zh - an unusual sound

The sound that is sometimes represented by zh in phonetic notation is fairly rare in English.

In English, we use the zh sound in:

• g in beige
• s in usual

In French, it is the sound made by the letter j:

• je (I)
• jambon (ham)
• jardin (garden)

It is also the soft sound made by the letter g:

• girafe (giraffe)
• manger (to eat)

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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

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* "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)

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* 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)*

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* "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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French Fact: Bilingual Canada

Did you know that Canada has two official languages? They are English and French. The Official Languages Act states that:

"the Constitution of Canada provides that English and French are the official languages of Canada and have equality of status and equal rights and privileges as to their use in all institutions of the Parliament and government of Canada."

Across the country English speaking students spend some of their time learning French and French speaking students spend some of their time learning English. Canadian students also have much more opportunity to develop their second language skills in everyday life, since both French and English can be seen on labels, road signs, and government websites and literature.

Just for fun, get a printable copy of Canada's food guide in French here:
Guide alimentaire canadien

LIRE = to read

Lire is an irregular verb meaning to read. The English words literature and literary are related to lire.

je lis (zhuh LEE)* = I read
tu lis (tyoo LEE) = you read
il lit (eel LEE) = he reads
elle lit (el LEE) = she reads
nous lisons (noo lee-ZOH) = we read
vous lisez (voo lee-ZAY) = you read
ils lisent (eel LEEZ) = they read
elles lisent (el LEEZ) = they read

*These pronunciation guides give only a rough approximation of the French sounds!

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Sneak Preview of Nallenart.org

If you are looking for even more great free French teaching aids, there is much available now at Nallenart.org. The screenshot below offers an example of what is available for the first level of L'Art de lire:


The site is still under construction, but there are great free resources for you to take advantage of, including French Phonics Lapbooking Kits that correspond to the lessons in L'Art de lire 1 and 2.

You must register and login to access the material on the site. Click on Create New Account in the Login box. Registration will also enable you to receive email updates as new material is posted.

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Chansons d'hiver

See if you can match these winter songs with their English titles. Notice that the titles might not be exactly the same in the two different languages!

FRENCH
L'enfant au tambour
Au royaume du bonhomme hiver
Sainte nuit
Promenade en traîneau

ENGLISH
Sleigh Ride
Winter Wonderland
Little Drummer Boy
Silent Night

La Neige

LA NEIGE = the snow

(la NAYZH)*

At my house here in Canada, the ground is covered with a white layer of snow. Though the days have started to get longer, there are many more snowy days ahead of us yet this winter!

Here is some more snowy winter vocabulary to use as you enjoy the season:

boule de neige ( bool duh NAYZH)* = snowball

bonhomme de neige (buhNUM duh NAYZH)* = snowman

*zh = g in beige or s in usual. Please note that these pronunciation guides give only a rough approximation of the real French sound.

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