Pronunciation Final Consonants

Pronunciation Final Consonants

Pronunciation Final consonants - Knowing how to pronounce a French word is not intuitive. The end of words is particularly finicky. Let’s see how it works.

With words ending in –E, the final –E is mute, and therefore the preceding final consonant is pronounced. This rule is pretty definite.

• J’aime manger une pomme.
• I like to eat an apple.

o   J’aime (pronounce the M)

o   une (pronounce the N)

o   pomme (pronounce the M)

It would be too chaotic to sort these words in categories, because there would be as many words fitting the rule as there would be exceptions.

Here are the ones I find most common, or most commonly mispronounced.

Words with a silent final consonant

• art .... art
• blanc .... white
• estomac .... stomach
• œufs .... eggs
• sang .... blood

Words with a vocal final consonant

• août .... August
• avec .... with
• bonus ... bonus
• fier .... proud
• œuf .... egg

Words that go both ways

• un bout .... a piece
• un bout .... a boat rope
• les vins bus .... the wine drunk
• un bus .... a bus
• un coût .... cost .... un coût
• des os .... bones
• un os .... a bone

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Related: The French S: S or Z sound ?

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