I - French Pronunciation of I

The French letter I is pronounced more or less like the ee in "fee," but without the Y sound at the end: listen.

An i with an accent circonflexe î or tréma ï is pronounced the same way (as is the letter Y when it's a vowel in French).

However, the French I is pronounced like the English Y in the following instances:

• When I is followed by a vowel - châtier, addition, adieu, tiers
• When IL is at the end of a word and preceded by a vowel - orteil, orgueil, oeil
• In most words with ILLE - mouiller, fille, bouteille, veuillez - learn more

French words with I

Click on the links below to hear the words pronounced in French:

dix   (ten)

ami   (friend)

lit   (bed)

addition   (addition, restaurant bill)

adieu   (farewell)

orgueil   (pride)

œil   (eye)

veuillez   (please)

fille   (girl)

Letter combinations with I (click for detailed lessons)

AI / AIS
EI
IN
IO
NI
OI
TI
UI

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