The French letter E can be pronounced several different ways:
- Like the E in angel (like a schwa) - listen. This sound is often heard in single syllable words like le, me, etc.
- Like the vowel sound in "weigh" except without the y sound at the end - listen. E with an accent aigu é is pronounced like this, as is the E in an open syllable (i.e., a syllable that end in a vowel sound), including -et and the verb endings -er and -ez: été, manger, veuillez.
- Like the E in bed - listen. E with an accent grave è or circonflexe ê is pronounced like this, as is the E in a closed syllable (a syllable that ends in a consonant sound): tête, sept, exprès.
- Except in single-syllable words, an E at the end of a word is called an e muet and is not pronounced unless it has an accent.
Words with E
Click on the links below to hear the words pronounced in French:
Letter combinations with E (click for detailed lessons)
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