Let’s walk through all 26 letters of the French alphabet, with pronunciation, tips, and fun facts to help you become fluent in reading and sounding out letters like a native.
Here’s a detailed guide with French pronunciation and how each letter is commonly used.
Lettre | Nom en français | Pronunciation | |
|---|---|---|---|
A | /ah/ | like “a” in "father" | |
B | /beh/ | like “bay” | |
C | /seh/ | like “say” | |
D | /deh/ | like “day” | |
E | /uh/ | like "e" in "her" | |
F | /eff/ | same as English | |
G | /zheh/ | like “zhay” | |
H | /ahsh/ | soft, usually silent 'h' | |
I | /ee/ | like “ee” in "see" | |
J | /zhee/ | like “s” in "vision" | |
K | /kah/ | same as “car” | |
L | /ell/ | same as English | |
M | /emm/ | same as English | |
N | /enn/ | same as English | |
O | /oh/ | like “o” in "go" | |
P | /peh/ | like “pay” | |
Q | /koo/ | like “coo” in "cool" | |
R | /ehr/ | guttural, throaty R | |
S | /ess/ | same as English | |
T | /teh/ | like “tay” | |
U | /yoo/ (rounded) | unique French sound — no English match | |
V | /veh/ | like “vay” | |
W | /doo-bluh-veh/ | literally “double V” | |
X | /eeks/ | like “eeks” in "X-ray" | |
Y | /ee-grek/ | “Greek i”, pronounced /ee/ | |
Z | /zed/ | British-style “zed” |
🧘♂️ Tricky Letters to Watch
🔴 Silent Letters
French drops some letters—especially at the ends of words:
- -e : often silent in porte, fille
- -s, -t, -x, -d, -p : silent in vous, petit, deux, grand, trop
- These may become audible during liaison, when the next word starts with a vowel:
👉 vous avez → pronounced vou-zavez
🗣️ French “R” & “U” Tips
- R (ehr): pronounced from the back of the throat, not rolled
- U (yoo): say “ee” while rounding your lips like saying “oo”—a unique sound!
🎶 Mnemonic: Sing It Out!
Try chanting the alphabet to the tune of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” using French names:
Ah Beh Seh Deh Uh Eff Zheh Ahsh Ee Zhee Kah…
It helps build rhythm and recall!
💡 Bonus Tip: Accents Matter
While the alphabet has 26 base letters, French often uses accents to alter vowel sounds:
- é – pronounced /ay/ like in café
- è, ê – pronounced /eh/ like in crème
- ç (cédille) – softens C before a, o, u (e.g. garçon)
- ë, ï, ü – show that vowels are pronounced separately
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