a à â
The sound these letters represent are all the same. See the phonology section for the sound /ɑ/.
Avancé /ɑvãse/
À /ɑ/
Âge /ɑʒ/
a à â
The sound these letters represent are all the same. See the phonology section for the sound /a/.
Braguette /bragɛt/
Fâché /faʃe/
Déjà /deʒa/
-ère -erre -er- -aire
This sound can only be represented by the above combinations. See the phonology section for the sound /æ/.
Frère /frær/
Terre /tær/
Cerclage /særklaʒ/
Dictionnaire /diksjɔ̃nær/
o
This sound can only be represented by the above letter in a closed syllable. See the phonology section for the sound /ɔ/.
Corniche /kɔrniʃ/
Encoche /ãkɔʃ/
Loche /lɔʃ/
o ô au -eau -eaux
This sound can be represented by the above letters. In the case of the letter O, it can only be pronounced /o/ in an open syllable. The letter Ô and the vowel combination au are always pronounced /o/ regardless if they are in an open or closed syllable. See the phonology section for the sound /o/.
Lololle /lolɔl/
Côte /kot/
Faute /fot/
-è- -ê- -ë- -aine -ect -eine- -elle -emme -enne -ette -ième
This sound has a range of orthographic representations. Of course, this sound only occurs in closed syllables. See the phonology section for the sound /ɛ/.
Élève /elɛv/
Prête /prɛt/
Israël /israɛl/
Africaine /ɑfrikɛn/
Direct /dirɛct/
Peine /pɛn/
Demoiselle /dəmwazɛl/
Dilemme /dilɛm/
Européenne /øropeɛn/
Étiquette /etikɛt/
Deuxième /døzjɛm/
-é -ée -è- -ai- -er -es -ès -et et -ez -ied -ayer
This sound has a range of orthographic representations. Of course, this sound only occurs in open syllables. See the phonology section for the sound /e/.
Déclaration /deklarasjɔ̃/
Fiancée /fjãse/
Aider /ede/
Parler /parle/
Les /le/
Après /ɑpre/
Ballet /bale/
Et /e/
Nez /ne/
Pied /pje/
Payer /peje/
-eu- -euil- -euille- -oeur
This sound has a range of orthographic representations. Of course, this sound only occurs in closed syllables. See the phonology section for the sound /œ/.
Heure /œr/
Deuil /dœj/
Feuille /fœj/
Coeur /kœr
-eu- -euse
This sound only occurs in open syllables with the one exception listed above. See the phonology section for the sound /ø/.
Peu /pø/
Nerveuse /nærvøz/
-e-
This sound has one orthographic representation only. It occurs in unstressed-open positions only. When at the end of a word this letter is normally silent. See the phonology section for the sound /ə/.
Le /lə/
Demander /dəmãde/
Petite /pətit/
-i- -î- -ï- -ie -y-
When this letter is not part of the orthographic groups of letters representing other sounds, it is pronounced /i/. See the phonology section for the sound /i/.
Ici /isi/
Île /il/
Naïve /naiv/
Vie /vi/
Bicyclette /bisiklɛt/
eu -u- -û-
Except for the first example, which is the past participle of the french verb avoir, the other orthographic representations are pronounced /y/ when not part of other vowel combinations. See the phonology section for the sound /y/.
Eu /y/
Tu /ty/
Dû /dy/
-ou- -où-
This sound does not have a range of orthographic representations. It occurs in these combinations with or without consonants preceding or following it. See the phonology section for the sound /u/.
Ou /u/
Où /u/