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Help:IPA/French

{{IPA key|H:IPA-FR|H:IPAFR}}

{{inline audio}}

The charts below show the way in which the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) represents French language pronunciations in Wikipedia articles. For a guide to adding IPA characters to Wikipedia articles, see Template:IPA and {{section link|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Pronunciation#Entering IPA characters}}.

French has no word-level stress so stress marks should not be used in transcribing French words. See French phonology and French orthography for a more thorough look at the sounds of French.

style="background:none;"

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{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em;"

|+ Consonants

IPAExamplesEnglish approximation
style="text-align: center;" | {{IPAlink|b}}

| {{lang|fr|{{Audio|LL-Q150_(fra)-WikiLucas00-bon.wav|bon}}}}

| about

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPAlink|d̪|d}}

| {{lang|fr| {{Audio|LL-Q150_(fra)-Estrie-deux.wav|deux}}, {{Audio|LL-Q150_(fra)-Poslovitch-grande.wav|grande}}, {{Audio|LL-Q150_(fra)-Jules78120-Djibouti.wav|Djibouti}}}}

| today

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPAlink|f}}

| {{lang|fr|{{Audio|Fr-faire.ogg|faire}}, {{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-Jérémy-Günther-Heinz Jähnick-vif.wav|vif}}}}

| festival

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPAlink|ɡ}}

| {{lang|fr|{{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-Aemines4-garçon.wav|garçon}}, {{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-LoquaxFR-longue.wav|longue}}}}

| again

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPAlink|k}}

| {{lang|fr|{{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-Fhala.K-corps.wav|corps}}, {{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-Lepticed7-avec.wav|avec}}, {{Audio|Fr-Quand.oga|quand}}, {{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-Arthur Crbz-Irak.wav|Irak}}}}

| sky

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPAlink|l}}

| {{lang|fr|{{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-DSwissK-laisser.wav|laisser}}, {{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-Roptat-possible.wav|possible}}, {{Audio|Fr-seul.ogg|seul}}, {{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-Baptiste C. (BiblioCanet66)-ville.wav|ville}}}}

| law

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPAlink|m}}

| {{lang|fr|{{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-LoquaxFR-même.wav|même}}}}

| moo

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPAlink|n̪|n}}

| {{lang|fr|{{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-Vampiro (ClasseNoes)-nous.wav|nous}}, {{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-DenisdeShawi-bonne.wav|bonne}}}}

| no

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPAlink|ɲ}}

| {{lang|fr|{{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-Lepticed7-gagner.wav|gagner}}, {{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-Lunagrouh-champagne.wav|champagne}}}}In European French, {{IPAslink|ɲ}} is merging with {{IPA|/nj/}}, but in Quebec, {{IPA|/ɲ/}} is distinguished from {{IPA|/nj/}}.

| canyon

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPAlink|ŋ}}

| {{lang|fr|{{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-Aemines3-camping.wav|camping}}, {{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-Pierre MLL-funk.wav|funk}}}}In European French, {{IPAslink|ŋ}} is often pronounced {{IPA|[ŋɡ]}}. In Quebec, some speakers merge it with {{IPA|/ɲ/}} and some speakers pronounce it exactly as in English.

| camping

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPAlink|p}}

| {{lang|fr|{{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-Nattes à chat-père.wav|père}}, {{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-Poslovitch-groupe.wav |groupe}}}}

| spy

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPAlink|ʁ}}

| {{lang|fr|{{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-GrandCelinien-regarder.wav|regarder}}, {{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-DenisdeShawi-nôtre.wav|nôtre}}}}The French rhotic {{IPA|/ʁ/}} is usually guttural (uvular), but it varies by region. For example, in Quebec, {{IPAblink|ʁ}}, {{IPAblink|r}}, and {{IPAblink|ʀ}} are all used, but nowadays, most speakers use {{IPA|[ʁ]}}. This sound may also be devoiced to {{IPAblink|χ}} in certain contexts; see {{slink|French phonology|Consonants}} for details.

| Scottish English loch, but voiced; Northumbrian burr

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPAlink|s}}

| {{lang|fr|{{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-WikiLucas00-sans.wav|sans}}, {{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-LoquaxFR-ça.wav|ça}}, {{Audio|Fr-assez-ca-Montréal.ogg|assez}}, {{nowrap|{{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-Sartus85-soixante.wav|soixante}}, {{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-Justforoc-six.wav|six}}}}}}

| sir

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPAlink|ʃ}}

| {{lang|fr|{{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-LoquaxFR-chance.wav|chance}}, {{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-GrandCelinien-Tchèque.wav|tchèque}}}}

| shoe

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPAlink|t̪|t}}

| {{lang|fr|{{Audio|Fr-tout.ogg|tout}}, {{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-Fhala.K-thé.wav|thé}}, {{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-GrandCelinien-Tchèque.wav|tchèque}}}}

| sty

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPAlink|v}}

| {{lang|fr|{{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-Touam-vous.wav|vous}}, wagon, neuf{{nbsp}}heures}}

| vein

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPAlink|z}}

| {{lang|fr|{{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-Arthur Crbz-zéro.wav|zéro}}, {{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-Eihel-raison.wav|raison}}, {{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-Fhala.K-chose.wav|chose}}, {{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-Shareculture-deuxième.wav|deuxième}}}}

| zeal

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPAlink|ʒ}}

| {{lang|fr|{{Audio|Fr-jamais.ogg|jamais}}, {{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-0x010C-visage.wav|visage}}, {{Audio|LL-Q150_(fra)-Jules78120-Djibouti.wav|Djibouti}}}}

| measure

colspan="3" | Semivowels
style="text-align: center;" | {{IPAlink|j}}

| {{lang|fr|{{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-LoquaxFR-fief.wav|fief}}, {{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-WikiLucas00-payer.wav|payer}}, {{nowrap|{{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-Aemines6-fille.wav|fille}}, {{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-Visiteur Journée 2 - 21 (Madehub)-travail.wav|travail}}}}, {{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-Poslovitch-hier.wav|hier}}}}

| yet

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPAlink|w}}

| {{lang|fr|{{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-LoquaxFR-oui.wav|oui}}, {{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-WikiLucas00-loi.wav|loi}}, {{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-DSwissK-moyen.wav|moyen}}, web, whisky}}

| wet

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPAlink|ɥ}}

| {{lang|fr|{{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-Roptat-huit.wav|huit}}, {{Audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-DenisdeShawi-puits.wav|Puy}}}}

| between wet and yet

| style="vertical-align: top;" |

class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em 2em;"

|+ Vowels

! colspan="3" | Oral vowels

IPAExamplesEnglish approximation
style="text-align: center;" | {{IPAlink|a}}

| {{lang|fr|patte, là, femme}}

| trap

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPAlink|ɑ}}

| {{lang|fr|pâte, glas}}In Parisian French, {{IPA|/œ̃/}} is usually merged with {{IPA|/ɛ̃/}}, {{IPA|/ɑ/}} is often merged with {{IPA|/a/}}, and {{IPA|/ɛː/}} is normally merged with {{IPA|/ɛ/}}. These pairs are always distinguished in Northern, Belgian, Swiss, and Quebec French.

| father

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPAlink|e}}

| {{lang|fr|clé, et, les, chez, aller, pied, journée}}

| mace

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPAlink|ɛ}}

| {{lang|fr|baie, faite, mettre, renne, crème, peine, violet}}

| best

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPAlink|ɛː}}

| {{lang|fr|fête, maître, reine, reître, caisse, presse, Levesque}}

| fairy

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPAlink|ə}}

| {{lang|fr|reposer, monsieur, faisons}}In Metropolitan French, while {{IPA|/ə/}} is phonologically distinct, its phonetic quality tends to coincide with either {{IPA|/ø/}} or {{IPA|/œ/}}.

| again (often elided, see {{lang|fr|e muet}})

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPAlink|i}}

| {{lang|fr|si, île, régie, pays, fils}}In Quebec, {{IPA|/i/}}, {{IPA|/u/}}, and {{IPA|/y/}} may be laxed before a consonant to {{IPAblink|ɪ}}, {{IPAblink|ʊ}}, and {{IPAblink|ʏ}}, e.g.

  • {{lang|fr|sis}} {{Audio-IPA|Qc-six.ogg|[sɪs]}} "kit"
  • {{lang|fr|brousse}} {{Audio-IPA|LL-Q150 (fra)-DenisdeShawi-brousse.wav|[bʁʊs]}} {{abbr|RP|Received Pronounciation}} "foot"
  • {{lang|fr|chute}} {{Audio-IPA|LL-Q150 (fra)-DenisdeShawi-chute.wav|[ʃʏt]}} roughly like Scottish "goose"; German {{lang|de|"müssen"|italic=no}}

For more details, see {{slink|Quebec French phonology|Vowels}}.

| seat

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPAlink|œ}}

| {{lang|fr|sœur, jeune}}

| bird (RP)

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPAlink|ø}}

| {{lang|fr|ceux, jeûner, queue}}

| burn (RP), German Österreich

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPAlink|o}}

| {{lang|fr|saut, haut, bureau, chose, tôt, cône}}

| story

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPAlink|ɔ}}

| {{lang|fr|sort, minimum, pomme}}

| off

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPAlink|u}}

| {{lang|fr|coup, roue}}

| pool

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPAlink|y}}

| {{lang|fr|tu, sûr, rue}}

| roughly like too in some dialects such as Australian;More dialects include New Zealand, most accents of Southern England (including Multicultural London, Cockney, Estuary and modern Received Pronunciation), Scouse, Mancunian, Scottish, Ulster, Southern American, Midland American, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and younger Californian. somewhat like cute in other dialects; German {{lang|de|über|italic=no}}

colspan="3" | Nasal vowels
style="text-align: center;" | {{IPAlink|ɑ̃}}

| {{lang|fr|sans, champ, vent, temps, Jean, taon}}

| roughly like song; nasalized {{IPAblink|ɒ}} (Europe) or {{IPAblink|a}} (Canada)

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPAlink|ɛ̃}}

| {{lang|fr|vin, impair, pain, daim, plein, Reims, synthèse, sympathique, bien}}

| roughly like hang or Spanish ángel; nasalized {{IPAblink|æ}} (Europe) or {{IPAblink|ei̯}} (Canada)

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPAlink|œ̃}}

| {{lang|fr|un, parfum}}

| roughly like non-rhotic burn; nasalized {{IPAblink|œ}}

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPAlink|ɔ̃}}

| {{lang|fr|son, nom}}

| roughly like Australian drawn; nasalized {{IPAblink|o}} (Europe) or {{IPAblink|ou̯}} (Canada)

class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em 2em;"

|+ Suprasegmentals

IPA

! Example

Description
style="text-align: center;" | {{IPAlink|.}}

| {{lang|fr|pays}} {{IPA|[pe.i]}}The syllable break {{angbr IPA|.}} is used sparingly.

| syllable boundary

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA|‿}}

| {{lang|fr|les agneaux}} {{IPA|[lez‿aɲo]}},
{{lang|fr|grand-oncle}} {{IPA|[ɡʁɑ̃t‿ɔ̃kl]}}

| liaison

|}

See also

  • {{clc|Pages with French IPA|pages}}

Notes

{{reflist}}

{{IPA keys}}