French Phonetic Alphabets#
alphabet phonétique français
Vowels#
| IPA | Sound | Example |
| --- | --------------------------------- | ------- |
| /i/ | close front unrounded | *si* |
| /e/ | close-mid front unrounded | *été* |
| /ɛ/ | open-mid front unrounded | *mère* |
| /a/ | open front unrounded | *papa* |
| /ɑ/ | open back unrounded (formal/rare) | *pâte* |
| /o/ | close-mid back rounded | *eau* |
| /ɔ/ | open-mid back rounded | *porte* |
| /u/ | close back rounded | *fou* |
| /y/ | close front rounded | *lune* |
| /ø/ | close-mid front rounded | *peur* |
| /œ/ | open-mid front rounded | *sœur* |
| /ə/ | mid central (schwa) | *le* |
Nasal vowels
| IPA | Sound | Example |
| ----| -------------------- | ------- |
| /ɑ̃/ | open back nasal | *sans* |
| /ɛ̃/ | open-mid front nasal | *pain* |
| /œ̃/ | open-mid back nasal | *un* |
| /ɔ̃/ | open-mid back nasal | *nom* |
Consonants#
| IPA | Sound | Example |
| --- | ------------------------------------ | ---------- |
| /p/ | voiceless bilabial stop | *pas* |
| /b/ | voiced bilabial stop | *bon* |
| /t/ | voiceless alveolar stop | *tout* |
| /d/ | voiced alveolar stop | *don* |
| /k/ | voiceless velar stop | *coup* |
| /g/ | voiced velar stop | *gare* |
| /f/ | voiceless labiodental fricative | *femme* |
| /v/ | voiced labiodental fricative | *vin* |
| /s/ | voiceless alveolar fricative | *si* |
| /z/ | voiced alveolar fricative | *zéro* |
| /ʃ/ | voiceless postalveolar fricative | *chat* |
| /ʒ/ | voiced postalveolar fricative | *jour* |
| /m/ | bilabial nasal | *mère* |
| /n/ | alveolar nasal | *neuf* |
| /ɲ/ | palatal nasal | *montagne* |
| /ŋ/ | velar nasal (mostly in loanwords) | *parking* |
| /l/ | alveolar lateral | *lit* |
| /ʁ/ | voiced uvular fricative (French “r”) | *rue* |
| /j/ | palatal approximant | *fille* |
| /w/ | labial-velar approximant | *oui* |
| /ɥ/ | labial-palatal approximant | *nuit* |
French Alphabet#
| Letter | Name / Pronunciation |
| ------ | -------------------------------- |
| A | /a/ — *ah* |
| B | /be/ — *bay* |
| C | /se/ — *say* |
| D | /de/ — *day* |
| E | /ə/ or /ø/ — *uh / eu* |
| F | /ɛf/ — *ef* |
| G | /ʒe/ — *zhay* |
| H | /aʃ/ — *ahsh* |
| I | /i/ — *ee* |
| J | /ʒi/ — *zhee* |
| K | /ka/ — *kah* |
| L | /ɛl/ — *el* |
| M | /ɛm/ — *em* |
| N | /ɛn/ — *en* |
| O | /o/ — *oh* |
| P | /pe/ — *pay* |
| Q | /ky/ — *kew* |
| R | /ɛʁ/ — *air* (uvular French “r”) |
| S | /ɛs/ — *es* |
| T | /te/ — *tay* |
| U | /y/ — *ü* (front rounded vowel) |
| V | /ve/ — *vay* |
| W | /dublə.ve/ — *doo-bluh-vay* |
| X | /iks/ — *eeks* |
| Y | /igʁɛk/ — *ee-grek* |
| Z | /zɛd/ — *zed* |