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Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

Learn the French alphabet with key words like "Arbre" (tree), "Bonjour" (hello), and "Soleil" (sun). Discover vowels, consonants, accents like é and è, and the special ç (cédille).
  1. The vowels are the letters "a", "e", "i", "o", "u", "y".
  2. The rest of the letters are consonants.
  3. The accents are: "é", "è", "ê", "ë" and can be placed on vowels.
A Arbre (Arbor)J Jeu (Joy)SSoleil (Sun)
B Bonjour (Bhello)K Kiwi (Kiwi)TTable (Table)
C Chat (Cat)L Lit (Bed)U Usine (Ufactory)
DDix (Dten)M Mère (Mother)V Vache (Cow)
E Eléphant (Elephant)N Neige (Snow)W Wagon (Wagon)
F Fille (Girl)O Oiseau (Bird)X Xylophone (Xylophone)
G Garçon (Boy)P Pomme (Pear)Y Yaourt (Yogurt)
H Homme (He)Q Question (Question)Z Zèbre (Zebra)
I Île (Island)R Rose (Rose)  

Exceptions!

  1. There is the letter "ç", called cédille, which allows changing the sound of the letter "c".

Exercise 1: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Comment tu ___ ?

(What is your ___?)

2. Je ___ Sophie.

(I ___ Sophie.)

3. Mon nom ___ Martin.

(My name ___ Martin.)

4. Je me présente : je ___ Monsieur Dupont.

(Let me introduce myself: I ___ Mr. Dupont.)

5. Le garçon ___ Pierre.

(The boy ___ Pierre.)

6. Comment ___ ton prénom ?

(How ___ your first name?)

The French Alphabet

This lesson introduces you to the French alphabet, essential for reading, writing, and pronunciation. The French alphabet consists of 26 letters, the same as in English. Through this lesson, you will become familiar with each letter and example words that start with them.

Alphabet Structure

The alphabet includes vowels and consonants. French vowels are: a, e, i, o, u, y, while the remaining letters are consonants. Learning these categories will help you understand word formation and pronunciation rules.

Example Words

Each letter is paired with a common French word to illustrate its sound. For example:

  • A like in Arbre (tree)
  • B like in Bonjour (hello)
  • C like in Chat (cat)
  • D like in Dix (ten)
  • E like in Éléphant (elephant)
  • F like in Fille (girl)
  • G like in Garçon (boy)
  • H like in Homme (man)
  • I like in Île (island)
  • J like in Jeu (game)

And so on, covering all letters including less common ones like W in Wagon and X in Xylophone.

Accents and Special Characters

French uses accents to modify vowel sounds, such as é, è, ê, ë. These accents can change pronunciation and meaning. Additionally, the letter ç (called cédille) changes the sound of c from a hard "k" sound to a soft "s" sound, as in garçon.

Language Comparison and Useful Phrases

While English and French share the same alphabet letters, accents and pronunciation differ significantly. French words often contain accented vowels, which impact how each word is spoken.

Here are some useful introductory French phrases to practice pronunciation and basic sentence structure:

  • Comment tu t'appelles ? — What's your name?
  • Je m'appelle Sophie. — My name is Sophie.
  • Mon nom est Martin. — My surname is Martin.
  • Je me présente : je suis Monsieur Dupont. — Let me introduce myself: I am Mr. Dupont.
  • Le garçon s'appelle Pierre. — The boy's name is Pierre.
  • Comment s’écrit ton prénom ? — How is your first name spelled?

Written by

This content has been designed and reviewed by the coLanguage pedagogical team: About coLanguage

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Alessia Calcagni

Languages for communication in international enterprises and organizations

Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia

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Last Updated:

Thursday, 17/07/2025 10:22