Vocabulary list
French oi pronunciation: 14 words, from moi to voiture
Read oi as /wa/ in moi, trois, noir and everyday words. Learn with examples and picture cards, compare noix with noir, and spot the exception oignon.
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In short
In moi /mwa/, trois /tʁwa/ and noir /nwaʁ/, oi gives /wa/: a quick /w/ movement into /a/. Keep it in one syllable, like a short “wah”, rather than saying separate o and i vowels. The words below put the pattern into everyday phrases.
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Round your lips briefly for /w/, then open into the vowel. Try moi, then pour moi. In trois, the /tʁ/ comes before that same movement; in noir, /ʁ/ comes after it. The broad /a/ label is a useful starting point; regional accents give the vowel different shades.
Four short words to start with
Six things you can picture
An evening, two verbs and an exception
Say the word, then the whole sentence
Find:
How do you pronounce oi in French?
| Word | Pronunciation | Last sound |
|---|---|---|
| noix | /nwa/ | Ends on the vowel. |
| noir | /nwaʁ/ | Ends with /ʁ/. |
| trois | /tʁwa/ | Final s is silent when the number is said alone. |
| boîte | /bwat/ | Ends with /t/. |
Oignon is a frequent exception: a common pronunciation is /ɔɲɔ̃/, with no /wa/. The spelling ognon is also accepted. Keep this word on its own card. The diaeresis in égoïste signals a different pattern too: /eɡɔist/ has separate vowel syllables where ordinary oi words have /wa/.