How to pronounce French vowels, nasal vowels, and diphthongs
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Don’t underestimate the importance of French vowels. After all, imagine a language without vowels — with our French alphabet, obviously.
It would be very difficult to speak, right? Not to mention probably not very nice for the ears.
So, get ready to learn everything about the vowels of French, including French vowel pronunciation.
What are vowels?
First off, what is a vowel? Well, simply put, a vowel is a speech sound we produce without audible friction or obstruction in the mouth.
This sounds like Greek to you? No worries, you just need to know the following:
Hard vowels
- A, O, U. No, they’re not mean, it just means that when followed by these vowels or by a consonant, the consonants C, G, and S have a hard pronunciation.
- Example: Noix de coco (nwaks də kɔko)
Soft vowels:
- E, I, Y. When followed by these vowels, the consonants C, G, and S have a soft pronunciation.
- Example: Citron (sitɾõ)
How to pronounce the French vowels
If you’re still confused, the table below should help you with French vowel sounds. Check this video for a tutorial on the French mouth position, and this one to pronounce French vowels properly.
| Vowel | IPA | Lip position | Examples |
| A | a | Open the mouth and lips very wide. Drop your chin. It’s a long sound compared to the English A. | Animal (more animals in French here) Adjectif (more adjectives in French here) |
| O | o | Push up, round and close your lips like a kiss. Don’t move them.Round up your throat, and deepen your voice. | Escargot Dos (more body parts in French here) |
| U | y | Start with a French I sound, like “tea” in English. Don’t move anything inside your mouth. Push your lips out as a kiss, then curl them up a bit as if you were trying to touch your nose. | Tu (more pronouns in French here) Têtu (more personality traits in French here) |
| E | ə | Close your mouth. Push in front your lips, like a fish or make an 8 shape. | Je Me |
| I | i | Spread your lips as if you’re smiling. The mouth should be almost closed. Touch your palate with a flat tongue. Your voice should go up. | Lundi (more days of the week in French here) Ignorer |
| Y | i | Spread your lips as if you’re smiling. The mouth should be almost closed. Touch your palate with a flat tongue. Your voice should go up. | Il y a Xylophone |
French diphthongs
If you’ve been studying French for a while, you’ve probably come across some weird sounds and letters. Or rather, a mix of two letters, like in the word cœur (more romantic words in French here). These are diphthongs.
Some are a bit tricky for English learners, but with a bit of practice, you’ll get them right. My American fiancé is getting better at asking “de l’eau”!
| Vowel diphthongs | IPA | Sounds like in English | Examples |
| eu | yø | Between "ew" in "dew" and "ur" like in "burp". | Europe Heureux (more feelings in French here) |
| oi, oî | ywa, oi | To make the sound for these letters, say an English w and a (as in apple), like in “walk”. | Pois Moi |
| ai | e | Like "i" in "fight", or "ay" in "hay" (end of a word). | Avait Aimant |
| ail | aj | Like "i" in "fight". | Ail Gouvernail |
| ais | e | Like "ea" in "bread" (end of a word). | Balais Aisé |
| au, eau | o, o | Like "ow" in "flow". | Cadeau Noyau |
| an | ɑ̃ | This one is tricky. Nasal; kind of like "ahng", but without the hard "g". | An Maman (more family members in French here). |
| oui | wi | Like "wee" in "week". | Oui Épanoui |
| œ | œ | Similar to "eu", slightly more open. | Cœur Sœur |
| er | e | At the end of a word, like "e" in "déja vu". | Manger Parler |
| ez | e | At the end of a word, like "e" in "déja vu". | Mangez Parlez |
| en, em | ɑ̃, e | Nasal; same as "an". | Dent Empêcher |
| in | ɛ̃ | Nasal; like "ang" in "fang", but without the hard "g". | Fin Lapin |
| oin | wɛ̃ | Nasal; like a mix between “want” and "tang", but without the hard "g". | Groin Foin |
| ou | u | Like "oo" in "good". | Loup Ouvrir |
| on | õ | Nasal; like "ong" in "song", but without the hard "g". | Chanson Son (more possessive pronouns in French here) |
| ui | ɥi | Like "wee" in "week", but with the tongue forward. | Lui Cuire |
| un | œ̃ | Nasal; like "ung" in "hung", but without the hard "g". | Un Emprunt |
| ill | ill | Usually like "y" in "years", with some exceptions (“ville” is “veel”, for example). | Pastille Famille |
| ll | l | Like "l". | Alléger Ballon |
French nasal vowel sounds
No need to have a cold to pronounce nasal vowels in French! Nasal vowels are simply pronounced by passing air through the mouth and nose, as opposed to oral vowels, which only involve the mouth.
Here a few characteristics to recognize them:
- They are produced with a vibration of the vocal cords
- The throat, lips, and tongue are not obstructed
- They are followed by M or N at the end of a word
- They can be one syllable.
Tip: If you like efficiency, you can practice all four nasal vowels with one sentence: “Un bon vin blanc.” And speaking of drinks in French, check out this article!
Nasal a
- Spelling: an, am, en, em
- Examples: An, européen, ambidextre
Nasal i
- Spelling: ain, aim, ein, eim, en, em, in, im, ym, yn
- Examples: pain, malin, faim, intelligent
Nasal o
- Spelling: on, om
- Examples: son, nom
Nasal u
- Spelling: un, um
- Examples: un, humble
By now, you should be able to master French vowels. And if you’re struggling with nasal vowels, don’t feel bad. Literally, every single French learner can have issues with that! Even celebrities, as you can see in this video. Trop mignon !
Start by reviewing the French alphabet, and move on to our other French vocab and grammar articles.
One last tip: Practice in front of the mirror. It does help. I learned how to make a perfect Spanish “rrrr” like that. Nobody’s judging!
