The French alphabet has 26 letters, just like English. However, the pronunciation of letter names is quite different—each letter has a specific name used when spelling aloud. Mastering these names is your first step to reading and spelling in French.
The 26 Letters
| Letter | French Name | IPA | Example Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| A a | a | [a] | ami [ami] — friend |
| B b | bé | [be] | bonjour [bɔ̃ʒuʁ] — hello |
| C c | cé | [se] | café [kafe] — coffee |
| D d | dé | [de] | demain [dəmɛ̃] — tomorrow |
| E e | e | [ə] | eau [o] — water |
| F f | effe | [ɛf] | famille [famij] — family |
| G g | gé | [ʒe] | garçon [ɡaʁsɔ̃] — boy |
| H h | ache | [aʃ] | heure [œʁ] — hour |
| I i | i | [i] | ici [isi] — here |
| J j | ji | [ʒi] | jour [ʒuʁ] — day |
| K k | ka | [ka] | kilo [kilo] — kilo |
| L l | elle | [ɛl] | livre [livʁ] — book |
| M m | emme | [ɛm] | merci [mɛʁsi] — thank you |
| N n | enne | [ɛn] | nuit [nɥi] — night |
| O o | o | [o] | orange [ɔʁɑ̃ʒ] — orange |
| P p | pé | [pe] | Paris [paʁi] — Paris |
| Q q | ku | [ky] | quatre [katʁ] — four |
| R r | erre | [ɛʁ] | rue [ʁy] — street |
| S s | esse | [ɛs] | soleil [sɔlɛj] — sun |
| T t | té | [te] | table [tabl] — table |
| U u | u | [y] | un [œ̃] — one |
| V v | vé | [ve] | ville [vil] — city |
| W w | double vé | [dubləve] | week-end [wikɛnd] — weekend |
| X x | ixe | [iks] | taxi [taksi] — taxi |
| Y y | i grec | [iɡʁɛk] | yeux [jø] — eyes |
| Z z | zède | [zɛd] | zéro [zeʁo] — zero |
Key Differences from English
| Letter | French | English | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| G | gé [ʒe] | “jee” | Soft sound like “s” in “measure” |
| H | ache [aʃ] | “aitch” | Always silent in French words |
| J | ji [ʒi] | “jay” | Soft sound, not like English “j” |
| R | erre [ɛʁ] | “ar” | Guttural sound from the throat |
| U | u [y] | “you” | Round lips, say “ee” — unique sound |
| W | double vé | “double u” | Called “double v” in French |
| Y | i grec | “why” | Called “Greek i” in French |
Practice Sentences
- Comment ça s’écrit? [kɔmɑ̃ sa sekʁi] — How do you spell that?
- Mon nom, c’est Marie: M-A-R-I-E. [mɔ̃ nɔ̃ sɛ maʁi] — My name is Marie: M-A-R-I-E.
- Pouvez-vous épeler votre nom? [puve vu eple vɔtʁ nɔ̃] — Can you spell your name?
- C’est avec un accent? [sɛt avɛk œ̃n aksɑ̃] — Is it with an accent?
- Je m’appelle Paul: P-A-U-L. [ʒə mapɛl pɔl] — My name is Paul: P-A-U-L.
Exercise: Spell the Words
Write the French letter names for each word:
- chat (cat) → _______
- soleil (sun) → _______
- bonjour (hello) → _______
- merci (thank you) → _______
- France → _______
Answers
- chat [ʃa] — cé, ache, a, té
- soleil [sɔlɛj] — esse, o, elle, e, i, elle
- bonjour [bɔ̃ʒuʁ] — bé, o, enne, ji, o, u, erre
- merci [mɛʁsi] — emme, e, erre, cé, i
- France [fʁɑ̃s] — effe, erre, a, enne, cé, e