French Pronunciation Guide

You know what the words mean. You're just not sure you're saying them right.

French pronunciation has a reputation for being unforgiving — the nasal vowels, the silent letters, the R that comes from somewhere in the back of your throat. Most learners either avoid it or pick up habits that are hard to undo later.

This guide breaks it down without the intimidation.

Inside you'll find:

• The French alphabet and how its sounds differ from English, including the vowels, the throaty R, and the French "u" that has no English equivalent
• H muet vs. H aspiré — why it matters and how to tell them apart
• Nasal vowels explained simply, with the key rule about when a vowel stops being nasal
• Accent marks and what they actually do to pronunciation (and when they just distinguish meaning)
• Vowel and letter combination rules: oi, ai, ill, gn, eau, eu, and more
• Elisions and liaisons in full: when they're obligatory, when they're optional, and when making one is a mistake
• The 10 hardest French words to pronounce, with phonetic guides
• Prosody: intonation, rhythm, and why French sounds smoother than English
• Common pronunciation pitfalls and minimal pair practice to train your ear

Three chapters. The sounds of French, made simple.