Differences Between French and English Pronunciation
There are several differences between French and English pronunciation that might be most obvious as you read along with your child:
- consonants are essentially the same; there are significant differences between the sounds ofthe vowels;
- h is always silent in French;
- an s at the end of a word, to indicate the plural, often is silent;
- qu sounds like k (not kw as quiet);
- th is pronounced t;
- ch is pronounced like the English sh;
- I is pronounced like the long English e (see);
- ou in French always sounds like troop (not out);
- oi sounds like wa (wash)
- au and eau have the long o sound (go);
- ez has the long a sound (say);
- accents change the sounds of vowels;
- è sounds like the short English e (peck);
- é sounds like the long a sound (say);
- ê sounds like the short English e (peck);
- ç sounds like the s sound (sand);
- stress falls on the last sounded syllable (tapi sounds like tap-ee);
- when a word begins with a vowel (or silent h), it is usually joined with the last consonant of the preceding word – it will sound as though your child is reading one word instead of two. (l’homme)
Adapted from “Yes, You Can Help”.