Learn French Pronunciation
Click any letter, accent, or common combination to hear exactly how it sounds in French — spoken aloud, instantly, and completely free. Built for beginners who struggle with pronunciation.
How to use this French pronunciation tool
Pick a tab — Alphabet, Common combinations, or Accents — then click any tile to hear it spoken aloud. On the combination tiles, the blue sound button plays the sound on its own, while the second button plays a real French example word so you can hear it in context. Use the Slow speed for the trickier sounds.
About French pronunciation
French spelling and pronunciation don’t always match, which is what makes it hard for beginners. A handful of patterns cause most of the trouble: ou, oi and eu; the four nasal vowels (on, an, in, un); the throaty French r; and the accents é, è and ê. Learn these few and most French words suddenly become readable. This tool lets you hear each one as often as you like.
Frequently asked questions
How do you pronounce the French R?
The French “r” (/ʁ/) is made at the back of the throat rather than with the tip of the tongue like the English r. It sounds a little like a soft gargle. Practise with words such as rouge and Paris.
How is “ou” pronounced in French?
The combination ou makes a single /u/ sound, like “oo” in “food” — for example, bonjour and vous.
What are French nasal sounds?
Nasal vowels are made by letting air pass through the nose. French has four main ones: on/om (/ɔ̃/), an/en (/ɑ̃/), in/ain (/ɛ̃/) and un (/œ̃/), as in nom, enfant, pain and un.
What is the difference between é and è?
é (accent aigu) sounds like “ay” (/e/), as in café. è (accent grave) sounds like “eh” (/ɛ/), as in père.
Are final consonants silent in French?
Often, yes. Many final consonants — like the -s in vous or the -t in petit — are not pronounced, although there are exceptions you learn with practice.
Is this tool free to use?
Yes. French Pronounce is completely free, runs in your web browser, and needs no signup or download.
How does the audio work?
It uses your device’s built-in French text-to-speech voice, so you can hear each letter, sound and example word spoken aloud instantly.