What this page is really teaching you
You are working on two key skills for A1 conversation:
- Sound–spelling links (French letters that make one sound)
- Final consonants (usually silent) and liaison (sometimes pronounced to link words)
Goal: pronounce names and simple sentences clearly (e.g., Je m’appelle… / Vous êtes un ami…).
Spelling-to-sound: focus on the “tricky” groups
In French, you often pronounce a group of letters as one sound.
| CH |
/ʃ/ like sh |
cheval |
/tʃ/ (not English “ch”) |
| GN |
/ɲ/ like ny in “canyon” |
montagne |
/gn/ (not “magnet”) |
| OI |
/wa/ like “wah” |
oiseau |
/oi/ (not “oil”) |
| OU |
/u/ like “food” |
hibou |
/aʊ/ (not “now”) |
C and G: the “two faces” rule
English speakers often hesitate with C and G. Use this simple check.
| C = /s/ |
before E, I, Y |
cinéma |
| C = /k/ |
before A, O, U |
camion |
| Ç = /s/ |
used to keep /s/ before A, O, U |
garçon |
| G = /ʒ/ (like “measure”) |
before E, I, Y |
girafe |
| G = /g/ |
before A, O, U |
guerre |
H (muet): why it matters for linking
Many French H are silent (h muet): you do not pronounce it.
- haricot: the h is silent
- So the next topic (liaison) becomes important around h
Final consonants: your default = silent
In general, a final consonant is not pronounced.
- Monsieur Dupont → final t in Dupont is usually silent
- nez → final z is pronounced here (word-specific)
Practical tip: if you are unsure, start by not pronouncing the last consonant. Add it only when you know there is a liaison.
Liaison: when the “silent” consonant comes back
Liaison = you pronounce a normally silent final consonant because the next word starts with a vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u, or silent h).
| Written |
Pronounced |
Meaning |
| les amis |
lé-zami (the s becomes /z/) |
the friends |
| vous êtes un ami ? |
vou-z-èt un ami |
are you a friend? |
Think of liaison as “connecting” the words. It helps French sound smooth and professional.
When you should NOT do liaison (important exceptions)
- Between subject and verb
Vous_z_êtes (don’t force liaison here)- Say: vous êtes (smooth, but no extra linking consonant)
- With “et”
- un chat et un chien → no liaison after et
- Before “h aspiré” (some h-words block liaison)
- des haricots → no liaison (treat it as if the word starts with a consonant)
Good news: at A1 you don’t need to master every case. Learn these three “no liaison” rules and you will avoid most mistakes.
Mini self-check (30 seconds before speaking)
- Do I see CH, GN, OI, OU? Say the group sound (not English).
- Does the word end with a consonant? Default: silent.
- Next word starts with a vowel or silent h? Consider liaison (often /z/ after s).
- Is it subject + verb, et, or h aspiré? Then no liaison.
What to pay attention to in introductions (names + clarity)
- Je m’appelle: pronounce both parts clearly (m’ links naturally to the vowel)
- Monsieur: watch the on sound (/ɔ̃/), not English “on”
- Julien: final consonants are typically light or silent; focus on the vowel sounds
