O - French Pronunciation of O

The French letter O is pronounced one of two ways:

1. Like the o in "cold." Listen. This is called the closed O.
    
2. More or less like the o in the English word "ton." Listen. This is called the open O.

The rules for determining which pronunciation to use are fairly complicated, so only the most important ones are listed here. When in doubt, always check in the dictionary.

• When the O has an accent cironflexe ô, it's a closed O.


• When the O is the last sound of the syllable (trop, mot, héros, etc), it's a closed O.


• When the O is followed by a consonant sound (notre, téléphone, etc), it's an open O. Unless the consonant sound is a z sound (rose, chose), in which case it's a closed O.

Note: The letter combinations AU and EAU are also pronounced like closed O's.


French words with O

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

   bol   (bowl)

   bottes   (boots)

   rose   (pink)

   dos   (back)


Letter combinations with O (click for detailed lessons)

IO
OE
ŒIL
OI
ON
OU
OUIL

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