French Pronunciation - Prononciation française

Detailed information on the pronunciation of each French letter

French pronunciation can be one of the more difficult aspects of learning French, but with time and practice, it is definitely possible to develop a good French accent.

The French alphabet has the same 26 letters as the English alphabet, but of course many of the letters are pronounced differently in the two languages. In addition, French has five accents: four for vowels and one for a consonant.

The table below includes links to a general introduction to French vowels and consonants - I recommend that you start with those. Then you can move on to the letter pages, each of which offers a detailed description of the pronunciation of that letter, including letter combinations and information about any accents that may be used on that letter, as well as several sound files to help you understand (and develop your ear).

Remember that there is only so much you can do to improve your pronunciation on your own... at some point, you will almost certainly need to take a class, go to France, or hire a private tutor. Online pronunciation lessons like these can never take the place of interaction with native or fluent speakers - but at least they can help you get started or supplement what you've already learned.