INTRODUCTION: The Two-Step Approach. After using these pages, you will be able to communicate better in French, no matter what your level, because

1.  You will be able to pronounce French words so that you will be understood when you communicate with speakers of French.   When a learner pronounces French using the English sound system, there is a risk that the listener will not understand.  As you go through each page, you will be introduced to all the sounds of French.  The sounds of French do not always correspond directly to the spelling of French.  Learning How to Pronounce French is easier than learning English pronunciation.

2.  You will be able to distinguish words as you are listening to people speak in French.   Most learners of French think that native speakers speak too fast.  All we hear is an uninterrupted flow of sounds.  What we don't realize is that when we speak our first language, we also speak just as fast.  We don't separate all of our words with pauses.  The exercises (Pratique) you do on these pages will build your ability to distinguish sounds and words as you listen to spoken French.

There is a notion that people have that pronouncing French is difficult.  There is no direct and total one-to-one correspondence between written language and spoken language in French. Neither is there one in English, which is probably your native language if you are reading this.  You grew up with words like 'would' and 'shroud' and 'through' and 'cough'.  These words have different sounds for the same vowel combinations and the same consonant combinations.  Learners of English are plagued with having to memorize these sorts of words one by one.    Learning How to Pronounce French is easier than English because, although English and French have vowel combinations and consonant combinations which are not pronounced according to the spelling of the word, in comparison, the deviation from spelling to pronunciation in French is more simple, more rule-based than English. These pages are designed to help any beginner understand these rules and apply them.