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French plus pronunciation: /ply/, /plys/ or /plyz/?

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Choose the sound of plus from a complete phrase: no longer, more, a comparison or a vowel link. Includes a compact reference and five meaning checks.

In short

Plus has three common readings: /ply/ in plus grand and je ne travaille plus; /plys/ in j’en veux plus meaning “I want more”; and /plyz/ when it links into a following vowel, as in plus utile. Start with the meaning and construction.

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A diner at a French kitchen table reaching for another piece of bread from a basket.
A shared meal gives context to j’en veux plus. Illustration: Atelier

Plus · three sounds to recognise

1 · /ply/: no longer, or a comparison before a consonant

For “no longer”, learn a complete ne…plus phrase. In adjective comparisons such as plus grand, the s is also silent.

plus courtmore + adjective beginning with a consonant

Je ne regarde plus la télé.I no longer watch television.

Ce trajet est plus court.This journey is shorter.

2 · /plys/: more at the end of a group

For a clear positive quantity, /plys/ is useful in j’en veux plus and plus de temps. Quantity expressions allow some variation; keep the whole phrase beside its meaning.

plus de tempsmore + noun quantity

J’en veux plus.I want more.

Il me faut plus de temps.I need more time.

3 · /plyz/: link into a vowel

In plus utile and plus intéressant, say a linking /z/. Negative plus can also link before a vowel, as in je n’habite plus ici.

plus utile/ply.zy.til/: /z/ leads into the following vowel

Ce conseil est plus utile.This advice is more useful.

Je n’habite plus ici.I no longer live here.

When is the s in plus pronounced?

Keep the meaning beside the phrase
FrenchIntended meaningUseful model for plus
J’en veux plus.I want more./plys/
Je n’en veux plus.I don’t want any more./ply/
Il est plus grand.He is taller./ply/
Il est plus âgé.He is older./plyz/

In everyday conversation, speakers often leave out ne. You can then hear j’en veux plus with /ply/ for “I don’t want any more” and /plys/ for “I want more”. The surrounding exchange helps too. Keep ne when you want your written negative to be explicit.

Choose from the whole sentence

Question 1No account needed
Use the model for a comparison before a consonant: plus rapide. Which reading fits plus?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

/ply/. Rapide is an adjective beginning with a consonant, so this comparison uses silent s.

Question 2No account needed
You want additional time. Which reading is the positive quantity model taught here?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

plus de temps — /plys/. The /plys/ model makes the positive quantity clear; de begins with a consonant.

Question 3No account needed
Which sound links plus into intéressant?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

/z/. The vowel-initial adjective takes the linking /z/: /plyz/ before intéressant.

Question 4No account needed
What does the complete negative mean?Je ne travaille plus.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

I no longer work.. Ne…plus marks a stopped situation: the person used to work and has stopped.

Question 5No account needed
Does /plyz/ by itself tell you that the meaning is positive?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

No, negative expressions can also link before a vowel.. The negative example je n’habite plus ici can contain a linking /z/ too.

Sources and further reading

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