Les Accents en français

Importance… Affect pronunciation Change meaning/translation of a word Can NOT be omitted

1. Accent Aigu Used over the following: é Gives the “e” a long “a” sound (date) Ex) parlé /parlay/

2. Accent Grave Used over: Doesn’t change pronunciation of à or ù à, è, ù Doesn’t change pronunciation of à or ù Gives “e” a short /e/ sound (egg) Ex) lève /lev/

3. Accent Circonflexe Used over: No pronunciation change â, ê, î, ô, û No pronunciation change Shows missing letter Ex) hôpital

4. Cédille Used under: Ç Gives “c” an /s/ sound Ex) garçon

5. Tréma Used over: Pronounce vowels separately Ex) Noël /no – el/

Importance… Affect pronunciation ex) parle parlé Change meaning/translation of a word ex) où = where ou = or *Can NOT be omitted*