Pronunciation

French pronunciation habits to notice early.

French pronunciation becomes less mysterious when you watch for a few repeated habits instead of trying to pronounce every letter separately.

Many final consonants are silent

In words like petit, grand, and vous, the final consonant is often not pronounced. This is one reason written French can look longer than it sounds.

But liaison can bring a consonant back

When a normally silent final consonant is followed by a vowel sound, it may connect to the next word: vous avez sounds like vou-z-avez.

Do not force liaison everywhere. Start by noticing common ones: vous avez, les amis, un ami.

Nasal vowels are important

Words like bon, vin, and sans contain nasal vowels. The air partly passes through the nose, and the final n or m is usually not pronounced as a separate consonant.

French rhythm is smooth

English often stresses one syllable strongly. French rhythm is more even, with stress often falling near the end of a phrase.

A practical habit

Listen to short phrases, not isolated words. Repeat bonjour Madame, vous avez, je voudrais, and bonne journée as complete sound units.

Good pronunciation starts with noticing patterns. Accuracy grows with repeated listening and calm imitation.