HOW TO PRONOUNCE FRENCH VOWELS
+ Vowels in French can have accent marks. Except for "e" , this doesn't usually change the sound :
a, á, â = like "a" in "father"
e = like "a" in "about"
é = like "ay" in "say"
ê = like "e" in "set"
è = like "e" in "set"
i , î = like "ee" in "feed"
o, o, ô, au, eau = like "oa" in "boat" or "aw" in "law"
u, ù = like "oo" in "food"
HOW TO PRONOUNCE FRENCH CONSONANT
Final consonants of a word are usually dropped : allez (go) is pronounced ahl-AY not ahl-AYZ; tard (late) I'd pronounce tar, not tard. Also a final "e" is usually silent. But if the next word begins with a vowel, the consonant may be pronounced; this is called liaison.
Stress is usually on the last syllable of a phrase, but sometimes when a word is emphasized, the stress moves to the middle of the word.
b = like "b" in "bed"
c = like "k" in "kill" (before "a" , "o" and "u")
ç = like "s" in "sun" (before "e" and "I")
d = like "d" in "death"
f = like "f" in "fun"
g = like "g" in "go" (before "a", "o" and "u") and like "g" in "sabotage" (before "e" and "I" and at the end of words)
h = usually silent
j = like "g" in "sabotage"
k = like "k" in "kill"
l = like "l" in "like"
m = like "m" in "me
n = like "n" in "nurse" (but see 'Diphthongs' below)
p = like "p" in "push"
q(u) = like "k" in "kill" (not like "qu" in "quick")
r = guttural; kind of like coughing up a hairball
s = like "s" in "sun"; like "z" in "zero" (between two vowels)
t = like "t" in "take"
v = like "v" in "value"
x = like "x" in "exit"
z = like "z" in "zero"
