{"id":120031,"date":"2023-09-14T03:38:39","date_gmt":"2023-09-14T07:38:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/french-consonants\/"},"modified":"2025-02-03T05:23:57","modified_gmt":"2025-02-03T10:23:57","slug":"french-consonants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/french\/french-consonants\/","title":{"rendered":"21 French Consonants and How to Pronounce Them"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>French consonants are sometimes silent. Other times, they speak up.\u00a0In some cases, they\u2019re pronounced \u201csoft\u201d and, in other cases, they\u2019re pronounced \u201chard.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As you can see, there are some rules to help you understand how French consonants behave. Let&#8217;s have a look<\/p>\n<p>[fluentu-toc skip=4,5]<\/p>\n<h2>How French Consonants Behave in Words, from B to Z<\/h2>\n<p>Try reciting the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/french\/french-alphabet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">French alphabet<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 80px\"><em>A<\/em>,<strong> B<\/strong>, <strong>C<\/strong>, <strong>D<\/strong>, <em>E,<\/em> <strong>F<\/strong>, <strong>G<\/strong>, <strong>H<\/strong>, <em>I,<\/em> <strong>J<\/strong>, <strong>K<\/strong>,<strong> L<\/strong>,<strong> M<\/strong>,<strong> N<\/strong>, <em>O, <\/em><strong>P<\/strong>,<strong> Q<\/strong>, <strong>R<\/strong>,<strong> S<\/strong>, <strong>T<\/strong>, <em>U, <\/em><strong>V, W<\/strong>,<strong> X<\/strong>,<strong> Y<\/strong>,<strong> Z<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Then, do it again\u2014but this time, leave out all of the vowels except for <strong>Y<\/strong>, <em>Voil\u00e0 !\u00a0<\/em>(There you go.) You now have a list of the French consonants:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 80px\"><strong>B<\/strong>, <strong>C<\/strong>, <strong>D<\/strong>, <strong>F<\/strong>, <strong>G<\/strong>, <strong>H<\/strong>, <strong>J<\/strong>, <strong>K<\/strong>,<strong> L<\/strong>,<strong> M<\/strong>,<strong> N<\/strong>, <strong>P<\/strong>,<strong> Q<\/strong>, <strong>R<\/strong>,<strong> S<\/strong>, <strong>T<\/strong>,<strong> V, W<\/strong>,<strong> X<\/strong>,<strong> Y<\/strong>,<strong> Z<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>While it\u2019s tempting to consider each of these consonants in strict alphabetical order, some of them behave in very similar ways\u2014barely changing, going silent or getting swallowed up by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.laits.utexas.edu\/fi\/html\/pho\/10.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">nasalized vowels<\/a>. So we\u2019ll look at some of them in groups, based on their behavior. (A few of them will appear more than once.)<\/p>\n<p>Since several of these French consonants can make more than one sound, we\u2019ll use the International Phonetic Alphabet to pin down specific sounds made in particular contexts. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/french\/french-ipa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">French IPA<\/a> has a one-for-one correspondence\u2014one sound only per letter.<\/p>\n<p>Just click on any of the French example words to hear how native French speakers pronounce the featured consonants.<\/p>\n<h3>Straightforward French Consonants<\/h3>\n<p>These consonants don\u2019t usually do anything tricky\u2014at least, not at the beginning or in the middle of French words.<\/p>\n<p><strong>B <\/strong>and <strong>K<\/strong> can be silent at the end of some words; we\u2019ll talk about that in a little more detail, later on.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>B <\/strong>\u2014\u00a0Pronounced similarly to English, but with a tighter mouth position. It sounds consistently like [<strong>b<\/strong>] in <em><strong>b<\/strong>elle<\/em> (beauty), <em><strong>b<\/strong>\u00eate<\/em>\u00a0(beast) and hundreds of other words.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>D <\/strong>\u2014 This consonant is almost always pronounced [<strong>d<\/strong>], as in <strong><em>d<\/em><\/strong><em>\u2019accord<\/em>\u202f (okay) or <strong><em>d<\/em><\/strong><em>in<strong>d<\/strong>e<\/em>\u00a0(turkey). A final <strong>D<\/strong> can sound like a [<strong>t<\/strong>] when followed by a word that starts with a vowel sound, as in <em>le<\/em> <em>gran<strong>d<\/strong> homme<\/em>\u00a0(the great man).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>F <\/strong>\u2014\u00a0This letter sounds simply like [<strong>f<\/strong>], whether it&#8217;s single in words like <strong><em>f<\/em><\/strong><em>r\u00e8re<\/em> (brother) or doubled in words like <em>e<strong>ff<\/strong>icace<\/em>\u00a0(effective).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>J <\/strong>\u2014\u00a0Usually pronounced with a [<strong>\u0292<\/strong>] sound, as in <strong><em>j<\/em><\/strong><em>upe<\/em>\u00a0(skirt); pronounced [<strong>d\u0292<\/strong>] in some loanwords, like <strong><em>j<\/em><\/strong><em>ob<\/em>\u00a0(job).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>K<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 Used for loanwords such as <strong><em>k<\/em><\/strong><em>iffer<\/em> (to like), <strong><em>k<\/em><\/strong><em>imono<\/em> and <strong><em>k<\/em><\/strong><em>iwi<\/em> It&#8217;s pronounced [<b>k<\/b>]\u00a0much the same as in English, but again with a tighter mouth and lip position.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>V <\/strong>\u2014 Keeps the same simple [<strong>v<\/strong>] sound, whether used in words like<em> <strong>v<\/strong>ous<\/em> (you [formal\/plural]), <em><strong>v<\/strong>ictoire<\/em> (victory), <em>sa<strong>v<\/strong>oir<\/em> (to know) or <em><strong>v<\/strong>edette<\/em>\u00a0(celebrity).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Sometimes Silent Final Consonants<\/h3>\n<p>French is well-known\u2014and sometimes feared\u2014for its array of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/french\/french-spelling\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">silent final consonants<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/french\/liaison-french\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A phenomenon known as <strong>liaison<\/strong><\/a> often determines whether a final consonant is silent or pronounced aloud.<\/p>\n<p><strong>B, C, F, K <\/strong>are rarely silent, whereas <strong>D<\/strong>,<strong> M<\/strong>, <strong>N<\/strong>, <strong>P<\/strong>, <strong>R<\/strong>,<strong> S<\/strong>, <strong>T<\/strong>, <strong>X<\/strong> and <strong>Z <\/strong>often are. We\u2019ll look at some of these a little more closely.<\/p>\n<h3>Consonant Chameleons<\/h3>\n<p>These letters change their sounds based on several different factors. In many cases, how these consonants sound depends on the letters used after them.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/french\/french-vowels\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">French vowels<\/a>, in particular, have an effect on consonant pronunciation. Certain consonants are pronounced \u201chard\u201d when they appear before the vowels <strong>A<\/strong>, <strong>O <\/strong>or <strong>U<\/strong>. Conversely, the same consonants are pronounced \u201csoft\u201d when used in front of the vowels <strong>E<\/strong>, <strong>I<\/strong>, or <strong>Y<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Soft C<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>When paired with an <strong>E<\/strong>, <strong>I<\/strong>, or <strong>Y<\/strong>, the French <strong>C <\/strong>produces a soft sound [<strong>s<\/strong>], essentially sounding like an <strong>S <\/strong>in English. For example, in the word <em>silen<strong>c<\/strong>e<\/em>\u00a0(silence), the <strong>C <\/strong>sounds just like the <strong>S<\/strong> at the beginning of the word. Think also of words like <em><strong>c<\/strong>ible<\/em> (target), <em><strong>c<\/strong>endre<\/em> (ash) and <em><strong>c<\/strong>yberattaque<\/em>\u00a0(cyberattack).<\/p>\n<h4>Hard C<\/h4>\n<p>In words like <em>su<strong>c<\/strong>re<\/em> (sugar), <em>fa<strong>c<\/strong>teur<\/em> (mailman), <em><strong>c<\/strong>ri<\/em> (shout) and <em><strong>c<\/strong>rypte<\/em>\u00a0(crypt), you&#8217;ll see that <strong>C <\/strong>followed directly by a consonant will sound \u201chard\u201d like a [<strong>k<\/strong>]\u2014even if the next vowel would normally give the <strong>C<\/strong> a soft [<strong>s<\/strong>] sound.<\/p>\n<p>The vowels <strong>A<\/strong>, <strong>O <\/strong>or<strong> U<\/strong>, placed immediately after the letter <strong>C<\/strong>, will also give it a hard sound. You\u2019ll hear this in words like <em><strong>c<\/strong>af\u00e9<\/em> (coffee), <em><strong>c<\/strong>ou  <\/em>(neck) and <em><strong>c<\/strong>uvette<\/em> (basin).<\/p>\n<h4><strong>\u00c7<\/strong> (<strong>C <\/strong>with cedilla)<\/h4>\n<p>The French <strong>C<\/strong> is the only full-time French consonant to sometimes sport a diacritical (accent) mark: the <em>c\u00e9dille\u00a0<\/em>(cedilla).<\/p>\n<p>More than a soul patch, it\u2019s like a Van Dyke beard or a full-blown goatee. And it\u2019s powerful, mellowing out the French <strong>C<\/strong> so it sounds like an <strong>S<\/strong> in words where it would otherwise sound like a <strong>K<\/strong>: <em><strong>\u00e7<\/strong>a<\/em> (that),\u00a0<em>fran<strong>\u00e7<\/strong>ais<\/em> (the French language), <em>gar<strong>\u00e7<\/strong>on<\/em> (boy), <em>commen<strong>\u00e7<\/strong>ons<\/em> ([we] start) and <em>re<strong>\u00e7<\/strong>u<\/em> (received).<\/p>\n<h4>C + H<\/h4>\n<p>The sound of <strong>C<\/strong> can also be altered when it\u2019s partnered with an <strong>H<\/strong>. The <strong>CH <\/strong>combination in French normally produces a \u201csh\u201d [<strong>\u0283<\/strong>] sound, as in words like <em><strong>ch<\/strong>\u00e2teau<\/em> (castle), <em><strong>ch<\/strong>arbon<\/em> (coal), <em>rel\u00e2<strong>ch<\/strong>\u00e9<\/em> (loose) or <em>revan<strong>ch<\/strong>e<\/em>\u00a0(revenge).<\/p>\n<p>There is an exception to this rule, and it\u2019s very similar to a phenomenon in English: In some loanwords from Greek, the <strong>CH<\/strong>\u2014generally found at the beginning of a word\u2014will be pronounced like a [<strong>k<\/strong>]: <em><strong>ch<\/strong>ronom\u00e8tre<\/em> (chronometer), <em><strong>ch<\/strong>arisme<\/em> (charisma), <em><strong>Ch<\/strong>rist<\/em> (Christ) and <em><strong>ch<\/strong>lore<\/em> (chlorine).<\/p>\n<p>However, in other Greek loanwords\u2014such as<em> <strong>ch<\/strong>imie\u00a0<\/em>(chemistry) and <em><strong>ch<\/strong>arit\u00e9<\/em> (charity) and <em><strong>ch<\/strong>im\u00e9rique<\/em>\u00a0(fanciful)\u2014the <strong>CH<\/strong> combination is pronounced as [<strong>\u0283<\/strong>], just as it is in the majority of French <strong>CH<\/strong> words.<\/p>\n<h4>Hard G<\/h4>\n<p>A hard <strong>G<\/strong> sound [<strong>g<\/strong>] in French words like <em><strong>g<\/strong>\u00e2teau<\/em> (cake), <em><strong>g<\/strong>onfl\u00e9<\/em> (swollen) or <em><strong>g<\/strong>uerre<\/em>\u00a0(war) is produced when <strong>G<\/strong> is immediately followed by an <strong>A<\/strong>, <strong>O<\/strong> or <strong>U<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a lot like the hard <strong>G<\/strong> in English words like \u201cgolf\u201d and \u201cgap.\u201d Again, you\u2019ll hold your mouth in a tighter position when pronouncing hard <strong>G<\/strong> in French.<\/p>\n<h4>Soft G<\/h4>\n<p><strong>G<\/strong> followed by <strong>E<\/strong>, <strong>I<\/strong> or <strong>Y<\/strong> will be soft, with a [<strong>\u0292<\/strong>] sound that\u2019s similar to the French <strong>J<\/strong>. Think of words like <em><strong>g<\/strong>entil<\/em> (nice), <em>an<strong>g<\/strong>e<\/em> (angel), <em>an<strong>g<\/strong>ine<\/em> (sore throat) and <em><strong>g<\/strong>ym<\/em>\u00a0(gym).<\/p>\n<h4>G + N<\/h4>\n<p>The <strong>GN <\/strong>combination in French is almost always found in the middle of words.<\/p>\n<p>In words like <em>ga<strong>gn<\/strong>able<\/em> (winnable) and <em>i<strong>gn<\/strong>oble<\/em> (dreadful) and, of course, <em>champa<strong>gn<\/strong>e, <\/em>the <strong>GN <\/strong>pairing makes a [<strong>\u0272<\/strong>] sound. It sounds very much like the <strong>GN<\/strong> combination in the word &#8220;lasa<strong>gn<\/strong>a,&#8221; which the English language absorbed from Italian.<\/p>\n<p>There are a few exceptions to this pronunciation rule. For instance, in <em>i<strong>gn<\/strong>ition<\/em> (ignition) and <em>a<strong>gn<\/strong>osticisme<\/em>\u00a0(agnosticism), the <strong>G<\/strong> and <strong>N<\/strong> are pronounced separately, with the <strong>G<\/strong> pronounced hard, as in [<strong>g<\/strong>].<\/p>\n<h4>H<\/h4>\n<p>The French <strong>H<\/strong> is a particularly shy consonant, becoming audible only in the <strong>CH<\/strong> combination. Considered a consonant when &#8220;aspirated&#8221;\u2014although it&#8217;s still not actually pronounced\u2014<strong>H<\/strong> is treated as a vowel when &#8220;mute.&#8221; <strong>H\u00a0<\/strong>is often aspirated in loanwords.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>H<\/strong>auteur<\/em> (height) and <em><strong>h<\/strong>aut<\/em>\u00a0(high), for example, start with an aspirated <strong>H<\/strong>. Both of these words came into the French language as loanwords from Frankish, a Germanic language. Since the <strong>H<\/strong> was pronounced in the Frankish version of these words, the <strong>H <\/strong>in the French version\u2014while not actually audible\u2014is treated like any other consonant.<\/p>\n<p>As a result, <em>hauteur<\/em> with its definite article is <em>la <strong>h<\/strong>auteur<\/em>\u00a0(and <strong>not<\/strong> <em>\u201cl\u2019hauteur<\/em>\u201d). Contrast this with <em>l\u2019<strong>h<\/strong>omme<\/em> (the man) or <em>l\u2019<strong>h<\/strong>\u00f4tel<\/em>\u00a0(the hotel), nouns which start with <strong>H<\/strong> <em>muet\u00a0<\/em>(mute).<\/p>\n<p>Other examples of <strong>H<\/strong> as a consonant are <em>la <strong>h<\/strong>aine\u00a0<\/em>(the hatred) and <em>la <strong>h<\/strong>\u00e2te<\/em>\u00a0(the haste).<\/p>\n<h4>L<\/h4>\n<p><strong>L <\/strong>is normally pronounced [<strong>l<\/strong>] when single, as in the word <em><strong>l<\/strong>iste<\/em> (list) or <em><strong>l<\/strong>aine<\/em>\u00a0(wool).<\/p>\n<h4>Double L<\/h4>\n<p>When doubled and sandwiched in between an <strong>I<\/strong> and an<strong> E<\/strong>, as in words like <em>bi<strong>ll<\/strong>et<\/em> (ticket) or <em>fi<strong>ll<\/strong>e<\/em>\u00a0(girl), <strong>LL<\/strong> sounds like [<strong>j<\/strong>].<\/p>\n<p>However, when the <strong>LL<\/strong> is bracketed on both sides by an <strong>E<\/strong>, as in <em>e<strong>ll<\/strong>e<\/em>\u00a0(she)\u2014or on at least one side by an <strong>A <\/strong>or <strong>O<\/strong>,\u00a0 as in <em>ba<strong>ll<\/strong>et<\/em> (ballet) and <em>co<strong>ll<\/strong>aborateur<\/em>\u00a0(collaborator)\u2014the <strong>LL <\/strong>is pronounced [<strong>l<\/strong>].<\/p>\n<h4>Final L<\/h4>\n<p>At the end of words like <em>ba<strong>l<\/strong><\/em> (ball [dance]) and <em>fi<strong>l<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(thread), the <strong>L <\/strong>is generally pronounced as [<strong>l<\/strong>]. Yet, in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/french\/french-semi-vowels\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">words with semi-vowels<\/a>, like <em>ai<strong>l<\/strong><\/em> (garlic) and <em>\u0153i<strong>l<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(eye), the <strong>L<\/strong> is pronounced [<strong>j<\/strong>]\u2014which might be mistaken for silent, if said rapidly.<\/p>\n<h4>M and N<\/h4>\n<p>The consonants <strong>M <\/strong>and <strong>N<\/strong> behave similarly to each other in French.<\/p>\n<h4>Initial M and N<\/h4>\n<p>At the beginning of words, <strong>M<\/strong> is pronounced like [<strong>m<\/strong>] and <strong>N <\/strong>is pronounced like [<strong>n<\/strong>]\u2014regardless of the vowels that follow them. Some examples include\u00a0<em><strong>m<\/strong>a<\/em> (my [feminine]), <em><strong>m<\/strong>ec<\/em> (guy), <em><strong>n<\/strong>ature<\/em> (nature) and <em><strong>n<\/strong>uage<\/em> (cloud).<\/p>\n<h4>Single or Double M or N<\/h4>\n<p>When doubled in the middle of a word, <strong>M <\/strong>and <strong>N<\/strong> don\u2019t cause their preceding vowels to nasalize. Instead, they\u2019re pronounced similarly to English, as in <em>co<strong>mm<\/strong>e<\/em> (like) or <em>ca<strong>nn<\/strong>elle<\/em>\u00a0(cinnamon).<\/p>\n<p>There are also some words with a single <strong>M<\/strong> or <strong>N <\/strong>in the middle, such as <em>ca<strong>m<\/strong>ion<\/em> (truck) and <em>ca<strong>n<\/strong>ard<\/em>\u00a0(duck), in which a nasalized vowel doesn\u2019t occur and these consonants are fully pronounced. This is because they are in separate syllables from the preceding vowels.<\/p>\n<h4>Consonants and Nasalized Vowels<\/h4>\n<p>An <strong>M<\/strong> or <strong>N <\/strong>in French\u2014or even an <strong>MP<\/strong>, <strong>NG <\/strong>or <strong>NT<\/strong>\u2014can sometimes cause a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.asu.edu\/courses\/fpw\/section_NasalVowels\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">nasalized (or nasal) vowel<\/a>. This means that the final consonant is pronounced as a vibration in your nose, rather than with your tongue, teeth or palate. This often happens at the end of a word or syllable.<\/p>\n<p>Words for <strong>M or MP* after a vowel<\/strong> include <em>parfu<strong>m<\/strong><\/em> (perfume), <em>pr\u00e9no<strong>m<\/strong><\/em> (first name), <em>cha<strong>mp<\/strong><\/em> (field) and <em>ca<strong>mp<\/strong><\/em> (camp).<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\">* A word like <em>co<strong>mp<\/strong>liqu\u00e9<\/em>\u00a0(complicated) is an exception, as the <strong>M<\/strong> is part of the nasalized vowel, but the <strong>P <\/strong>is pronounced as [<strong>p<\/strong>]. In this case, it\u2019s because the <strong>M<\/strong> and <strong>P<\/strong> are in two separate syllables, even though the <strong>P<\/strong> directly follows the <strong>M<\/strong> in the word.<\/p>\n<p>Words for <strong>N or NG* or NT* after a vowel <\/strong>include <em>bo<strong>n<\/strong> <\/em>(good), <em>bie<strong>n<\/strong><\/em> (well),<em>\u00a0co<strong>n<\/strong>ce<strong>n<\/strong>tratio<strong>n<\/strong><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>(concentration), <em>lo<strong>ng<\/strong><\/em> (long), <em>sa<strong>ng<\/strong><\/em> (blood), <em>shampooi<strong>ng<\/strong><\/em> (shampoo), <em>ta<strong>nt<\/strong><\/em> (so much) and <em>comme<strong>nt<\/strong><\/em> (how).<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\">*A frequent exception to the nasalization for a final <strong>NG<\/strong> is often seen in loanwords like <em>campi<strong>ng<\/strong><\/em> (camping), <em>shoppi<strong>ng<\/strong><\/em> (shopping) and <em>parki<strong>ng<\/strong><\/em> (parking lot). In these words, the final <strong>NG<\/strong> is pronounced [<strong>\u014b<\/strong>], as it would be in the original English words.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\">Also, if an <strong>NG<\/strong> or <strong>NT <\/strong>occur together in the middle of a word, but in separate syllables, the <strong>G <\/strong>or <strong>T <\/strong>would be pronounced separately. The word <em>co<strong>ng<\/strong>r\u00e9gation<\/em> (congregation) is a good example of this behavior, as it <em>ca<strong>nt<\/strong>ique<\/em>\u00a0(hymn).<\/p>\n<h4>P<\/h4>\n<p>The French <strong>P<\/strong> is usually pronounced [<strong>p<\/strong>] as in English, as in the words <em><strong>p<\/strong>atron<\/em> (boss), <em><strong>p<\/strong>eser<\/em> (to weigh) and <em><strong>p<\/strong>ique-nique<\/em>\u00a0(picnic).<\/p>\n<p>Like in English, <strong>PH <\/strong>in French sounds like [<strong>f<\/strong>], as in words like <em><strong>ph<\/strong>rase\u00a0<\/em>(sentence, phrase).<\/p>\n<p>In certain words of Greek origin, the <strong>P<\/strong> in front of <strong>S<\/strong> is lightly pronounced. You\u2019ll hear a faint initial [<strong>p<\/strong>] sound at the beginning of words like <em><strong>ps<\/strong>ychologue\u00a0<\/em>(psychologist), <em><strong>ps<\/strong>eudonyme\u00a0<\/em>(pseudonym) and <em><strong>ps<\/strong>aume<\/em>\u00a0(psalm). (In the corresponding English words, the <strong>P<\/strong> at the front of these Greek loanwords is silent.)<\/p>\n<p>The French <strong>P <\/strong>is sometimes silent as a final, especially when used after <strong>M<\/strong>. There are some exceptions to this, such as <em>ca<strong>p<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(cape [geographical]).<\/p>\n<h4>Q<\/h4>\n<p>The French <strong>Q <\/strong>is almost always paired with <strong>U<\/strong> and pronounced as [<strong>k<\/strong>], as in words like <em><strong>qu<\/strong>alit\u00e9<\/em> (quality), <em><strong>qu<\/strong>e<\/em> (that), <em><strong>qu<\/strong>i<\/em> (who) and <em><strong>qu<\/strong>otidien<\/em>\u00a0(daily).<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes, the <strong>QU<\/strong> combination can be pronounced as [<strong>kw<\/strong>]. <em><strong>Qu<\/strong>ad<\/em>\u00a0(all-terrain vehicle) is a loanword from English. It refers to a \u201cquad bike\u201d and is pronounced [<strong>kwad<\/strong>] in French\u2014much as it would be in English.<\/p>\n<p>Rarely, when <strong>Q<\/strong> is found without <strong>U<\/strong> in French, it still sounds like [<strong>k<\/strong>]. The most commonly used examples of this are <em>cin<strong>q<\/strong><\/em> (five) and <em>co<strong>q<\/strong><\/em> (rooster).<\/p>\n<h4>R<\/h4>\n<p>The letter <strong>R<\/strong> in French is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/french\/how-to-pronounce-r-in-french\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">pronounced audibly<\/a> in the beginning and body of French words. It\u2019s those final <strong>R<\/strong>s that get a bit <em>compliqu\u00e9s<\/em>\u00a0(complicated).<\/p>\n<p>In nouns, adjectives and conjunctions that end in &#8211;<strong>ER<\/strong>, the <strong>R<\/strong> is generally audible as [<strong>\u0280<\/strong>]: <em>hive<strong>r<\/strong><\/em> (winter), <em>plaisi<strong>r<\/strong><\/em> (pleasure), <em>che<strong>r<\/strong><\/em> (dear), <em>pu<strong>r<\/strong><\/em> (pure) and <em>ca<strong>r<\/strong><\/em> (because).<\/p>\n<p>The infinitives of different verb types follow different rules, even though they have similar endings.<\/p>\n<p>Both <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/french\/regular-french-ir-verbs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>-IR<\/strong> verbs<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/french\/french-regular-er-verbs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><strong>-ER<\/strong> verbs<\/a> have infinitives ending with <strong>R<\/strong>. The final <strong>R<\/strong> is pronounced in &#8211;<strong>IR<\/strong> verbs like <em>fini<strong>r<\/strong><\/em> (to finish) and <em>ouvri<strong>r<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(to open), but <strong>not<\/strong> in &#8211;<strong>ER<\/strong> verbs like <em>alle<strong>r<\/strong><\/em> (to go) or<em> chante<strong>r<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(to sing).<\/p>\n<h4>S<\/h4>\n<p>At the beginning of a word, the French <strong>S<\/strong> sounds a lot like the English one, whether it\u2019s by itself or paired with another consonant in words like <em><strong>st<\/strong>age<\/em> (internship), <em><strong>sc<\/strong>eptre\u00a0<\/em>(scepter) or <em><strong>sp<\/strong>acieux<\/em>\u00a0(spacious). The same is true when <strong>S<\/strong> is placed in front of any vowel.<\/p>\n<p>Within words, the French <strong>S<\/strong> makes a [<strong>z<\/strong>] sound when single\u2014as in <em>poi<strong>s<\/strong>on<\/em>\u00a0(poison)\u2014and an [<strong>s<\/strong>] sound when doubled\u2014as in<em> poi<strong>ss<\/strong>on<\/em>\u00a0(fish). (I can tell you from embarrassing personal experience that it\u2019s important to make the proper distinction between these two sounds!)<\/p>\n<h4>Silent Final S<\/h4>\n<p><strong>S <\/strong>is often silent at the end of French words, although there are times when it\u2019s pronounced. For example, the\u00a0<strong>S<\/strong> in <em>le<strong>s<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(the [plural]) by itself is silent. In front of a vowel, though, the <strong>S<\/strong> would be pronounced as [<strong>z<\/strong>]. You can hear this in <em>le<strong>s<\/strong> Invalides<\/em>\u00a0(the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.musee-armee.fr\/en\/english-version.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Parisian memorial complex housing Napoleon\u2019s tomb<\/a>).<\/p>\n<h4>T<\/h4>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=l1qOfcR9K04\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">pronunciation of the letter <strong>T <\/strong>in French<\/a> can depend on its position in a word, the letters that surround it and even whether it&#8217;s found in a noun or verb.<\/p>\n<p>It generally sounds like [<strong>t<\/strong>] in most words, such as <em><strong>t<\/strong>ar<strong>t<\/strong>e<\/em>\u00a0(tart). This is true even when it\u2019s paired with an <strong>H<\/strong> in words like <em>men<strong>t<\/strong>he<\/em>\u00a0(mint).<\/p>\n<h4>T followed by I<\/h4>\n<p>The French <strong>T<\/strong>, when followed immediately by an <strong>I<\/strong>, can sound like [<strong>sj<\/strong>] in some nouns, such as <em>pa<strong>t<\/strong>ience<\/em> (patience) and <em>nata<strong>t<\/strong>ion<\/em>\u00a0(swimming).<\/p>\n<p>This is <strong>not<\/strong> the case, though, in conjugated -IR verbs such as <em>sor<strong>t<\/strong>ions<\/em>\u00a0([we] go out). Also, if an <strong>S<\/strong> comes before a <strong>T<\/strong>, as in <em>ves<strong>t<\/strong>iaire<\/em>\u00a0(cloakroom), the <strong>T<\/strong> is pronounced as [<strong>t<\/strong>], separately from the <strong>I<\/strong> that follows it.<\/p>\n<h4>Silent Final T<\/h4>\n<p>The <strong>T<\/strong> is generally silent at the very end of a French word, as in <em>sortai<strong>t<\/strong><\/em> ([he\/she] went) or <em>bou<strong>t<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(end).<\/p>\n<p>If followed by a word starting with a vowel, the <strong>T<\/strong> would be pronounced. For instance, the <strong>T<\/strong> in <em>c\u2019es<strong>t<\/strong><\/em> (it is) by itself would be silent. It would be pronounced as [<strong>t<\/strong>] in the phrase <em>c\u2019es<strong>t<\/strong> un\u2026<\/em> (it\u2019s a\u2026).<\/p>\n<p>The final\u00a0<strong>T<\/strong> in some words, such as <em>bu<strong>t<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(goal) is nearly always pronounced\u2014at least, in France. (In Canada, it can be silent.)<\/p>\n<h4>W<\/h4>\n<p>You won\u2019t see <strong>W<\/strong> used in French a lot. It comes into play with loanwords and can sound like either a [<strong>v<\/strong>] or a [<strong>w<\/strong>].<\/p>\n<p>In <em><strong>w<\/strong>agon<\/em>\u00a0(wagon), for example, it\u2019s pronounced like a [<strong>v<\/strong>] in France and Canada\u2014but like a [<strong>w<\/strong>] in Belgium.<\/p>\n<h4>X<\/h4>\n<p>The French <strong>X<\/strong> can be pronounced in one of three ways: [<strong>\u0261z<\/strong>], [<strong>ks<\/strong>] or [<strong>s<\/strong>].<\/p>\n<p>In <em>e<strong>x<\/strong>iger<\/em> (to require) and <em>e<strong>x<\/strong>amen<\/em> (exam), <strong>X<\/strong> sounds like [<strong>\u0261z<\/strong>]<strong>. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In words like <em>fa<strong>x<\/strong><\/em> (fax), <em>ma<strong>x<\/strong>imum<\/em> (maximum) and <em>la<strong>x<\/strong>iste<\/em>\u00a0(lax), where there\u2019s an <strong>A<\/strong> right before the <strong>X<\/strong>, the <strong>X<\/strong> is pronounced like [<strong>ks<\/strong>].<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>X <\/strong>in two very common words, <em>di<strong>x<\/strong><\/em> (ten) and <em>si<strong>x<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(six), sounds like [<strong>s<\/strong>].<\/p>\n<h4>Y<\/h4>\n<p>Just like in English, <strong>Y<\/strong> in French can be either a consonant or a vowel.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Y<\/strong> by itself is a preposition meaning \u201cthere.\u201d As such, it\u2019s pronounced like a vowel, as in the phrases <em>on <strong>y<\/strong> va<\/em> (let\u2019s go [there]) and <em>il <strong>y<\/strong> a<\/em>\u00a0(there is).<\/p>\n<p>At the beginning of words like <em><strong>y<\/strong>eux<\/em> (eyes), <em><strong>y<\/strong>aourt<\/em> (yogurt) and <em><strong>y<\/strong>oga<\/em>\u00a0(yoga), the French <strong>Y <\/strong>is treated as a consonant and pronounced as [<strong>\u02c8j<\/strong>].<\/p>\n<h4>Z<\/h4>\n<p><strong>Z <\/strong>at the beginning of a French word sounds like [<strong>z<\/strong>], much as it would be pronounced in English. For example, <em>z\u00e8bre<\/em> (zebra) and <em>z\u00e9ro<\/em>\u00a0(zero) both start with a [<strong>z<\/strong>] sound.<\/p>\n<p>At the end of words, though, <strong>Z <\/strong>is often silent. Think of the <em>vous<\/em>\u00a0(you [plural\/formal]) form of many <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/french\/french-commands\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">imperative verbs<\/a> like <em>alle<strong>z<\/strong><\/em> (go),<em> ave<strong>z<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(have) or <em>\u00e9coute<strong>z<\/strong><\/em> (listen). Or adverbs such as <em>asse<strong>z<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(enough).<\/p>\n<h2>How to Practice French Consonants<\/h2>\n<p>To practice French consonants so that they become second nature to you, you can take advantage of several different forms of media and learning modalities.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Practice listening<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Starting with audio-only <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/french\/learn-french-audio\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">French listening practice<\/a> will help you train your ears to recognize the sounds of French consonants. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/french\/learn-french-with-music\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">French music<\/a> in every imaginable genre provides diverse listening practice.<\/p>\n<p>If talk radio is more your speed, an array of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/french\/french-podcasts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">French podcasts<\/a> can give you a similar experience that will also keep your ears attuned to French consonant sounds.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Listen with captioned video<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Captioned video gives you the opportunity to combine audio with reading, as well as visual clues.<\/p>\n<p>As you watch a captioned French video, you can read the words as you hear them pronounced in context. Watch speakers&#8217; faces and mouth positions to see how they produce the sounds you hear.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>FluentU is a good resource for this. <p><strong>FluentU<\/strong> takes authentic videos\u2014like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks\u2014and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.<\/p>\r\n<p><\/p> \r\n<p>You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download <a href=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/us\/app\/fluentu-learn-language-videos\/id917892175\">the iOS app<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.fluentflix.fluentu&amp;hl=en&amp;gl=US\">Android app.<\/a><\/p>\r\n<p><i><a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)<\/a><\/i>\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\r\n  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/3\/NativeAdFrench.jpg\" alt=\"FluentU Ad\" \/>\r\n  <p style=\"text-align: center\">\r\n    <button class=\"btn-blue\" style=\"border: none;font-size: 18px;text-align: center;padding: 0.75rem 1.5rem;cursor: pointer\">\r\n      Try FluentU for FREE!\r\n    <\/button>\r\n  <\/p>\r\n<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Read along with audiobooks<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>You can also try listening to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/french\/french-audio-books\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">French audiobooks<\/a>. Plus, while using resources such as Spotify and <a href=\"https:\/\/librivox.org\/search?primary_key=2&amp;search_category=language&amp;search_page=1&amp;search_form=get_results\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">LibriVox<\/a>\u00a0in conjunction with written texts, you can get native French pronunciation of consonants for a plethora of words.<\/p>\n<p>With an enormous catalogue of <a href=\"https:\/\/gutenberg.org\/browse\/languages\/fr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">free French books from sites like Project Gutenberg<\/a>, you\u2019ll have hours of reading and listening practice with French consonants.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Take dictation<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Sites such as <a href=\"https:\/\/french.kwiziq.com\/blog\/free-dictations\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kwiziq<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/speechling.com\/dictation\/french\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Speechling<\/a> provide French texts to write out as you listen. When you finish each exercise, use the answer key provided to assess your grasp of French consonant pronunciation.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Practice speaking\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>After you\u2019ve heard the sounds of French consonants from various multimedia sources, you can put your knowledge to practical use in a couple of ways. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/french\/french-conversation-practice\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">French conversation practice<\/a> will let you pronounce French consonants in context, with a conversation partner who can give you feedback.<\/p>\n<p>Still a little too shy to carry on a discussion in French? Try <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/french\/shadowing-french\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">French shadowing<\/a>, a very specific method for echoing French audio that forces you to mimic the native consonant sounds you hear.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>\u00c7a y est<\/em> (there it is): the consonants from <strong>B <\/strong>to <strong>Z<\/strong>. With these guidelines for taming French consonants, you can pronounce French words more confidently and not get lost in the wilds of consonant confusion.<\/p>\n<h2>And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n<p>\r\n\tIf you like learning French at your own pace and from the comfort of your device, I have to <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tell you about FluentU<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nFluentU makes it easier (and way more fun) to learn French by making real content like movies and series accessible to learners. You can check out FluentU's curated video library, or <strong>bring our learning tools directly to Netflix or YouTube<\/strong> with the FluentU Chrome extension. \r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\n<a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2097\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/FluentU-French-video-library-in-app.jpg\" alt=\"learn-french-with-videos\" width=\"320\" height=\"568\" \/><\/a><\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nOne of the features I find most helpful is the <strong>interactive captions<\/strong>\u2014you can tap on any word to see its meaning, an image, pronunciation, and other examples from different contexts. It\u2019s a great way to pick up French vocab without having to pause and look things up separately.\r\n<\/p><p>\r\n<a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2099\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/FluentU-French-video-with-interactive-subtitles-web.jpg\" alt=\"learn-french-with-movies\" width=\"600\" height=\"390\" \/><\/a><\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nFluentU also helps <strong>reinforce what you\u2019ve learned<\/strong> with personalized quizzes. You can swipe through extra examples and complete engaging exercises that adapt to your progress. You'll get extra practice with the words you find more challenging and even be reminded you when it\u2019s time to review!\r\n<\/p><p>\r\n<a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2102\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/3\/French-7.png\" alt=\"practice-french-with-adaptive-quizzes\" width=\"320\" height=\"568\" \/><\/a><\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nYou can use FluentU on your computer, tablet, or phone with our app for Apple or Android devices. <a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>French consonants are sometimes silent. Other times, they speak up.\u00a0In some cases, they\u2019re pronounced \u201csoft\u201d and, in other cases, they\u2019re pronounced \u201chard.\u201d As you can see, there are some rules&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":454,"featured_media":249806,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"slim_seo":{"title":"21 French Consonants and How to Pronounce Them | FluentU French Blog","description":"French consonants don't always behave the way you expect them to. Check out some helpful guidelines for taming all 21 of the French consonants. From B to Z, learn what sound each letter makes and even how to pronounce it depending on where it appears in a word. Plus, we share resources on how to practice further."},"footnotes":""},"categories":[570,582],"tags":[],"coauthors":[159],"class_list":["post-120031","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-french","category-speaking-and-listening-to-french"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120031","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/454"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=120031"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120031\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":242828,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120031\/revisions\/242828"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/249806"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=120031"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=120031"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=120031"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=120031"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}