French Phonics

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French phonics

Lesson

chat

le chat: cat

French:

English:

to chat : to talk lightly, online

starter

chat

front

le front: forehead

French:

English:

front: forward part of something

starter

front

garage

le garage: garage

French:

English:

garage: for parking or fixing a car

starter

garage

fin

la fin: end

French:

English:

fin: webbed part of a fish

starter

fin

QUIZ

categories

eu/oe/oeu, gu (before e,i,y), il/ill (after a vowel), oi/oî, ou/oû/où, nasal vowel (am/an/en/em, in/im/ain/aim/ein/eim/yn/ym, ien, on/om, un/um)

a/à/â, e (at the end of the word), e (before one consonant or in one syllable words), e (before two consonants)/è/ê/ai/aî/ei, é/er/es/ez/et, i/î/y, o/ô/au/eau, u/û,

h, j, q/qu, r/rr, c (before e,i,y)/ç, g (before e,i,y), s (between vowels), ch, gn, ll, th and silent consonants.

MATCH UP GAME

OTHER VOWELS

VOWELS

CONSONANTS

l'hopital

l'homme

Examples:

heureux

This consonant is always silent, which means you don't say the h at the beginning of words in French.

Consonants

jaune

joli

Examples:

une jupe

The sound of this letter is like the s in the English word 'television'.

Consonants

cinq

quatre

Examples:

unequestion

These letters make the same sound as a letter c or k in English, like the c in cat.

Consonants

q - qu

le parc

rose

Examples:

rouler

This letter makes a sound which is not in the English language. It sounds as if you are gargling water. It comes from the back of the throat and sounds longer than the r sound in English.

Consonants

r - rr

before: e, i or y

la glace

le cinéma

Examples:

le garçon

A c before e, i or y and ç makes a s sound.

Consonants

c - ç

before: e, i or y

le ménage

un singe

Examples:

une girafe

A g before e, i or y makes the sound like s in television.

Consonants

between vowels

une chemise

rose

Examples:

le magasin

An s between vowels makes an English z sound.

Consonants

la chemise

un cheval

Examples:

un chat

These letters make the same sound as the English for sh.

Consonants

ch

un oignon

un agneau

Examples:

mignon

These letters make the sound similar to that in the middle of the English word onion. This sounds like n followed by y.

Consonants

gn

un gorille

la famille

Examples:

une fille

After the letter i, these letters make the English y sound.

Consonants

ll

les maths

la Thaïlande

Examples:

le thé

These letters make the same sound as t in English.

Consonants

th

des choux

beaucoup

Examples:

le chat

Most consonants at the end of words aren't pronounced. These are called silent letters. For example d, p, s, t, x, z are silent at the end of a word.

Consonants

Silent

In sentences, two words can sometimes sound like one, as the end of one word is linked to the next word by sounding the silent letter. This is called liaison. The letters d, n, s, t, x and z can be sounded when the next word starts with a vowel or a h. Remember that s and x will sound like a z sound if followed by a vowel.

Consonants

liaison

elle a trois enfants

trois

elle a deux enfants

deux

Consonants

liaison

il est un bon enfant

bon

cent

cent euros

Consonants

liaison

à vélo

le taxi

Examples:

le chat

a - à - â

This letter makes a similar sound to a in the English word apple. It can be written as a, â or à.

vowels

at the end of a word

le collège

la neige

Examples:

la piscine

The letter e at the end of a word is silent.

vowels

before a consonant or in a one syllable word

te

je

Examples:

regarder

There are different ways of saying and writing e in French. The first way sounds like the sound that er makes at the end of the English word mother.

vowels

before a final c, l or t

before two consonants

le poulet

une maison

Examples:

mettre

e - è - ê - ai -aî - ei - e

The second way of saying e in French sounds like the e in the English word egg.

vowels

at the end of a word

et

le café

Examples:

danser

é - er - es - ez - et

All these letter combinations make a sound which is not in English. It is a short, sharp sound which you might use to attract someone's attention. Spread your lips and make your tongue low in the mouth as you say this.

vowels

le dîner

la girafe

Examples:

la piscine

i, î, y

These letters make a sound not found in English. Spread your lips in a wide grin and show your teeth to make this sound. Note the letter y also has a different sound at the start of words.

vowels

not at the end of a word

obéir

une orange

Examples:

l'oreille

When o does not appear at the end of a word, it sounds like o in the English word hot.

vowels

at the end of a word

de l'eau

jaune

Examples:

bientôt

o, ô, au, eau

These letters make a sound not found in English. Make your lips into a round shape and sound as if you have had a shock.

vowels

des lunettes

une jupe

Examples:

tu

u, û

This letter makes a sound not found in English. Form your lips as though you are going to whistle, then say the sound for the letters ee in English.

vowels

l'oeil

un voeu

Examples:

bleu

eu, oe, oeu

These letters make a sound not found in English. Imagine you have seen something unpleasant. Open your mouth a little and sound disgusted.

other vowels

before e, i, y

Guy

guérir

Examples:

une guitare

gu

Gu before these vowels make a g sound.

other vowels

after a vowel

le brouillard

Examples:

le soleil

il - ill

These letters make the English y sound.

other vowels

noir

la voiture

Examples:

le poisson

oi - oî

To make the sound for these letters, say an English w and a (as in apple) – wa.

other vowels

où es-tu?

le goût

Examples:

jouer

ou - oû - où

These letters make a sound not found in English. Purse your lips tightly like a chimpanzee to say this sound.

other vowels

au printemps

ma tante

Examples:

le jambon

am - an - em - en

Open your mouth a little and keep your tongue low in your mouth and allow the air to come through your nose and mouth.

other vowels

le chien

Examples:

bien

ien

Say the sound for i in French, then the sound for in.

other vowels

le poisson

le pantalon

Examples:

le nom

om - on

Put your mouth in the position to say o as in the French word orange and then allow the air to come down your nose.

other vowels

MATCH UP GAME

un loup

coucou

tu

salut

beaucoup

perdu

Matching game

un loup

coucou

tu

salut

beaucoup

perdu

Matching game

un boulot

les yeux

de l'eau

un oeuf

en haut

neuf

Matching game

un boulot

les yeux

de l'eau

un oeuf

en haut

neuf

Matching game

une maladie

maudit

numéro

un nénuphar

maman

nul

Matching game

une maladie

maudit

numéro

un nénuphar

maman

nul

Matching game

un panda

un bébé

le pentathlon

la brioche

le boulanger

une panthère

Matching game

un panda

un bébé

le pentathlon

la brioche

le boulanger

une panthère

Matching game

un zoo

un désert

la sixième

une initiale

du saucisson

un garçon

Matching game

un zoo

un désert

la sixième

une initiale

du saucisson

un garçon

Matching game

un champignon

la faute

une photocopie

le cheval

une chanson

une photo

Matching game

un champignon

la faute

une photocopie

le cheval

une chanson

une photo

Matching game

faire semblant

long

un mouton

chantons

le temps

en chantant

Matching game

faire semblant

long

un mouton

chantons

le temps

en chantant

Matching game

violet

j'espère

sauter

une haie

céder

le café

Matching game

violet

j'espère

sauter

une haie

céder

j'ai passé

Matching game

me

passionée

marcher

petit

le regard

j'ai passé

Matching game

petit

me

passionnée

marcher

le regard

j'ai passé

Matching game

doux

rigolo

de l'eau

des cailloux

un saut

des sous

Matching game

doux

rigolo

de l'eau

des cailloux

un saut

des sous

Matching game

le doigt

le cousin

moi

moins

avoir

le saint

Matching game

le doigt

le cousin

moi

moins

avoir

le saint

Matching game

Commencer

quiz

How do you pronounce "la rue" in French?

Question 1 of 17

BONNE RÉPONSE

SUIVANT

How do you pronounce "le yaourt" in French?

Question 2 of 17

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How do you pronounce "dessus" in French?

Question 3 of 17

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How do you pronounce "la bouteille" in French?

Question 4 of 17

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How do you pronounce "Reims" in French?

Question 5 of 17

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How do you pronounce "l'oeil" in French?

Question 6 of 17

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1) How do you pronounce "l'écureuil" in French?

Question 7 of 17

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How do you pronounce "le RER" in French?

Question 8 of 17

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How do you pronounce "heureuse" in French?

Question 9 of 17

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How do you pronounce "la chirurgie" in French?

Question 10 of 17

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How do you pronounce "la fourrure" in French?

Question 11 of 17

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How do you pronounce "la grenouille" in French?

Question 12 of 17

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How do you pronounce "l'ours" in French?

Question 13 of 17

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How do you pronounce "le millefeuille" in French?

Question 14 of 17

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How do you pronounce "le cucurbitacée" in French?

Question 15 of 17

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SUIVANT

How do you pronounce "le Pouilly-Fuissé" in French?

Question 16 of 17

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SUIVANT

How do you pronounce "anticonstitutionnellement" in French?

Question 17 of 17

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RETOUR