The alphabet, accents and sounds

French letters and sounds follow clear patterns. Learn the alphabet, the accents and the key sounds so you can spell, read aloud and write down what you hear.

Practise this lesson free (7 questions)

The alphabet

Most letters sound close to English, but watch these:
E sounds like "uh", I like "ee", G like "zhay" and J like "zhee" (G and J swap compared with English).
H = "ash", R = "air", U = a tight "ew", W = "double vé", Y = "i grec", Z = "zed".
Comment ça s'écrit ? = How is that spelt? Ça s'écrit... = It is spelt...

Accents

Accents are part of the spelling. Some change the meaning: ou = or, où = where; a = has, à = to / at. The cédille makes c sound like s before a, o or u.
AccentNameExamples
éaccent aigule café, l'été
è à ùaccent gravela mère, très, à, où
ê â î ô ûaccent circonflexela fête, le château
çcédillele garçon, français
ë ïtrémaNoël

Key sounds

Final consonants are usually silent: petit, grand, vous. A final -e is usually silent too: une tasse.
ou = "oo" (vous), oi = "wa" (moi, trois), au / eau = "oh" (jaune, beau), ch = "sh" (chat), qu = "k" (qui), gn = "ny" (montagne).
H is silent: l'hôtel, j'habite. é sounds like "ay": été.
Worked example

Your penfriend spells her name: zed, o, é (e accent aigu). Write her name.

  1. Z = zed.
  2. O = o.
  3. é = e with an accent aigu.

Answer: Zoé

Key idea

G sounds like "zhay" and J like "zhee". Accents are part of the spelling: é aigu, è grave, ê circonflexe, ç cédille. Final consonants are usually silent; oi = "wa", ou = "oo", ch = "sh".

Common mistakes
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Extra practice

2 more questions

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  1. Which accent is on the e in "très"?

    1. accent aigu
    2. accent circonflexe
    3. accent grave
    4. cédille
    Show the answer

    Answer: accent grave

    È has an accent grave.

  2. Why does "ça" have a cédille?

    1. It makes the c sound like k
    2. It makes the c sound like s
    3. It makes the c silent
    4. It makes the a long
    Show the answer

    Answer: It makes the c sound like s

    Ç sounds like s before a, o or u.

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Practise this lesson free (7 questions)All KS3 French lessons

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Sources and references

Last updated 2 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we will fix it.

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