This lesson shows how to read a French word and predict how it sounds, using a short list of patterns instead of memorising each word. It matters from your first speaking task, because a word you cannot decode is a word you will mispronounce.
It belongs to sound, spelling and intelligibility and prepares you for hearing close contrasts in the next lesson.
What are the patterns worth learning first?
Learn these groups, because they cover a large share of everyday words.
| Spelling | Sound idea | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ou | the “oo” sound | vous, tout |
| au, eau | the “o” sound, with no glide | beaucoup, beau |
| ai, ei | like the “e” in “bed” | faire, seize |
| oi | “wa” | oiseau, trois |
| ch | like English “sh” | chat, chez |
| qu | a “k” sound | quatre, qui |
| gn | like “ny” in “canyon” | montagne |
| ç | an “s” sound | garçon, français |
| on, an, in, un | nasal vowels, with no clear “n” | bon, grand, pain |
Two more habits help. Final consonants are usually silent: the t in “petit”, the d in “grand”, the s in “trois”. And a final e is silent, so “mange” ends on the g sound.
How do I decode an unfamiliar word?
- Find the letter groups (ou, eau, ch, qu, gn, on, an) before you look at single letters.
- Cross out the likely silent ending (final s, t, d, x, p, and final e).
- Check c and g: before e or i they are soft (s, zh), otherwise hard (k, g).
- Say it slowly, then check against an audio source such as your teacher or a reliable recording.
Worked example
Decode and say: Le petit garçon mange un grand croissant.
- petit: p, e, t, i, t. The final t is silent, so it ends on the “ee” sound.
- garçon: ç is an s sound, and “on” is a nasal vowel with no clear n.
- mange: the final e is silent. The g before e is soft, so it sounds like the “s” in “measure”.
- grand: “an” is a nasal vowel and the final d is silent.
- croissant: “oi” is “wa”, “ss” is one s sound, “an” is nasal and the final t is silent.
Read it again at a natural pace in three groups: Le petit garçon / mange / un grand croissant.
The mistake to watch for
Learners often pronounce every letter they see.
Mistaken reading: “peh-TEET” for petit, “grand-d” for grand, “croi-sant-t” for croissant.
The reader treated French like a language where most letters are voiced.
The correction is to look at the ending first. Most final consonants are silent.
A memory aid is the word CaReFuL: final c, r, f and l are often sounded, as in sac, bonjour, neuf and sel. Everything else in the final position is probably silent until you learn otherwise.
Check yourself
Say each answer aloud before you open it.
1. Which letter is silent in “beaucoup”, and what sounds do eau and ou make?
Show answer
The final p is silent. “eau” gives the “o” sound and “ou” gives the “oo” sound, so the word sounds like “bo-koo”.
2. What sound does gn make in “montagne”, and what happens to the n in “bon”?
Show answer
In “montagne”, gn sounds like “ny” in “canyon”. In “bon”, the “on” is a nasal vowel, so the n is not pronounced as a separate consonant.
3. In “sac”, “petit” and “grand”, which word keeps its final consonant sound?
Show answer
sac. The final c is one of the CaReFuL letters. The t of “petit” and the d of “grand” are silent.
Where this leads next
Next, train your ear on a pair of vowels learners often blur in distinguishing a close sound contrast. To test all the patterns together, try the integrated practice set.
If you want someone to hear how you decode words and correct the pattern on the spot, that is part of our online one-to-one French tuition.