director], chaussée [highway]; between two vowels s is voiced and read as “z”: fuselage [fuselage], limousine [limousine] - very intuitive. The letter combination “ier” gives the semivowel sound [je] or [е] (Russian transcription): Plumier, pionnier, papier, tablier, cahier, calendrier. The letter combination “ill” gives the semivowel sound [j] or [й] (Russian transcription): Famille, fille, pavillon, quadrille, médaille, oreille, gorille, feuille, vieille, maquillage. The letter combination “qu” gives the sound [k]: Qui, que, quatre, quarante, quatorze, cirque, masque, fabrique, polyclinique, bibliothèque, disque, baraque, panique, squelette, jaquette, kiosque, paquet, breloque, quadrille, coquette, mosaïque, Monique, Afrique, Amérique, critique. The remaining consonants - n, m, p, t, x, z - are read more or less obviously. But N and M, when combined with vowels, give rise to a whole class of sounds. The fact is that after vowels (but not before other vowels), N and M themselves are not read, but they nasalize (that is, force them to be pronounced “in the nose”) the preceding vowels: mon [mo~] (my, my, etc.) n.) rejoindre [rəzhua~dr] (to connect) But at the same time: madame [madam] (madam) mademoiselle [mademoiselle] (mademoiselle) Letter combinations “in, im” give a nasal sound [ɛ] before a consonant or at the end of a word: Singe , magasin, jardin. Before vowels “in, im”, as well as inn, imm, are read as , magazine, inértion, immeuble, marine. Letter combinations “ein, aim, ain” give a nasal sound [ẽ] before consonants or at the end of a word: Plein, peintre, train , pain, demain, faim The nasal sound is lost before vowels: Baleine, migraine The letter combinations “yn, ym” give the nasal sound [ẽ]: Syndicat, sympathie, symphonie. The letter combinations “un, um” give the nasal sound [œ]: Brun, parfum, un, lundi, tribun. But before the vowel “un, um” they lose their nasal sound and read brune, parfumérie. The letter combination “oin” gives a nasal sound: Loin, point, coin. The letter combination “ien” produces a nasal sound: Bien, rien, chien, musicien.
Let's start with the rules of reading. I just beg you: don’t try to learn them right away! Firstly, it won’t work - after all, there are a lot of them, and secondly, it’s not necessary. Everything will settle down over time. You can just look at this page periodically. The main thing is to read them carefully (maybe more than one sitting), look at the examples, try to do the exercises and check yourself - next to the exercises there is a sound - how the French pronounce the same words.
During the first six lessons, in a separate tab you will find a cheat sheet for all French reading rules, so you will always have all the material from this page in a compressed form at your fingertips. :)
During the first six lessons, in a separate tab you will find a cheat sheet for all French reading rules, so you will always have all the material from this page in a compressed form at your fingertips. :)
The main thing you need to remember is that the reading rules There is. This means that, knowing the rules, you can always - almost always - read an unfamiliar word. This is why French does not require transcription (only in the case of fairly rare phonetic exceptions). The beginnings of the first five lessons are also devoted to reading rules - there you will find additional exercises to consolidate skills. Starting from the third lesson, you can download the sound and listen to detailed explanations of the reading rules made by a professional phonetician.
Let's start learning :) Let's go!
In French, the stress ALWAYS falls on the last syllable... This is news to you, isn't it? ;-)
-s, -t, -d, -z, -x, -p, -g (as well as their combinations) at the end of words are NOT READABLE.
Vowels
e, è, ê, é, ё under stress and in a closed syllable it is read as “e”: fourchette [buffet] - fork. “But there is a nuance” (c) that can be neglected at the initial stage. Reading a letter e in all its guises is discussed in detail in the third lesson from the very beginning - I must say, there is a lot there.
e V unstressed syllable reads approximately like the German "ö" - like the letter "e" in the word Möbius: menu [menu], regarder [rögarde]. In order to make this sound, you need to stretch your lips forward like a bow (as in the picture below) and at the same time pronounce the letter “e”.
In the middle of words in an open syllable, this letter is dropped completely during pronunciation (e is fluent). So, for example, the word carrefour (crossroads) is read as [kar "fur] (the unstressed "e" in the middle of the word is not pronounced). It would not be a mistake to read it [karefur], but when you speak quickly, it falls out, as it turns out to be a weak sound . Épicerie (grocery) is read as [epis"ri]. Madeleine
- [madeleine].
Madeleine metro station in Paris
And so - in so many words. But don’t be afraid - weak “e” will fall out on their own, because this is natural :)
e This phenomenon also happens in our speech, we just don’t think about it. For example, the word “head”: when we pronounce it, the first vowel is so weak that it falls out, and we practically do not pronounce it and say [glava]. I’m not even talking about the word “eleventh”, which we pronounce as [one] (I discovered this in my son’s notebook; at first I was horrified: how could so many mistakes be made in one word, and then I realized that the child simply wrote this word down by ear - we really pronounce it that way :).
at the end of words (see exceptions below) is not read (it is sometimes pronounced in songs and poems). If there are any icons above it, it is always readable, no matter where it stands. For example: régime [mode], rosé [rose] - rose wine. e In monosyllable words
at the end of words it is read - if it is not read there, a syllable cannot be formed at all. These are articles, prepositions, pronouns, demonstrative adjectives: le [le], de [de], je [zhe], me [мё], ce [сё]. Unreadable ending -s, forming the plural of nouns (something familiar, right?) and adjectives, if it appears, does not make a letter
-e at the end of the word readable: régime and régimes are read the same - [mode]. -er at the ends of words it is read as "e": conférenci -er er -er[entertainer] - speaker, ateli -er[studio], dossi -er[dossier], canotier, collier, croupier, portier and finally foyer [foyer]. You will find -er at the end of all regular verbs: parl [parle] – talk, mang[manzhe] - there is;
-er is the standard ending for French regular verbs.
a- reads like “a”: valse [waltz].
i(including with icons) - reads like "and": vie [vi] - life (quickly remember "C" est la vie" :). o– reads like “o”: locomotive [locomotive],
compote[compote] - fruit puree. u reads like the "yu" in the word "muesli". Example: cuvette is read [ditch] and means “ditch”, parachute [parachute] - means “parachute” :), the same happens with purée (puree), and c
To make an open sound “u”, use the combination ou(this is familiar from English: you, group [group], router [router], tour [tour]).
Souvenir [souvenir] - memory, fourchette [buffet] - fork, carrefour [carrefour] - crossroads;
pronouns nous (we) read [well], vous (you and you) read [vu]. Consonants Letter
l read softly: étoile [etoile] - star, table [table] - table, banal [banal] - banal, canal [channel], carnaval [carnival]. g, read like "g", but before e i And y it is read as "zh". For example: général - read [general], régime [mode], agiotage [excitement]. A good example is the word garage - read [garage] - first g before y it is read as "zh". For example: général - read [general], régime [mode], agiotage [excitement]. A good example is the word garage - read [garage] - first a reads firmly, and the second
e - like "w". Letter combination gn read as [н] - for example, in the name of a city Cognac[cognac] - Cognac, in the words champi Cognac gn Cognac ons [champignon] - mushrooms, champa
e [champagne] - champagne, lor ette [lorgnette] - binoculars. c pronounced as "k", mas ca rade [masquerade], already mentioned by us co mpote and g, read like "g", but before e i cu vette. But before three vowels it is read as "s". For example: ce rtificat read [certificate], vélo ci pède - [bicycle], moto
cy Ç e ç cle - [motorcycle].
If you need to change this behavior, that is, make this letter read like [s] before other vowels, attach a tail to it at the bottom: . Ça is read as [sa]; garçon [garson] - boy, maçon (mason), façon (style), façade (facade). The famous French greeting Comment ça va [coma~ sa va] (or more often just ça va) means “how are you”, and literally “how is it going”. In films you can see - they say hello like that. One asks: “Ça va?”, the other answers: “Ça va, Ça va!”. At the ends of words c
is rare. Unfortunately, there is no hard and fast rule about when to read it and when not to. This is simply remembered for each word - fortunately there are few of them: for example, blanc [bl "an] - white, estomac [estoma] - stomach and tobacco correctly pronounced (surprise!) as [ansi]: “h” is not readable, “e” is fluent, double ss is used to silence s and as double [s] is not readable (see below for the rule for reading the letter s); other pronunciations are categorically incorrect. I bet you didn't know that! :) Combination ch gives the sound [w]. For example, chance [chance] - luck, luck, chantage [blackmail], cliché [cliché], cache-nez [muffler] - scarf (literally: hides the nose);
ph read as "f": photo. th read as “t”: théâtre [theater], thé [those] - tea.
p reads like a Russian "p": portrait [portrae]. In the middle of the word, the letter p before the t is not readable: sculpture [sculpture].
j- reads like a Russian "zh": bonjour [bonjour] - hello, jalousie [blinds] - envy, jealousy and blinds, sujet [plot] - plot.
s reads like Russian “s”: geste [gesture], régisseur [director], chaussée [highway]; between two vowels s is voiced and reads like “z”: fuselage [fuselage], limousine [limousine] - very intuitive. If you need to make s unvoiced between vowels, it is doubled. Compare: poison [poison] - poison, and poisson [poisson] - fish;
the same Hennessy - [ansi]. The rest of the consonants (how many of them are left? :) - n, m, p, t, x, z - read more or less obviously. Some minor features of reading x and t will be described separately - rather for the sake of order. Well and e n m
in combination with vowels they give rise to a whole class of sounds, which will be described in a separate, most interesting section.
Here is a list of words given above as examples - before doing the exercise, it is better to listen to how the French pronounce these words.
| menu, regarder, carrefour, régime, rosé, parler, cuvette, parachute, confiture, souvenir, fourchette, nous, vous, étoile, table, banal, canal, carnaval, général, valse, garage, cognac, champignons, champagne, certificate, chance, théâtre, thé, portrait, sculpture, bonjour, sujet, geste, chaussée. | Aa[a] | Jj [Ʒ] |
| Ss [s], see 10 | Bb[b] | Kk[k] |
| Tt [t], see 35 | Cc cm.12 | Ll [l] cm.6 |
| Uu[y] | Dd [d] | mm [m] |
| Vv[v] | Ee see 24-26, 36 | Nn[n] |
| Ww[v] | Ff[f] | Oo[o] |
| Xx cm.11 | Gg cm.13 | Pp[p] |
| Yy [i], see 28 | Hh is unreadable | Qq see 17 |
| Zz[z] | Ii [i], see 18 |
Rr[r]
In addition to letters from the alphabet, a number of letters with various superscript and subscript marks are used:
How to Print French Badges
Reading rules
1. The stress in a word always falls on the last syllable. 2. The words at the end are not readable: “ e, t, d, s, x, z, p, g ” (except for some exceptions), as well as letter combinations “”: rose, nez, climat, trop, heureux, nid, sang; roses, nids, cadets.
3. The endings of verbs are not read “ -ent”: ils parlent.
4. At the end of the word “r” after “e” is not readable (- er): parler.
Exceptions: in some nouns and adjectives, for example: hiver , cher [ʃ ɛ: r] mer ,hier , fer ,ver .
5. The end of the word is unreadable “ c” after nasal vowels: un banc.
6. Letter “ l” always reads softly.
7. Voiced consonants are always pronounced clearly and are not deafened at the end of a word (about phonetic assimilation in French). Unstressed vowels are pronounced clearly and are not reduced.
8. Before the consonant sounds [r], [z], [Ʒ], [v], stressed vowel sounds acquire length: base.
9. Double consonants are read as one sound: pomm e.
10. Letter “ s” between vowels gives the sound [z]: ros e .
- In other cases – [s]: ves te.
- Two "s" ( ss) are always read as [s]: class e.
11. Letter “ x” at the beginning of a word between vowels is read as: ex otique [ɛ gzotik].
- When not at the beginning of a word, the letter “x” is pronounced [ks]: tax i.
- In cardinal numbers it is pronounced as [s]: Six, dix .
- In ordinal numbers it is pronounced as [z]: Six ième, dix ième .
12. Letter “ c” is read as [s] before “i, e, y”: cirque.
- In other cases it gives the sound [k]: c age.
- “ç ” is always read as the sound [s]: garç on .
At the end of the word the letter “ c”
- In most cases it is pronounced as [k]: parc.
- Not pronounced after nasal vowels - ban c and in some words ( porc, estomac [ɛstoma], tabac).
13. Letter “ y” is read as [Ʒ] before “i, e, y”: cag e.
- In other cases, the letter gives the sound [g]: gallop.
- Combination “ gu”before a vowel is read as 1 sound [g]: gu erre.
- Combination “ Cognac” is read as the sound [ƞ] (similar to Russian [н]): lign e.
14. Letter “ h” is never read: home, but is subdivided into h silent and h aspirated.
15. Letter combination “ ch” gives the sound [ʃ] = Russian [ш]: ch at [ʃa].
16. Letter combination “ ph” gives the sound [f]: Ph oto.
17. Letter combination “ qu” gives 1 sound [k]: qu i.
18. Letter “ read like "g", but before” before a vowel and the combination “ il” after the vowel at the end of the word are read as [j]: mie l, ail.
19. Letter combination “ ill” reads like [j] (after a vowel) or (after a consonant): family e.
Exceptions: ville, mille, tranquille, Lille and their derivatives.
20. Letter combination “ oi” gives a semivowel sound [wa]: troi s.
21. Letter combination “ ui” gives the semivowel sound [ʮi]: hui t [ʮit].
22. Letter combination “ ou” gives the sound [u]: cou r .
If after the letter combination “ ou” is a pronounced vowel letter, it is read as [w]: jouer [Ʒ we].
23. Letter combinations “ eau”, “au” give the sound [o]: beau coup, au to.
24. Letter combinations “ eu”, “œu” and the letter a(in an open unstressed syllable) are read as [œ] / [ø] / [ǝ]: neu f, pneu, re garder.
25. Letter “ è ” and the letter “ ê ” give the sound [ɛ]: crè me, tê te.
26. Letter “ é ” reads like [e]: té lé.
27. Letter combinations “ ai" And " ei” are read as [ɛ]: mais, beige.
28. Letter “ i” between vowels is “expanded” into 2 “i”: royal (roi – ial = [ rwa- jal]) .
- Between consonants it is read as [i]: stylo.
29. Letter combinations “ an, am, en, em” give a nasal sound [ɑ̃]: enfant [ɑ̃fɑ̃], ensemble [ɑ̃sɑ̃bl].
30. Letter combinations “ on, om” give a nasal sound [ɔ̃]: bon, nom.
31. Letter combinations “ in, im, ein, aim, ain, yn, ym” give a nasal sound [ɛ̃]: jardin [ Ʒardɛ̃], important [ɛ̃portɑ̃], symphonie, copain.
32. Letter combinations “ un, um” give a nasal sound [œ̃]: brun, parfum.
33. Letter combination “ oin” read [wɛ̃]: coin.
34. Letter combination “ ien” read [jɛ̃]: bien.
35. Letter “ t” gives the sound [s] before “i” + vowel: nation nal .
Exception: amitié , pitie .
- But, if the letter “t” is preceded by the letter “s”, “t” is read as [t]: question.
36. Fluent [ǝ] in the flow of speech may fall out of pronunciation or, conversely, appear where it is not pronounced in an isolated word:
Acheter, les cheveux.
In the flow of speech, French words lose their stress, uniting into groups with a common semantic meaning and a common stress on the last vowel (rhythmic groups).
Reading within a rhythmic group requires mandatory adherence to two rules: cohesion (enchainement) and binding (liaison).
a) Concatenation: the final pronounced consonant of one word forms one syllable with the initial vowel of the next word: elle aime, la salle est claire.
in French
French is famous for its complex spelling. Such a number of silent letters, that is, letters that are not pronounced, as well as combinations of several letters that are read with one sound, are not found in any other European language. This is due to the history of the development of the language and the national characteristics of its people - the French do not want to forget their ancestors and, in tribute to them, they retain their complex written language, but constantly simplify their oral speech.
If you accept the fact that you don’t need to read some of the letters, then reading French is quite easy, but writing it is much more difficult. And by ear, there is very little chance of spelling a word in French correctly if you have never seen how it is written, which is why it is so important to read books in French. Only books can help you learn French spelling.
For Russian speakers, there is a certain difficulty in mastering French pronunciation, since it contains a number of sounds that have no analogues in the Russian language. But these sounds are few and quite easy to master.
The French language uses the Latin alphabet, there are no letters of its own, but there are letters with so-called diacritics (dashes, sticks, checkmarks and dots above the letters), which we will consider below
Let's move on to the reading rules.
Vowels and their combinations
In general, vowels are read fairly standardly: a [a], e [e], i [and], o [o], u [y], y [and]
But they have some peculiarities
1. Letter a:
- in an open unstressed syllable reads like [œ] - something in between o, e and e (we put our lips together as to pronounce o, but try to pronounce e)
- at the end of a word of several syllables it is not readable at all
2. Letter u read as something between u and yu (as in the word tulle)
3. Letter y:
- between vowels it is read as [th] ( royal).
- between consonants is read as [and] ( style).
4. Before the consonant sounds [r], [z], [zh], [v], [v], stressed vowel sounds become long: base [baaz].
Vowels with diacritics (dashes and sticks)
Above French vowels we often see various dashes, sticks, ticks, dots, etc. This is again a tribute from the French to their ancestors, since these symbols mean that next to this letter there used to be a consonant, which is no longer written. For example, the word holiday fête came from a Latin word and lost the letter s in the middle, but in the Russian word of the same origin “festival” and the Spanish “fiesta” this letter remained.
In most cases, these symbols do not affect pronunciation, but help to distinguish similar words by meaning, but you will not hear this difference by ear!
You only need to remember the following options:
- è e ê read as [ɛ] (like Russian e): tête.
- é read as [e] (like the e in a smile): tele.
- If there are two dots above a vowel, then you just need to pronounce it separately from the previous one: Noël, egoïst
Special vowel combinations
- oi reads like [ua]: trois [trois].
- ui read as [ui]: n uit [nui]
- ou reads like [y]: cour [chickens].
- eau andau read as [o]: beaucoup [side], auto [from].
- eu, œu and letter a(in an open unstressed syllable) are read as [œ] / [ø] / [ǝ] (something between o and e): neuf [nave], regarder [regarde].
- ai e ei read as [e]: mais [me], beige [bezh].
Consonants and their combinations
Most of the consonants are read standardly:
b - [b]; s - [k]; d - [d]; f -[f]; g - [g]; h - [x]; j - [j]; l - [l]; m - [m]; n - [n]; p - [p]; r -[r]; s - [s]; t - [t]; v - [in]; w - [ue]; x - [ks]; z - [z]
Features of French consonants:
- h never read
- l always reads softly
- n at the end of a syllable is always read nasally
- r always reads burly
But, of course, there are other options for reading these consonants:
1. consonants are NOT readable (silent consonants):
- The words at the end are unreadable: t, d, s, x, z, p, g, ” (except for some exceptions), as well as letter combinations “ (rose, nez, climate, trop, heureux, nid, sang; roses, nids, cadets)
- The end of the word is unreadable c after n: unbanc.
- The endings of verbs are not readable -ent: ilsparlent.
- At the end of the word the r after the e is not readable (- er): parler.
Exceptions: in some nouns and adjectives, for example: hiver [iver] , cher [share] mer [mayor],hier [yer], fer [fair] ,ver [ver] .
2. special cases of reading consonants
- double consonants are read as one sound: pomme [pom],classe [class].
- c read as [s] before i, e, y and, if written with a tail at the bottom ç : Circe,garçon , V in other cases it is read as [k]
- y reads like [zh] before i, e, y: courage, inin other cases it is read as [g]: garçon [garcon]
- s between vowels is read as [z]: vase [vaaz]
- x reads:
- at the beginning of a word between vowels like [gz]: exotic
]
- in cardinal numbers as [s]: six [sis], dix[dis].
- in ordinal numbers as [z]: sixième [light blue], dixième[disiem]
- in other cases as [ks]
- t read as [s] before i + vowel: national [national]
3. special combinations of consonants
- ch reads like [sh]: chercher [chershe].
- phreads like [f]:photo [photo].
- Cognac reads like [н]: ligne [tench].
Special combinations of vowels and consonants
- qu reads like [k]: qui [ki].
- gu before a vowel it is read as [g]: guerre [ger].
- il And ill reads like [th]: travail [travai], famille [surname].
Exceptions: ville [ville], mille [miles], tranquille [tranquille], Lille [lil].
Nasal sounds (n at the end of a syllable is always read nasally):
- an, am, en, em[an]: enfance, ensemble
- on, om[He]: bon, nom
- in, im, ein, aim, ain, yn, ym[en]: jardin
- un, um[yong]: brun, parfum
- oin[wen]: coin.
- ien[en]: bien.
Accent
Simply wonderful news awaits you here! In French, the stress always falls on the last syllable. There are no more rules. There is no such gift for language learners in any other European language.
But remember, if the words are connected or concatenated, then the stress falls on the last syllable of the last word of this construction.
Cohesion and linking of words in French
- Concatenation: the final pronounced consonant of one word forms one syllable with the initial vowel of the next word: el l e aime [elem]
- Linking: The final unpronounceable consonant begins to sound by linking with the initial vowel of the next word: c'es t elle [se tel], à neu f heures [and never].
Apostrophe
An apostrophe is a comma at the top.
Pronouns and articles ending in a vowel lose it and are replaced with an apostrophe if they are followed by a word beginning with a vowel sound
Instead of c a est - c’est [se], l a arbre – l’arbre [lyarbr], j a ai – j’ai [zhe], je t a aim - je t’aim [zhe tem]
If you are in doubt about how to read a word, enter it into any free online translator and click “listen”. Google has such a translator. His French-Russian version of the translator is so-so, but he pronounces the words well :)
Typical mistakes Russian speakers make in pronunciation of French words:
Usually, the easiest way to identify a Russian person speaking French is by the incorrect pronunciation of those French sounds that have no analogues in the Russian language:
- Russians make a sound [œ] like [e], but it should be like something in between o, e and e (we put our lips together as to pronounce o, but try to pronounce e). This sound appears when reading eu and e at the end of a word consisting of one syllable (qu a, f eu, p eu x, m a,t a, c a,v oeu, nerve eu x, s eu l,l eu r, c oeu r, s oeu r)
- we make a sound [u] like a regular [u] or [yu], but you need something in between u and u (as in the word “tulle”)
- carat french r we pronounce it awkwardly
- and we pronounce nasal sounds as simply [n].
- Also, Russians in French often have no difference between long and short vowels
- and too firm pronunciation of the letter l
But even if you say it this way, you will still be understood. It’s better to speak French with a Russian accent than not to speak it at all.
To learn to read French, you need to know the rules of reading. There are quite a lot of them in the French language, so you don’t need to try to learn all the rules at once. It is enough to periodically glance at the table during the process of learning and consolidating the material. The main thing is to remember that reading rules exist, which means that once you master them, you will be able to read any unfamiliar word. This is why the French language does not require transcription (except for rare phonetic cases).
Before you start getting acquainted with the rules of reading, first of all you need to learn the French alphabet and remember 5 basic rules:
- the stress ALWAYS falls on the last syllable of the word (examples: argent, festival, venir);
- the letters -s, -t, -d, -z, -x, -p, -g, e, c (and their combinations) are NOT READABLE in words if they appear at the end (examples: mais, agent, fond, nez, époux, morse, banc);
- the ending of verbs in the present tense “-ent” (3l. unit h) is never read (example: ils parlent);
- the letter “l” is always softened, reminiscent of the Russian [l];
- double consonants are read as one sound in French, for example: pomme.
In addition to the letters of the alphabet, letters with icons (superscript and subscript), presented below in the table, are used in writing.
Vowels and letter combinations in French
French vowels are pronounced according to clear rules of pronunciation, but there are many exceptions related to both analogy and the influence of neighboring sounds.
| Letter/Letter combination | Pronunciation of sound | Example |
| "oi" | semivowel [wa] | trois |
| "ui" | [ʮi] | huit [ʮit] |
| “ou”* | [u] | cour |
| “eau”, “au” | [o] | beaucoup,auto |
| “eu”, “œu”, as well as the letter e (in an open unstressed syllable) | [œ] / [ø] / [ǝ] | neuf, pneu, regarder |
| “è” and “ê” | [ɛ] | crème, tête |
| “é” | [e] | tele |
| "ai" and "ei" | [ɛ] | mais, beige |
| “y”* in the position between vowels forms | 2 "i" | royal (roi – ial = ) |
| “an, am, en, em” | nasal [ɑ̃] | enfant [ɑ̃fɑ̃], ensemble [ɑ̃sɑ̃bl] |
| “on, om” | nasal [ɔ̃] | bon, nom |
| “in, im, ein, aim, ain, yn, ym” | nasal [ɛ̃] | jardin [Ʒardɛ̃], important [ɛ̃portɑ̃], symphonie, copain |
| “un, um” | nasal [œ̃] | brun, parfum |
| "oin" | [wɛ̃] | coin |
| "ien" | [jɛ̃] | bien |
| “i” before a vowel and in combination with “il” after a vowel at the end of a word | [j] | miel, ail. |
| “ill”* | [j] – after a vowel – after a consonant | famille |
*If the letter combination “ou” is followed by a pronounced vowel, then the sound is read as [w]. For example, in the word jouer [Ʒwe].
*Located between consonants, the letter “y” is read as [i]. For example, in the word stylo.
*In a stream of speech, the fluent sound [ǝ] may be barely audible or completely dropped out of pronunciation. But there are also cases when a sound, on the contrary, can appear where it is not pronounced in an isolated word. Examples: acheter, les cheveux.
*Exceptions are the words tranquille, ville, mille, Lille, as well as their derivatives.
Correct pronunciation of consonants and letter combinations
| Letter/Letter combination | Pronunciation of sound | Example |
| “t”* | [s] before “i” + vowel [t] if “t” is preceded by “s” | national question |
| "s" | between vowels [z] [s] – in other cases | rose |
| "ss" | Always [s] | class |
| "x" | at the beginning of a word between vowels [ks] in other cases; [s] in cardinal numbers; [z] in ordinal numbers | exotique [ɛgzotik] Six, dix Sixième, dixième |
| “c”* | [s] before vowels “i, e, y” [k] – in other cases | cirque |
| “ç” | always [s] | garçon |
| "g" | [Ʒ] before vowels “i, e, y” [g] – in other cases | cage |
| "gu" | like 1 sound [g] before vowels | guerre |
| "gn" | [ɲ] (sounds like Russian [н]) | ligne |
| "ch" | [ʃ] (sounds like Russian [ш]) | chat [ʃa] |
| "ph" | [f] | photo |
| "qu" | 1 sound [k] | qui |
| “r”* | unreadable after “e” at the end of a word | parler |
| “h”* | never read, but divided into h silent and h aspirated | homme |
| “th“ | [t] | Marthe |
*Exception words: amitié, pitié.
*The letter is not pronounced at the end of a word after nasal vowels. For example: banc. And also in words such as (porc, tabac, estomac [ɛstoma]).
*Exceptions are some nouns and adjectives: hiver, fer, cher [ʃɛ:r], ver, mer, hier.
*In French, the letter “h” plays a specific role in pronunciation:
- when h is in the middle of a word between vowels, they are read separately, for example: Sahara, cahier, trahir;
- with the silent h at the beginning of the word, a connection is made and the vowel is dropped, for example: l‘hectare, ilshabitent;
- before the aspirative h, no binding is made and the vowel sound is not dropped, for example: la harpe, le hamac, les hamacs, les harpes.
In dictionaries, words with an aspirated h are indicated by an asterisk, for example: *haut.
Cohesion, binding and other features of French phonetics
Voiced consonants should always be pronounced clearly, without deafening them at the end of the word. Unstressed vowels should also be pronounced clearly, without reducing them.
Before such consonant sounds as [r], [z], [Ʒ], [v], stressed vowels become long or acquire longitude, which is indicated in transcription by a colon. Example: base.
French words tend to lose their stress in the speech stream, since they are combined into groups that have a common semantic meaning and a common stress that falls on the last vowel. In this way, rhythmic groups are formed.
When reading a rhythmic group, be sure to follow two important rules: cohesion (French enchainement) and binding (French liaison). Without knowledge of these two phenomena, learning to hear, distinguish and understand words in a stream of French speech will be extremely difficult.
Concatenation is the phenomenon when a pronounced consonant at the end of one word forms one syllable with a vowel at the beginning of the next word. Examples: elle aime, j'habite, la salle est claire.
Linking is when the final unpronounceable consonant is pronounced by linking it with the vowel at the beginning of the next word. Examples: c'est elle or à neuf heures.
check yourself
Having carefully read all the rules and exceptions, now try to read the words given in the exercises below without looking at the theoretical material.
Exercise 1
sale, date, vaste, père, mère, valse, sûr, crème, rate, tête, traverse, appeler, vite, pièce, fête, bête, crêpe, marcher, répéter, pomme, tu, armée, les, mes, pénétrer, le, je, me, ce, monopole, chat, photo, regarder, pianiste, ciel, miel, donner, minute, une, bicyclette, théâtre, paragraphe, thé, marche, physicien, espagnol.
Exercise 2
titane, attire, tissage, titi, type, tirade, active, bicyclette, gypse, myrte, cycliste, Egypte;
naïf, maïs, laïcité, naïve, haïr, laïque, abïme;
fière, bière, ciel, carrière, piège, miel, pièce, panier;
pareil, abeille, vermeil, veille, merveille;
ail, médaille, bail, travail, détail, émail, vaille, détailler;
fille, bille, grille, billet, quille, ville;
habiter, trahi, géhenne, habiller, malhabile, hériter, inhabile, Sahara;
l’herbe – les herbes, l’habit – les habits, l’haltère – les haltères;
la harpe - les harpes, la hache - les haches, la halte - les haltes, la haie - les haies.