French sounds & letter combinations
Explore 22 useful spelling patterns with new example words, Hindi meanings, and approximate Hindi readings. Listen to French audio as you practise: Hindi letters cannot represent every French vowel or nasal sound exactly.
Le C cédille
The cedilla makes c sound /s/ before a, o, or u, where plain c would normally sound /k/.
- reçu — receivedअर्थ: प्राप्त हुआबोलें: रस्यू
- façon — way / mannerअर्थ: तरीकाबोलें: फ़ासों
- maçon — masonअर्थ: राजमिस्त्रीबोलें: मासों
AI & EI
These spellings often sound /ɛ/ (open “è”). Some verb endings, such as -ai in j’irai, sound /e/; pronunciation can vary with accent.
- vrai — trueअर्थ: सचबोलें: व्रे
- neige — snowअर्थ: बर्फ़बोलें: नेझ
- j’irai — I will goअर्थ: मैं जाऊँगा/जाऊँगीबोलें: झीरे
AN, AM, EN & EM
These often make the nasal /ɑ̃/ sound before a consonant. Let air flow through your nose; do not pronounce a final n or m separately.
- enfant — childअर्थ: बच्चाबोलें: आँफ़ाँ
- blanc — whiteअर्थ: सफ़ेदबोलें: ब्लाँ
- temps — time / weatherअर्थ: समय / मौसमबोलें: ताँ
AU & EAU
These groups usually sound /o/, like a rounded “oh” without a final w glide.
- beau — beautifulअर्थ: सुंदरबोलें: बो
- cadeau — giftअर्थ: उपहारबोलें: कादो
- aussi — alsoअर्थ: भीबोलें: ओसी
AIN, AIM, EIN, IN, IM, UN, UM, YN & YM
Many of these spellings make a nasal vowel close to /ɛ̃/. In speakers who keep a distinction, un and um can sound /œ̃/. These groups are not nasal before every vowel.
- main — handअर्थ: हाथबोलें: मैं
- faim — hungerअर्थ: भूखबोलें: फ़ैं
- plein — fullअर्थ: भरा हुआबोलें: प्लैं
- matin — morningअर्थ: सुबहबोलें: मातैं
- lundi — Mondayअर्थ: सोमवारबोलें: लैंदी
- humble — humbleअर्थ: विनम्रबोलें: अैंब्ल
- syndicat — unionअर्थ: संघबोलें: सैंदीका
CH
Usually sounds /ʃ/, like “sh” in “shoe.” Some borrowed or learned words are exceptions.
- cheval — horseअर्थ: घोड़ाबोलें: शवाल
- chemise — shirtअर्थ: कमीज़बोलें: शमीज़
- chercher — to look forअर्थ: ढूँढ़नाबोलें: शेर्शे
ER, ET, EZ & ED
Endings depend on the word: infinitive -er and final -ez usually sound /e/; final -et often sounds /ɛ/; final -ed may have a silent d. The word et (“and”) sounds /e/.
- manger — to eatअर्थ: खानाबोलें: माँझे
- assez — enoughअर्थ: पर्याप्तबोलें: आसे
- secret — secretअर्थ: रहस्यबोलें: सक्रे (खुली ए)
- plaid — blanket / throwअर्थ: कंबलबोलें: प्लेद
EU
EU may sound /ø/ (closed) or /œ/ (open); the surrounding sounds and word affect it.
- deux — twoअर्थ: दोबोलें: दू (होंठ गोल करके)
- cheveux — hairअर्थ: बालबोलें: शवू (होंठ गोल करके)
- fleur — flowerअर्थ: फूलबोलें: फ़्लर (खुली, गोल ध्वनि)
G & J
G is usually /ʒ/ before e or i and /g/ before a, o, u, or a consonant. J usually sounds /ʒ/, like the s in “measure.”
- genou — kneeअर्थ: घुटनाबोलें: झनू
- gomme — eraserअर्थ: रबरबोलें: गोम
- glace — ice / ice creamअर्थ: बर्फ़ / आइसक्रीमबोलें: ग्लास
- jardin — gardenअर्थ: बगीचाबोलें: झार्दैं
GN
Usually sounds /ɲ/, close to “ny” pronounced together.
- gagner — to winअर्थ: जीतनाबोलें: गान्ये
- oignon — onionअर्थ: प्याज़बोलें: ओन्यों
- baigner — to batheअर्थ: नहानाबोलें: बेन्ये
IEN & YEN
In many words these sound /jɛ̃/, roughly “यैं” with a nasal vowel.
- rien — nothingअर्थ: कुछ नहींबोलें: र्यैं
- ancien — former / oldअर्थ: पूर्व / पुरानाबोलें: आँस्यैं
- moyen — means / averageअर्थ: साधन / औसतबोलें: म्वायैं
AILL, EILL, EUILL, OUILL, UILL & ILL
These patterns often contain the /j/ sound, like English y in “yes,” with different preceding vowels. Some ill words, such as ville, have /l/ instead.
- famille — familyअर्थ: परिवारबोलें: फ़ामिय
- fille — girl / daughterअर्थ: लड़की / बेटीबोलें: फ़िय
- feuille — leaf / sheetअर्थ: पत्ता / कागज़ का पन्नाबोलें: फ़य
- grenouille — frogअर्थ: मेंढकबोलें: ग्रनुय
- bouteille — bottleअर्थ: बोतलबोलें: बुतेय
Œ
The ligature œ has more than one sound: /œ/ in some words and /ø/ in others. Learn it word by word.
- œuvre — work / artworkअर्थ: कृतिबोलें: उव्र (खुली गोल ध्वनि)
- vœu — wishअर्थ: इच्छाबोलें: वू (बंद गोल ध्वनि)
- manœuvre — maneuverअर्थ: चाल / युक्तिबोलें: मानव्र
OI
Usually sounds /wa/, similar to “वा.”
- moi — meअर्थ: मैं / मुझेबोलें: म्वा
- soir — eveningअर्थ: शामबोलें: स्वार
- voiture — carअर्थ: गाड़ीबोलें: व्वात्यूर
OIN
Often sounds /wɛ̃/: start with /w/, then make a nasal vowel.
- témoin — witnessअर्थ: गवाहबोलें: तेम्वैं
- rejoindre — to joinअर्थ: शामिल होनाबोलें: रझ्वैं-द्र
- pointe — tip / pointअर्थ: नोक / बिंदुबोलें: प्वैंत
ON & OM
Usually make the nasal /ɔ̃/ sound before a consonant.
- bon — goodअर्थ: अच्छाबोलें: बों
- ombre — shadowअर्थ: छायाबोलें: ओँब्र
- tomber — to fallअर्थ: गिरनाबोलें: तोंबे
OU
Usually sounds /u/, like “oo” in “food.”
- soupe — soupअर्थ: सूपबोलें: सूप
- jour — dayअर्थ: दिनबोलें: झूर
- roue — wheelअर्थ: पहियाबोलें: रू
PSY, PSO & PSEU
The initial p is normally pronounced in these learned words. Practise the p and s together.
- psychiatre — psychiatristअर्थ: मनोचिकित्सकबोलें: प्सीक्यात्र
- psychique — psychic / mentalअर्थ: मानसिकबोलें: प्सीकीक
- psora — psora (medical term)अर्थ: त्वचा रोग का नामबोलें: प्सोरा
- pseudoscience — pseudoscienceअर्थ: छद्म विज्ञानबोलें: प्सूदोस्याँस
S, SS & SC
A single s between vowels often sounds /z/. Double ss sounds /s/. SC before e or i usually sounds /s/.
- maisonnette — small houseअर्थ: छोटा घरबोलें: मेज़ोनेत
- dessin — drawingअर्थ: चित्रबोलें: देसैं
- piscine — swimming poolअर्थ: स्विमिंग पूलबोलें: पिसीन
- musique — musicअर्थ: संगीतबोलें: म्यूज़ीक
SSION, SION & TION
In common endings, -ssion and -tion sound /sjɔ̃/; -sion often sounds /zjɔ̃/. The ending is nasal.
- discussion — discussionअर्थ: चर्चाबोलें: दीस्क्यूस्याँ
- décision — decisionअर्थ: फ़ैसलाबोलें: देसिज़्याँ
- invitation — invitationअर्थ: निमंत्रणबोलें: ऐंवीतास्याँ
French R
French r is often /ʁ/, made toward the back of the mouth. Keep it gentle; pronunciation varies by speaker.
- rare — rareअर्थ: दुर्लभबोलें: रार
- regarder — to look atअर्थ: देखनाबोलें: रगार्दे
- retour — returnअर्थ: वापसीबोलें: रतूर
TH
TH is pronounced /t/, never like English th in “think.”
- thermomètre — thermometerअर्थ: थर्मामीटरबोलें: तेर्मोमेत्र
- thym — thymeअर्थ: अजवायन जैसी जड़ी-बूटीबोलें: तैं
- orthographe — spellingअर्थ: वर्तनीबोलें: ओर्तोग्राफ़
Practice tip: Say each word slowly, then listen and repeat. A Hindi reading is a starting point, especially for nasal vowels, French R, and rounded vowels.