Des lettres aux sons
1 · Read common vowel groups together
Ou commonly gives /u/; eau gives /o/. A group of letters can represent one vowel.
| soupe /sup/ | soup: ou → /u/ |
| eau /o/ | water: eau → /o/ |
La soupe est chaude.The soup is hot.
2 · Check the next letter after c
Before e, i or y, c commonly gives /s/. Before a, o or u, it commonly gives /k/. Ç keeps /s/ before a, o or u.
Un café, merci.A coffee, thank you.
Le garçon attend ici.The boy is waiting here.
3 · Look for a helper letter with g
G commonly gives /ʒ/ before e or i. In guitare, the u keeps /g/ before i and adds no vowel of its own.
| gâteau /ɡato/ | cake: g → /ɡ/ |
| guitare /ɡitaʁ/ | guitar: gu → /ɡ/ |
4 · Compare s and ss between vowels
A single s between vowels commonly gives /z/; ss gives /s/. Read both consonants as one /s/ sound.
| poison /pwazɔ̃/ | poison: /z/ |
| poisson /pwasɔ̃/ | fish: /s/ |
5 · Recognise a verb ending
In a regular present-tense form such as parlent, final -ent is silent. In the adjective lent, en belongs to a nasal vowel.
| parlent /paʁl/ | they speak |
| lent /lɑ̃/ | slow |
Elles parlent lentement.They speak slowly.
6 · Check endings in the whole word
Regular -er infinitives end in /e/: parler /paʁle/. Other words have their own endings: hiver ends in /ɛʁ/.
J’aime parler avec toi.I like talking with you.
L’hiver est froid.Winter is cold.