Should You Pronounce the Final Letter of French Words? How to read French? How to pronounce French words? What not to pronounce in French? What are the silent French letters?
In this brief video, you'll discover some helpful tips on French pronunciation. Here are a few key takeaways:
1) Oftentimes, final consonants are not pronounced in French words.
For instance, the "t" and "s" in words like petit and japonais are not pronounced.
2) Remember the CaReFuL rule!
If a French word ends with c, r, f, or l, you should pronounce the final consonant. For example, in the words avec, par, sportif, and sel, the last consonant is pronounced.
3) The final -e in French words is always silent.
Therefore, in words like commode, active, and livre, do not pronounce the -e at the end.
4) Consonants that come before the final -e, however, are pronounced.
For example, the -t in petite is pronounced because it comes before the -e.