u says "oo," almost

The French u sound is different from any sound we have in English. It is very close to the "oo" sound in food, but not exactly the same. To make the French u sound shape your tongue and teeth as if you are going to say "ee" and shape your lips as if you are going to say "oo" in food. The sound that comes out will be the French u sound!

Can you translate these French words?

tortue (tor-TY) - hint: a slow-moving animal
brune (bryn) - hint: brunette
tulipe (ty-LEEP) - hint: a spring flower
tuque (tyk) - hint: keeps your head warm in winter
lune (lyn) - hint: lunar

Visit Nallenart for more information about our French curriculum for grades K-9.

* "y" = the French u sound. Please note that these guides give only an approximation of the real French sounds.
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é says "ay"

Sometimes French uses accents to show what kind of sound a certain letter should have. In French é says "ay." Here are some é words for you to translate.

bébé (bay-BAY)
téléphone (tay-lay-FUN)
éléphant (ay-lay-FAH)
café (ca-FAY)
télévision (tay-lay-vee-ZYOH)

Visit Nallenart for more information about our French curriculum for grades K-9.

* Please note that these guides give only an approximation of the real French sounds.
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a says "a" in sack

In French, the letter a makes a short sound like the a in sack. Can you translate these French words based on their sound?

sac (sak)
radio (rad-YOH)
carotte (ca-RUT)
table (TA-bluh)
salade (sa-LAD)

Visit Nallenart for more information about our French curriculum for grades K-9.

* Please note that these guides give only an approximation of the real French sounds.
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i says "ee"

The letter i says "ee" in French, as in the name Lisa. Here are some French words that use the "ee" sound made by the letter i. Can you tell what these words mean in English?

tigre (TEE-gruh)
appétit (a-pay-TEE)
favori (fa-voh-REE)
Bible (BEE-bluh)
girafe (zhee-RAF)*

Visit Nallenart for more information about our French curriculum for grades K-9.

* "zh" = g in beige or s in usual. Please note that these guides give only an approximation of the real French sounds.
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Vowel Sounds in French

French and English share some vowel sounds but others can be quite different.

a (short a)
sac (SAK) = bag

a, â (ah)
bas (BAH) = stocking
gâteau (gah-TOH) = cake

é, ay, er, ez (long a)
bébé (bay-BAY) = baby
pays (pay-EE) = country
parler (pahr-LAY) = to speak
nez (NAY) = nose

e (short u)
le (LUH) = the
me (MUH) = myself
renard (ruh-NAHR) = fox

e, è, ë, ê, ai,ei (short e)
mets (meh) = put
poète (poh-EHT) - poet
Noël (noh-EL) = Christmas
être (EH-truh) = to be
aime (EM) = love, loves
beigne (BEHN-yuh) = donut

eu (a strange blend of short u and r)
bleu (BLEUH) = blue

eu, oeu (a more open version of the above sound)
heure (UHR) = hour
coeur (KUHR) = heart

i, î, y (long e)
livre (LEE-vruh) = book
île (EEL) = island
gymnase (zheem-NAZ) = gymnasium

ou, oux, oû (oo like boot)
hibou (ee-BOO) = owl
bijoux (bee-ZHOO) = jewelry
août (OO) = August

u (long u, put your teeth in ee position, your lips in oo position)
tortue (tor-TU) = turtle

oi, oy (oo-ah, like wah)
roi (RWAH) = king
royal (rwah-YAL) = royal

o, au, eau, ô (long o)
pot (POH) = jar
autobus (oh-toh-BUS) = bus
cadeau (ka-DOH) = gift
rôle (ROHL) = role

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