French Sounds & the Alphabet
Today's goal: recognise and say 6 key French sounds that work differently from English. These sounds appear in words you already know — and in every lesson from here on.
Your 6 key sounds — keep this card all year
- ou = sounds like "oo" in English → bounjour, rouge
- on = nasal "on" — say through your nose → non, bonjour
- an / en = nasal "an" — say through your nose → enchanté, France
- é = like "ay" but shorter, no glide → café, écoute
- è = open "eh" → règle, père, très
- ç = always "s" — never "k" → garçon, ça va
These 6 patterns appear in almost every French word you will ever learn.
Spot the sounds — words from Lesson 01
Find and underline each sound as your teacher reads the words aloud.
Notice: salut has a silent final t. Final consonants are often silent in French.
Warm-Up
Do this on paper before anything else.
Write on paper
- Copy each sound + example, 3 times each:
- ou → bonjour
- on → non
- an → enchanté
- é → café
- è → règle
- ç → garçon
- Write bonjour slowly. Circle the ou. Then circle the on. One word — two sounds!
- Write enchanté. Underline the é. Underline the an.
Tip: say each sound out loud as you write it — your mouth and your hand learn together.
Say it aloud
Your teacher will say each word. Repeat slowly, then again at normal speed.
The French Sound Map
Six sounds — each one different from English. Use this map as a reference during the exercises.
Practice
Print this page and do the exercises on paper first. Then repeat on screen.
Listen & select
Press Play to hear a word. Choose which sound you hear in it. Use your sound card if you need help.
Which sound do you hear in bonjour?
Which sound do you hear in non?
Which nasal sound do you hear in enchanté?
Which accent sound do you hear at the end of café?
Which accent sound do you hear in règle?
In garçon, the ç makes which sound?
Match the sound to the word
Tap a sound pattern, then tap a word that contains it.
Sort the words
Drag each word into the column that matches the vowel sound it contains.
Quick Check
Choose the correct answer.
1. The letters ou in French sound like which English word?
2. In the word bonjour, how many of the 6 key sounds appear?
3. The ç in garçon makes which sound?
4. Which word contains the nasal an sound?
5. What is the difference between é and è?
6. In French, the final letter of salut is silent. Which other word from Lesson 01 also has a silent final letter?
Write it yourself
Write the complete French word. Pay attention to accents and special letters. The widget accepts your answer even if you miss an accent — but the correction will always show the correct spelling. Practise getting it right.
1. Write the French for Hello — the one that contains both on and ou.
2. Write the French word for a coffee shop — don't forget the accent on the last letter.
3. Write the French word for boy — the one with a ç in the middle.
4. Write the word you say when you meet someone for the first time — the one with an and é in it.
Speaking Practice
Practise the sounds on your own while your teacher speaks with another student.
Say the chain
Read each line 3 times. On your third read, close your eyes and say it from memory.
Challenge: say the whole list in 15 seconds without stopping.
Audio practice
Press Play, listen carefully, then try to write the word you hear in your Writing Space. Check the sound bank if you need help.
Game Time
Flip the cards to match each sound pattern with its example word. When you find a pair say the word out loud — that is the rule!