L’ALPHABET FRANÇAIS

Objective: Gain some knowledge on: how different accents effect different vowels The french vowels and consonnes

LES VOYELLES  In French the vowels are the core of each word. How the vowels are grouped in the word drastically affects how the word sounds. The other way to change the sound of the word is with the inclusion of accents. A E I O U

LA LETTRE: A AHHHAHHH HALLELUJAH AMERICA

LA LETTRE: E UHHHUUH TURTLE

LA LETTRE: I THE SOUND OF LETTER E IN ENGLISH = I IN FRENCH LEE = LIT PETIT FINI

LA LETTRE: O SO AND NOT DO CO AND NOT TO NO, BOE, LOW, SLOW, FLOW,

LA LETTRE : U PUE A FEW CLUE

There are 3 types of accents Aigu / TÉLÉ Grave \ FRÈRE Circonflexe ^ FORÊT The E letter is the only one phonitically affected by accents. ALL the other vowels do not change their sound. They have an accent to help simply with the reading of written French.

26 SOUNDS An accent changes the sound of the vowel, but not the emphasis of the vowel. In French more sounds are created when vowels are linked together. This and the use of accents creates more than 26 sounds in the French alphabet.

EXEMPLES: A+ I = É A + U = O O + I = UA O + U = U E + I = É E + U = U E + U = E J’AI EAU MOI VOUS VEINE EU VEUX

There are also some other sounds that you will come accross as demonstrated below. c + h = ch ch shhh! p + h = ph physique physique ç = s Français French

A Basic rule of pronounciation in French is that if the last letter of the word is an 'E' without an accent then you don't pronounce it, you simply pronounce the consonant just before. tête head petite small Reste STAY

LES CONSONNES  In general at the end of words in French the last letter is silent. There are three exceptions to this rule. These three letters are 'C','F' and 'L'.

EXEMPLE: C avec with L matériel material F chef chef

In French double letters simply sound as one elle : she terre : earth Ville : city

LES NASALES IM PORT ANT IN IM UN UM AN AM EN EM In French this is a group of letters than make the same sound

LA LIAISON  if one word finishes with an 'X', 'S' or 'Z' and the next word starts with a vowel or an 'H', you must link the words: Deux amis two friends Vous avez we have This is called 'la liaison'. ..and this is what makes you think you've only heard one word when in actual fact there was six or seven.

La liasion creates a different sound when you link D to a vowel La liasion creates a different sound when you link D to a vowel. It becomes a 'T' sound Un grand aeroport a big airport Un grand ami a great friend