LL - French Pronunciation of the Double L

In French, the double L is sometimes pronounced like an L, and other times like a Y. How do you know when to pronounce it each way? This lesson explains the general rules and the inevitable exceptions.

As a general rule, the double L after A, E, O, U, and Y is pronounced like an L: une balle, elle, mollement, une idylle, etc. There are almost certainly exceptions to this rule, but I can't think of any.

In words with an I followed by LL, the double L is usually pronounced like a Y: une fille, la Bastille, une bouteille, Millau, chantilly, etc. However, there are a number of exceptions, in which the double L is pronounced like an L (the links go to sound files):

• un bacille - germ, bacillus
• un billion - trillion
• capillaire - capillary
• un codicille - codicil
• distiller - to distill
• Lille - town in France
• lilliputien - Liliputian
• mille - thousand (un millénium, millier, etc.)
• un mille - mile (le millage)
• milli- (prefix)
• un milliard - billion (un milliardaire, le milliardième, etc.)
• un million - million (un millionaire, le millionième, etc.)
• osciller - to oscillate, swing
• un/e pupille* - ward of the state
• une pupille* - pupil
• tranquille - calm, tranquil
• une ville - town (une villa, un village, etc.)

* These words may be pronounced either way.

The (parentheses) indicate derivations which are also pronounced like an L.

If you know of any additional exceptions, please let me know on the forum so that I can add them to this list.

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