French glides: practise /j/, /w/ and /ɥ/ in short phrases
Practise French glides with three phrase ladders, a lui/Louis comparison, picture prompts and questions on syllables and sound symbols.
In short
A glide moves quickly into a vowel: /j/ in pied, /w/ in oui, /ɥ/ in lui. Start with one word, then add a short phrase while keeping that word’s syllable count.
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| Glide | Word and meaning | Say this phrase | Keep together |
|---|---|---|---|
| /j/ | pied /pje/ — foot | Pose le pied ici. | /j/ + /e/: one syllable in pied |
| /w/ | oui /wi/ — yes | Oui, avec plaisir. | /w/ + /i/: one syllable in oui |
| /ɥ/ | lui /lɥi/ — him | Je parle avec lui. | /ɥ/ + /i/: one syllable in lui |
How do you pronounce French glides?
Read each row from left to right. Keep the target word compact as you add the surrounding words. For /j/, begin near the vowel /i/; for /w/, begin near /u/; for /ɥ/, begin near the rounded front vowel /y/. Move straight into the next vowel. Compare with a teacher’s spoken model.
| Word | Small group | Whole sentence |
|---|---|---|
| pied | le pied | Pose le pied ici. |
| oui | oui, merci | Oui, merci, je viens. |
| lui | avec lui | Je travaille avec lui. |
Je viens avec Louis. Je viens avec lui.
I’m coming with Louis. I’m coming with him.
Louis /lwi/ and lui /lɥi/ change only the glide in these word models. Keep /l/ and /i/ steady while comparing the middle sound.
Say a phrase from a picture
Four compact sound targets
Find:
The picture words contain /j/ in pied and chien, /w/ in oiseau, and /ɥ/ in pluie. Say the word before the example. Then hide the example and make your own short phrase. In Noël /nɔ.ɛl/, by contrast, the two vowels belong to two syllables: allow both to be heard.