How Is 'oi' Pronounced in French?

If one of the first French words you learned was au revoir, then you already know how to pronounce the 'oi' combination in other words. This is a vowel pairing that is used frequently in the French language and a quick lesson will help you pronounce it with ease.

How to Pronounce 'oi' in French

The letters 'oi' in French are pronounced [wa]. The 'A' takes on the regular French 'A' sound.

This is often considered one of the signature sounds of the French language and the foundation for French accents.

Beyond au revoir, you likely learned to say 'oi' in trois (three) when learning to count. It's also found in other basic vocabulary lessons, such as la voiture (car), une poire (pear), and des devoirs (homework).

Practice Your 'oi' Pronunciation 

To really hone your pronunciation of 'oi,' here are a few more words to practice. Try to pronounce each on your own prior to clicking on the word to hear the correct pronunciation. 

As you work your way through the list, you should hear that signature [wa] sound. Quite often, the letter following 'oi' is either silent or softer than it may be in other words.

• au revoir (good-bye)
• boire (drink)
• déboîter (to disconnect)
• le doigt (finger)
• éloigner (to move away)
• une framboise (raspberry)
• loin (de) (far from)
• Mademoiselle (Miss)
• la toilette (toilet, bathroom)