1.
Vowels (Les voyelles)
Oral Vowels
Phoneme Example Word IPA Example Pronunciation Description
/i/ si (yes) /si/ High front unrounded vowel, as in si.
/e/ été (summer) /ete/ Close-mid front unrounded vowel, as in été.
/ɛ/ belle (beautiful) /bɛl/ Open-mid front unrounded vowel, as in belle.
/a/ patte (paw) /pat/ Open front unrounded vowel, as in patte.
/ɑ/ pâte (paste) /pɑt/ Open back unrounded vowel, as in pâte.
/o/ beau (beautiful) /bo/ Close-mid back rounded vowel, as in beau.
/ɔ/ porte (door) /pɔʁt/ Open-mid back rounded vowel, as in porte.
/u/ tout (all) /tu/ High back rounded vowel, as in tout.
/y/ lune (moon) /lyn/ High front rounded vowel, as in lune.
/ø/ peu (little) /pø/ Close-mid front rounded vowel, as in peu.
/œ/ sœur (sister) /sœʁ/ Open-mid front rounded vowel, as in sœur.
Nasal Vowels
Phoneme Example Word IPA Example Pronunciation Description
/ɑ̃ / sans (without) /sɑ̃ / Nasalized a, as in sans.
/ɛ̃/ pain (bread) /pɛ̃/ Nasalized ɛ, as in pain.
/œ̃ / un (one) /œ̃ / Nasalized œ, as in un.
/ɔ̃/ bon (good) /bɔ̃/ Nasalized ɔ, as in bon.
2. Consonants (Les consonnes)
Phoneme Example Word IPA Example Pronunciation Description
/p/ papa (dad) /papa/ Bilabial plosive, as in papa.
/b/ beau (beautiful) /bo/ Bilabial plosive, as in beau.
/t/ tout (all) /tu/ Dental plosive, as in tout.
/d/ doux (soft) /du/ Dental plosive, as in doux.
Phoneme Example Word IPA Example Pronunciation Description
/k/ car (because) /kaʁ/ Velar plosive, as in car.
/g/ gare (station) /gaʁ/ Velar plosive, as in gare.
/f/ fou (crazy) /fu/ Labiodental fricative, as in fou.
/v/ vin (wine) /vɛ̃/ Labiodental fricative, as in vin.
/s/ sac (bag) /sak/ Alveolar fricative, as in sac.
/z/ zéro (zero) /zeʁo/ Alveolar fricative, as in zéro.
/ʃ/ chat (cat) /ʃa/ Postalveolar fricative, as in chat.
/ʒ/ jour (day) /ʒuʁ/ Postalveolar fricative, as in jour.
/ʁ/ rat (rat) /ʁa/ Uvular fricative, as in rat.
/l/ lit (bed) /li/ Alveolar lateral approximant, as in lit.
/m/ maman (mom) /mamɑ̃ / Bilabial nasal, as in maman.
/n/ nuit (night) /nɥi/ Alveolar nasal, as in nuit.
3. Semi-Vowels (Les semi-voyelles)
Phoneme Example Word IPA Example Pronunciation Description
/j/ fille (girl) /fij/ Palatal approximant, as in fille.
/ɥ/ lui (him) /lɥi/ Labial-palatal approximant, as in lui.
/w/ oui (yes) /wi/ Labial-velar approximant, as in oui.
4. Phonetic Transcription Examples
Simple Sentences
1. Je mange une pomme.
IPA: /ʒə mɑ̃ ʒ yn pɔm/
(I eat an apple.)
2. Il est grand et fort.
IPA: /il ɛ ɡʁɑ̃ e fɔʁ/
(He is tall and strong.)
3. Nous allons au marché demain.
IPA: /nuz‿alɔ̃ o maʁʃe dəmɛ̃/
(We are going to the market tomorrow.)
Complex Sentence
4. Le chat noir dort sous la table.
IPA: /lə ʃa nwaʁ dɔʁ su la tabl/
(The black cat sleeps under the table.)
5. Elle parle avec son amie chaque matin.
IPA: /ɛl paʁl avɛk sɔ̃n‿ami ʃak matɛ̃/
(She talks with her friend every morning.)
