French accents (a, e, o, u, i)
Sign up for free to get all information about private lessons and our available group courses (A1, A2, B2, B2, C1, C2)
Sign up for free Course informationsSign up for free to get all information about private lessons and our available group courses (A1, A2, B2, B2, C1, C2)
Sign up for free Course informationsWe offer both private lessons and organized group courses
Sign up for free to get all available courses or contact one of our teachers yourself!
Our offer
For English speakers, French pronunciation might be a little bit different and hard. There are quite a lot of similarities between these two languages.
In this lesson you will find a detailed explanation of pronunciation of the vowels with accents and the pronunciation. Once you have mastered these rules you won't have problems neither with spelling nor with pronunciation.
The French alphabet contains the same vowels as the English alphabet (A, E, I, O, U, Y) except the y, but the sounds of each of these vowels is different than their English counterparts.
Take online language lessons with a professional teacher
The French letter E has many different sounds as a closed syllable and as an open syllable, it's not wrong if you don't know how to distinguish these two syllables until you don't do pronunciation errors.
In the alphabet the e is generally pronounced [ə].
Moreover, this letter can take all three accents of the French language: the acute, the grave, the circumflex but also can take the umlet.
The acute e (French: l'accent aigu) is written é and is usually the sound [e].
The acute follows some rules: we find a -e with an acute accent when
é | Examples |
---|---|
First letter of a word | éditeur, électronicien, méchanicien, épreuve |
Last letter of a word | clé, abonnés, lycée, liberté |
Final consonant | clef, pied, chanter, nez |
Prefixes | préféré, député, mélange, désigné |
Past participle | chanté, parlé, donné, tué, été |
Never put an acute accent on a -e preceding an -x:
Never put an acute accent on a -e preceding a double consonant
The grave e (French: l'accent grave) is written è and pronounced [ɛ]. The general rule is to put a grave accent on the e when it is preceded by another letter and also followed by a syllable which includes a silent e. In the opposite case we put an acute accent.
We find a grave e:
Examples:
è | Examples |
---|---|
singular words ending with s | succès, accès, congrès, excès, exprès, près, progrès |
in front of group | trèfle, fièvre, lèpre |
the e in one syllable words is pronounced as [ə]; je, me, ce, que, and it also occurs in the first syllable of the word 'Monsieur' and the form of the verb faire: nous faisons [nu fəzõ]
The acute accent on the e indicates a closed sound while the grave accent e indicates an open sound.
The umlet E (French: le e tréma) is written ë and is prounounced [e]. Its usage is very rare and express that the precedent vowel needs to be pronounced separately.
Examples:
The circumflex accent on the e indicate the disappearance of a letter, usually 's'
Examples:
The e mute, as a rule, is a e who does not pronounce, we find after a vowel.
In the alphabet the a is generally pronounced [a].
Moreover, this letter can take these accents of the French language: the grave and the circumflex.
The grave a is written à and is pronounced [a].
We place a grave accent on:
Examples:
The circumflex a is written â and is written [a]. It used on the a of the suffix -tre marking a depreciation, on words that lost the s.
It indicates a sound more accentuated.
Examples:
There is a circumflex accent in the 1st and 2nd plural persons of the Literary past tense and the 3rd singular person of the imperfect subjunctive of the verbs in -ar.
In the alphabet the u is generally pronounced [y].
Moreover, this letter can take these accents of the French language: the grave, the circumflex and the umlet.
The grave u is written ù and is pronounced like the letter u. This accent is used only with où which can be relative or interrogative pronoun to differentiate it from ou which is a coordinating conjunction used to mark the choice.
Example:
the circomflex u is written û and is pronounced like the letter u. It uses a lot of nouns to diiferentate homonyms and make a different sound.
You can also find a circumflex û in adjectives.
Examples:
There is a circumflex accent in the past participle of verbs ending in -oir, -ître.
The umlet u is written ü and is pronounced like the letter u. It has a very rare usage and it is used to underline the fact that the letters has to be pronounced separately.
The alphabet letter is always pronounced [o].
Moreover, this letter can take the circumflex accent.
This accent is written ô and is pronounced like the letter o. It uses especially the possessive pronouns in the 1st and 2nd plural persons.
You can also find it in some nouns to make the sound more accentuated. Generally, it is used to make the s disappear.
Examples:
The letter i is pronounced as [i] so as the letter y . This sound is similiar to the vowel of English be
Moreover, this letter can take the circumflex accent and the umlet I.
The circumflex i is written î and is pronounced like the letter i. It uses some nouns to accentuate the sound.
We can also find it on the i of the verbs in aître or oître as well as the verb plaire (to please) when the i is followed by t.
Examples:
Generally it has the same usage as the vowels a, e, o, u
The umlet I is written ï and is pronounced like the letter I. It prohibits to pronounce two letters in one sound but separate them into two sounds. There are many French words that use the ï
Haïr (to hate) is the only French verbs that keeps the umlet in all tenses and personal pronouns except in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd singular pronouns of the present tense and 2nd singular person of the present imperative.
Examples:
Unlike in other platforms, all our teachers are manually verified by our professional team. Trust in the experiences of our students.
Hi there, thank you for stopping by! My name is Cristina, I'm a CELTA qualified English teacher and I have a Master’s Degree in Foreign Languages; I speak English fluently and I can communicate in Italian, Portuguese, French and Spanish. Being a language learner myself and thanks to my educational background I have a deep understanding of language structure and I can easily put myself in my students’ shoes and understand the areas they might struggle with.
I’ve been giving private lessons for one year, to both teenagers and adults of all levels. My lessons are very student-centered, which means that my first priority is to get to know you in order to tailor the lessons around your needs and interests. I create a friendly and trustful environment, I plan my lessons to be engaging and communicative and I encourage my students to take active part in the discovery of the target language. I use a wide variety of coursebooks, online tools and authentic materials that I adapt to online teaching through powerpoint presentations and file sharing. I believe that practicing all language skills (reading, listening, speaking, writing) as well as grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation is key to fluency and I make it a point of helping my students to develop all of them.
Over the last few years I've had several experiences in international companies, which allowed me to become familiar with tourism and business-related language, so I can help you strengthen your communication skills in these areas, as well as in everyday conversational English to communicate with co-workers, clients and friends.
If you have any questions drop me a message or book a trial lesson so that we can get to know each other!
I look forward to meeting to you :)
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Cristina is a professional and motivated teacher who recently passed her Cambridge Certificate of English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA) and has already gained experience in teaching English. During her classes, she provides slides with exercises gathered from different books and uses a variety of teaching methods such as controlled practices or free speaking exercises. Throughout the whole lesson, she encourages her students to actively speak English.
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Hello,
I am a multilingual teacher with experience in teaching French to German, Japanese, English, Bulgarian and Italian-speaking students, etc. (levels A1 to C1).
I have been teaching French for 8 years in Luxemburg and now in Bulgaria for 4 years, to teenagers, housewives, businessmen, employees, doctors, etc. I can also help you with DELF and DALF preparation. I give lessons via Skype, Zoom and Microsoft Teams in several countries.
My teaching method for each class : a grammar point together with listening, a lot of speaking with conversation questions or games. While you speak, I write all the new words you need to express yourself, illustrated by pictures or translated in your language.
I do my best to make you feel comfortable to speak and for you to have a pleasant time. According to me, using humour will help you learn more easily.
Whether you need to learn French for business, integration in a French-speaking country or studying, I will be happy to help you. Do not hesitate to contact me for a free trial lesson.
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Katia
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Katia's approach is very enjoyable and the hours go by! I am very happy with the progress I make and the material used is easy to absorb. I highly recommend Katia, she is positive, punctual and a very cheerful teacher which nowadays is not so easy to find!
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Hello!
My name is Ivan. I am a Russian tutor with 16 years of teaching experience. The levels I teach are A1~B2. Individual learners and groups are welcomed!
Our main focus will be on speaking. At each lesson we will work on pronunciation, learn to ask questions and give detailed answers, playing out various role-plays. After every lesson, you will be assigned written and/or audio homework. You will get detailed feedback on every unclear point.
In my lessons, I use e-textbooks (not included in lessons’ price), and my materials (included in lessons’ price).
I won't promise that you will speak Russian in 5 lessons or 1 week, but I promise that you will practice a lot and there will be no unclear points left behind.
Don’t be afraid to take the first step!
Remember: “The devil is not so black as he is painted”!
See you soon in our first lesson!
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
The professor's preparation is impeccable. Perfect to go from basic to advanced level. He organizes the lessons with PDFs and documents customized by him according to the student. Friendly and experienced, perfect for all ages.
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Training is my passion. I like interacting with people. I am passionate about reading, watching movies, and music. I love to explore new places and have keen interest in arts and literature.I love meeting new people because every person is a whole new world you can learn from. I am also a keen reader and an enthusiastic traveller.
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Hella is a very easy-going and open-minded person. She asked me to introduce myself and was in the process of determining my level of French, which was fine. Then she introduced herself and described her teaching model, which I found to be very sensible. We have also expressed the objectives. I believe I can reach them with Hella's help. Looking forward to our next lessons!
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Training is my passion. I like interacting with people. I am passionate about reading, watching movies, and music. I love to explore new places and have keen interest in arts and literature.I love meeting new people because every person is a whole new world you can learn from. I am also a keen reader and an enthusiastic traveller.
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
She is kind, she listen to me and try to help me to understand, she use pictures, english words and try to show me the meaning of words . I recommand her. She offers books for free.
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
I’m French, currently living in the Netherlands.
I lived in Paris for almost twenty years, and I know very well my country (and of course my language, French, my mother tongue). I taught French for two years in Spain, conversation class about culture essentially.
In Paris, I was Spanish teacher, I have the Agregation degree which is the highest degree for teaching in France, I'm bilingual. I've participated too in several editorial projects about Spanish teaching and DELE preparation.
I have a Spanish Studies Master and I'm currently doing a research about the Spanish and Sefardi Judaism.
I have a French as foreign language and a Religious Studies Masters too.
I enjoy sharing what I know. I’m a very eclectic person and curious about everything. To give you an idea, my interest (and sometimes hobbies) are: philosophy, spirituality and religions in general, meditation, psychology and psychoanalysis, history, geography, literature, writing (in particular creative writing, and I’m used to write everyday), art (painting, photography), sciences (vulgarisation level) and cultural matters in general. I travel a lot (as a backpacker), sometimes by foot, and the places I know well are France, the Netherlands, Italy and Serbia.
One of my qualities is my capacity of adaptation, I enjoy preparing documents to help the student to acquire autonomy, but I love speaking too, and it’s the best way to learn a language.
I'm waiting for your message, please when contact me, explain quickly who you are, why you want to study French and what you are looking for exactly.
See you soon.
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Rosa's lessons are extraordinary. The texts and videos are well chosen to show the different approaches to a subject. I have learned a lot in recent months. I especially had the possibility of opening and widening my horizon. Thank you!
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Hi,
I m claudie , I m french and i have experience to teach french to foreign people.
I create in a school of langage in Spain a little faculty for my french lessons with a group from 15 years olds until 25.
The pupils were all the levels A1 until C2!
I was teaching as well with lillte children and adults in Spain and Rumania.
I m a very dynamic teacher with a lot of patient and empathy.
You will make a lot of progress!
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Claudie is a wonderful, dedicated and very patient teacher. My goal was to speak French, because before, during lessons in my own country, I didn't feel comfortable speaking French and I couldn't manage to speak French without blocking. With Claudie, it's totally different. For over eight months, I took lessons with Claudie almost every week. Claudie gives me self-confidence and I learned a lot. We are talking about everyday life, but also about cultural subjects. She always manages to find interesting topics to discuss. We laugh a lot and I hope we will continue the lessons for a long time.
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Bonjour! Veux-tu apprendre français? ou l'améliorer?
My classes are structured according to my students' needs, I use different teaching methods and I rely on listening each of my students' expectations and goals. Dynamism and constant learning are my purposes in my classes.
I have worked as a French teacher for more than ten years.
I have academic studies in English and French from Montréal, Canada, where I lived for several years. I have a Bachelor in Teaching French as a foreign language from the Université de Bourgogne.
I learned French at an early age in immersion in a French-speaking region and I studied French formally for 11 years, obtaining a native level.
À bientôt!
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
I’ve worked on my French with Natalia for several weeks now, and I’m enjoying it a lot. I speak a lot during the lessons, which is exactly what I need at the moment. There is always a good balance of working on grammar and practising conversation. I’m looking forward to continue my lessons over the next few months :)
Natalia L.Eline already speaks and writes very good and we are working towards achieving an advanced level of French. We always have many topics of conversations and I see how she always improves fer French.
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Bonjour! Veux-tu apprendre français? ou l'améliorer?
My classes are structured according to my students' needs, I use different teaching methods and I rely on listening each of my students' expectations and goals. Dynamism and constant learning are my purposes in my classes.
I have worked as a French teacher for more than ten years.
I have academic studies in English and French from Montréal, Canada, where I lived for several years. I have a Bachelor in Teaching French as a foreign language from the Université de Bourgogne.
I learned French at an early age in immersion in a French-speaking region and I studied French formally for 11 years, obtaining a native level.
À bientôt!
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Natalia is wonderful! I can't recommend her enough! She is thoughtful, considerate, patient, and flexible! I always look forward to her lessons and I have learned a lot in a short time. I can't wait to see how fluent I can become with her as my teacher!
Natalia L.Marissa is a very nice and motivated student. It is very pleasant to talk with her and to teach her. I hope to be able to accompany her throughout the whole process for the presentation of her exam, which she will undoubtedly pass with a good result.
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
My name is Ma. Teresa Tabasa Garcia. I was born and raised in the Philippines. I am a Native Tagalog Speaker and English is my second language. I graduated from Central Luzon State University with the degree of Bachelor of Science in Garment Technology and I took an additional units in Education and units in Graduate Studies at CORE Gateway College. I had been a College Instructor and Trainer in Cookery in one of the Colleges in our place.
As a teacher I am patient, friendly and flexible. I can teach students at all levels and all ages.
I use a combination of methods and tools in learning namely: conversation techniques, storytelling, reading text books, PDFs, audio and video recordings. You will learn the different sentence pattern, grammar, pronunciation and intonation, you may include your topic of interest as well. I use drills and exercises to track your learning progress. I will make sure that you will learn something new at the end of every lesson.
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Teresa is a delightful and bright teacher. She has previously worked as a teacher at the school board and as a teacher for young mothers. Her study method is based on the level of the students and the goals they want to achieve.
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
Ma.Teresa G.Thank you sir Giacomo, thank you for the good feedback. You're such an awesome and kind interviewer. I am happy to work with you in coLanguage. God bless.
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
*** Please note that I am on holidays in august***
Bonjour ! Comment ça va ?
My name is Lou, and I would be happy to be your french teacher !
French classes are for all levels, beginner to advanced. I can help you prepare to french exams and I also offer conversation classes.
My classes are fun and dynamic ! We will use various documents to work on and always adapt the classes to your needs and interests.
Free 30 min trial lesson !
Before the trial class, I will provide you a short French test to evaluate your level.
Feel free to contact me to talk about your goals and to plan a trial lesson.
See you soon online ! :-)
COMING SOON : a Whatsapp group for my students to practice french tchating with weekly challenges and conversation subjects !
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
I really enjoy my lessons with Lou. The lessons are personalized, fun and efficient. This is the first time I'm following online lessons, and I'm really happy with it!
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
I am French living in Lisbon in Portugal. I have lived in different countries such as England, the United States and India. It gave me some experience of learning a foreign language and teaching it.
I am passionate about different cultures and try to share my love for French culture with you in a lively way.
I adapt to the needs of the students, whether to improve their oral, written, prepare for an exam or a job interview. I prioritize the conversation to allow the student to "unblock" and have fun speaking the language. I write down the vocabulary and grammar that the student lacks to express himself.
Learning a foreign language is, in my view, above all through cultural curiosity. We want to learn a language because we want to live in the country, travel there or get to know it better. We feel attracted. It is its Culture that motivates us in our learning: music, film, text, literature, way of being and cultural differences forming "another world". This means that learning is not just about learning a list of words and grammar lessons, as is taught too often in school. Practice again and again through conversation, books, music, movies and above all the pleasure of speaking and listening.
I adapt the student's personal work according to their available time and their objective (conversation, deadline for an exam, scheduled trip, etc.).
I am at your disposal for any further information.
See you soon,
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Florence is such a joy to work with! A true expert and professional at teaching French, regardless of your level. Florence takes tremendous care in planning your personalized lesson, incredibly thoughtful and patient with her students. She also has such a warm, supportive and encouraging manner with a great sense of humor. She will have you speaking, reading and writing in perfect French much sooner than you think with her approach and highly efficient techniques; methods only a highly experienced instructor can provide. I am lucky to have found her to help me sit for academic French exams and you will feel the same way when working with her. Thank you Florence!!!
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Hello everyone!
My name is Wanda, I'm 27 and I'm French.
I have a Master's Degree in Teaching French as a Foreign Language from the University of Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris, as well as 3 years of teaching experience (face-to-face, remote courses, or group classes).
I can teach you everything from grammar to culture, but I am particularly able to help you get a better pronunciation! Indeed, I also have a Master's Degree in Linguistics, for which I wrote a thesis about the pronunciation of people learning French as a foreign language =)
Regarding pronunciation, I'll help you without any judgment and only if you express the need to improve!
I studied one year in Japan (Osaka) where I gave French classes at the University of Kansai. During this time, I met a lot of people from various background and I became very open-minded and comfortable with different cultures.
What I like the most in teaching French is getting to meet and know people from different cultures =)
So, I'll be waiting for you! =)
See you soon,
Wanda
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Wanda is a fantastic teacher, she's always up to solve problems and doubts. She teaches from grammar to speaking, with a good emphasis on pronunciation and phonetics which are essential in French!
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Lidia is an experienced and professional teacher for Italian. With her nicely self-designed teaching material, she covers all the linguistic competencies such as reading, writing, listening and speaking. Also, she includes modern teaching techniques such as games and proposes interesting movies to watch.
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials