Sorting game
Silent or pronounced final consonant? Sort French words (CaReFuL)
Most final consonants in French are silent, but c, r, f and l are often pronounced. Sort sixteen words by whether you hear the last letter.
- A2
- 16 words to sort
- 2 boxes
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In short
Most final consonants are silent in French: petit, grand, temps, nez. But the letters of *CaReFuL (c, r, f, l) are usually pronounced: avec, bonjour, neuf, avril. The big exception: -er verbs and many nouns in -er have a silent r (parler, le boulanger*).
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Tap a word, then the box it belongs in.
Which French final consonants are pronounced?
| Letter | Pronounced | Silent exceptions |
|---|---|---|
| c | sac, lac, avec | blanc, banc, tabac |
| r | mer, cher, sur | -er verbs, boulanger, premier |
| f | chef, neuf, actif | clef (key) |
| l | sel, avril, ciel | gentil, outil, fusil |
Final consonants that are normally silent can come back in liaison: petit ami ("peti-tami"), vous avez ("vou-zavé"). Numbers are a special case: six and dix end in an s-sound alone, are silent before a consonant (six livres) and sound like z before a vowel (six amis).
- Client
Un sac, s'il vous plaît… et du sel.
A bag, please… and some salt.
- Vendeur
Avec plaisir ! Et un petit cadeau pour vous.
With pleasure! And a little gift for you.
- Client
Merci, c'est très gentil !
Thanks, that's very kind!
- Je dis le « t » de petit.petit = « peti »
Final t is silent (except in liaison).
- Je prononce le « r » de parler.parler = « parlé »
Infinitives in -er end in an é sound.