UIL / UILLE - French Pronunciation

When preceded by a consonant,* the letters UIL are pronounced [weel], with one exception: building is pronounced [beel deeng] - there is no "w" sound after the B.

The letters UILLE are usually pronounced [weey] - the double L is pronounced like a "y." But there are two groups of exceptions: when the letter combination is preceded by G or Q, there is no "w" sound.


French words with UIL and UILLE

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

   huile (f)   (oil)

   une tuile   (tile)

   une cuillère   (spoon)

   juillet   (July)

   un building   (high-rise building)

   un guillemet   (quotation mark)

   la quille   (keel)

Note that LL preceded by UI is always pronounced like a "y," but this is not necessarily the case for other words with LL.

*The pronunciation is different in letter combinations that include another vowel: see EUIL / EUILLE and OUIL / OUILLE.


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