The French alphabet is very similar to the Italian one and both derive from the Latin alphabet. However, there are some differences in pronunciation and it is essential to know them in order to correctly verbalize French words and spell them with the right spelling. In addition to the normal letters, there are also several accents and diphthongs that you need to learn, in order to become more confident when speaking this foreign language.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Basic Sounds
Step 1. Listen to the alphabet spoken by a native speaker
You can use YouTube and find many videos of people listing letters in their native language, including French. This method is often much more effective than reading the alphabet only. Do some research online.
Step 2. The letter A is pronounced exactly the same as in Italian
The mouth should be wide open like when you pronounce the "A" in "home".
Step 3. Pronounce the B as "be"
It is a smooth sound, a bit like the first letters of "drink".
Step 4. The C is pronounced as "if"
This is the first letter of the alphabet whose pronunciation is very different from the Italian one. The sound is composed of the deaf one of the "s" (as in "house") and that of a closed "e" as in "seed".
Step 5. Pronounce the D as "de"
This letter is pronounced followed by a closed "e", just like the B and C we described earlier and the V and T we will see later.
Step 6. Pronounce the F as "ef"
In this case you have to truncate the word "eff" just like you do with the letters L, M, N and S, so you will have to say "el", "em", "en" and "es". The letter O is pronounced exactly like in Italian.
Step 7. The H is pronounced as "asc"
The sound of the "a" is similar to what you hear in the word "house", followed by the "sc" as in "slide".
Step 8. The letter I also has an identical sound to the Italian one, only a little more prolonged
Step 9. The K is pronounced like the syllable "ca" for "dog"
Another simple letter.
Step 10. The letters L, M, N and O are pronounced as in English
They are not at all difficult to vocalize and correspond to: "el", "em", "en" and "o".
Step 11. Go to P
Pronounce it like "pe" of "fish".
Step 12. The letter R is pronounced as "err", but with a rolled sound
If you already have the "r fly" then you have an advantage, just say "err".
Step 13. The S, as mentioned earlier, is pronounced "es", truncating the word "esse"
Step 14. Say the T followed by a closed "e", just like the B and D
Step 15. Now you need to make the sound of the V which is similar to "ve" with an "e" closed
It looks like the sound in "vegan".
Step 16. The letter W has a sound analogous to "duble ve"
It literally means "double v" and, as in other languages that include this letter, it is identified with two distinct sounds: "duble ve".
The word "double" in French sounds like "duble"
Step 17. Pronounce the X as in Italian, making the sound "ics"
It's not a very common letter and the "i" has to be a bit prolonged, just like when you say the "I".
Step 18. We are at the last letter, the Z
This is pronounced with the sound "zed", simply.
Method 2 of 2: Mastering the Difficult Sounds
Step 1. Pronounce the E as "eu"
This is a very guttural sound that you should make as if you are thinking of something disgusting. It is not easy for Italians to reproduce it correctly, since it is a set of "e" and "u".
Step 2. The G has a smooth sound like "je"
It involves combining the "sc" sound of "skiing" with a "g", as is entered in the name "George".
Listen to the pronunciation in a video tutorial that you can find on the internet
Step 3. The letter j sounds similar to G
The difference is in the final vowel: "ji". Pronounce the J like the G, but replace the final "e" with an "i".
Step 4. Probably the hardest letter to pronounce is U
A good way to avoid mistakes is to start making a sound like a prolonged "i" and then finish with "u". The best way to achieve perfect pronunciation, however, is to listen to a French. Some believe that the U resembles a low moo with a very closed sound.
- The tongue and mouth assume a position very similar to that required to pronounce an "i".
- The lips must be frowned with an "O" shape.
Step 5. Move to the letter Q
Its pronunciation is very similar to the Italian sound "qu", although the final vowel is a bit narrower, halfway between "u" and "o", as in the letter U of the French alphabet.
Step 6. The Y is called "i grec"
Just as with the W, also in this case you have to pronounce two distinct words "i" and then "grec" ("Greek i").
The pronunciation, however, must be fluid with no audible pause between "i" and "grec". Think of the letter as a two-syllable word
Step 7. Learn how sounds vary according to accents
By adding the accent to the various letters, for example when you need to spell, then you change the inflection of the pronunciation. For this reason, when you have to specify the letter "è", you have to say: "e, accent à grave" that is "e with grave accent". Here's how accents are pronounced:
- A downward trajectory accent (`) is called" accent à grave ", which is pronounced" a-grav ".
- An accent with an upward trajectory (´) as in "é" is called "accent aigu" and is pronounced: "eju".
- The phonetic symbol (^) is known as a "circumflex" accent and does not change the sound of the accompanying letter.
Step 8. Learn to pronounce special characters
The French language has some letters and further combinations that bring the total of the letters of the alphabet to 34. These are:
- Ç (Ss) (also known as cedilla)
- Π(Oo)
- Æ (Ay)
- â (Ah)
- ê (Eh)
- î (Ih)
- ô (Oah)
- û (Oh)
Step 9. Review the pronunciation of the entire alphabet
Once you have listened to each letter, try to reproduce its sound in alphabetical order, so that you can practice:
- A (a), B (be), C (e), D (de), E (eu), F (ef), G (je),
- H (asc), I (i), J (ji), K (caa), L (el), M (em), N (en),
- O (o), P (pe), Q (qu), R (err with rolled r), S (es), T (te), U (u),
- V (ve), W (duble ve), X (ics), Y (i grec), Z (zed).
Advice
- French teachers will really appreciate if you spell words using the sounds of the French alphabet instead of the Italian ones.
- To learn quickly, you can write each letter on one side of a card and its pronunciation on the other side. Practice this method whenever you have free time.
- Ask native French speakers for help. They will be able to help you and allow you to improve your pronunciation.
- Ask a teacher for advice for private lessons.
- If there is a French course in your school, you can consider taking it to really learn this language.
- Practice whenever you can. Repetition is essential for learning the sounds of a foreign language. Remember that you will probably never be able to lose your "foreign" accent, but in the end you can improve a lot with practice.
- If you don't fully immerse yourself in another language, you will never be able to learn. Listen to people and try to pronounce the words just like they do!
Warnings
- The various pronunciations can be inaccurate. If possible, ask a native French speaker to pronounce the alphabet so you will hear the correct sounds.
- Do not try to reproduce the sound of French words using that of single letters. Often there are accents that change the sound, silent letters and diphthongs that differ from the simple alphabet.
- It's not at all difficult to forget the basic sounds, so don't stop practicing!
