Verb drill
French é pronunciation: café, été and a steady /e/
Learn the French é sound in café, été, clé and vélo. Read four picture words, then restore the accents in an eight-answer sentence drill.
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In short
French é represents /e/, the vowel in café /kafe/ and both syllables of été /ete/. Keep the vowel steady, with your lips unrounded. The accent tells you about the vowel; it is not an instruction to stress that syllable strongly.
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How do you pronounce é in French?
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| café | /kafe/ | coffee; café |
| été | /ete/ | summer |
| clé | /kle/ | key |
| vélo | /velo/ | bicycle |
Start with é, then café, then Un café, s’il vous plaît. Many English speakers turn the vowel in ‘say’ into a glide. For this French target, hold one vowel quality from beginning to end. Keep your mouth comfortable and let the sound finish cleanly.
Read the word, then say the sentence
Find:
- Léa
Tu prends un café ?
Are you having a coffee?
- Sam
Oui, puis je pars au lycée.
Yes, then I’m leaving for school.
- Léa
À vélo ?
By bike?
- Sam
Oui. Ma clé est dans mon sac.
Yes. My key is in my bag.
In lycée /lise/, the final é is followed by a silent written e. You still finish with /e/. In canapé /kanape/, only the final syllable has this vowel; the earlier a letters keep their own sounds.
Restore the accents
Type the complete word named in brackets, including its accent or accents. Each sentence gives you the meaning. Use the reference above first, then try the sheet again with that section covered.
1 · Eight words with é
- Je voudrais un , s’il vous plaît. (coffee)
- Cet , je reste à Lyon. (summer)
- La est dans mon sac. (key)
- Je vais au travail à . (bicycle)
- Le est vert. (sofa)
- Léa va au . (high school)
- Le dort. (baby)
- Le cours est . (terminer: past participle)
Which spellings make the é sound?
Parler, parlé and parlez all end in /e/. Keep é as your clear reference: the mark points to the vowel even when another spelling makes the same sound. The linked page on verb endings shows how the sentence helps you choose among the three spellings.