The most challenging aspect of learning French is spelling words with silent letters. You know you’ve nailed your French accent once you can tell which French letters are silent.
For those of you who do not know how to pronounce silent letters in French, this guide will help you.
What are Silent Letters?
It’s not what you think! Welcome to the world of the invisible French language. The one that is made of silent letters and is ultimately creating a parallel universe.
You may have been ultimately annoyed by the fact that it’s taking too long for you to master the French pronunciation. Especially, when you take into consideration so many letters that you don’t pronounce.
In French, silent letters are letters that are written in words but are not pronounced when speaking.
Here are some examples of commonly used words in French with silent letters:
- le temps – /lə tɑ̃/ ( “ps” at the end is silent)
- le printemps – /lə prɛ̃tɑ̃/ (the “s” at the end is silent)
- une – /yn/ (the “e” at the end is silent)
- la nuit – /la nɥi/ (the “t” at the end is silent)
- l’hiver – /livɛʁ/ (the “h” is silent)
- avant – /avɑ̃/ (“t” is silent)
- juste – /ʒyst/ (“e” is silent)
- après – /apʁɛ/ (the “s” at the end is silent)
- terminé – /tɛʁmine/ (the “é” at the end is silent)
- mais – /mɛ/ (“s” is silent)
- dates – /dat/ (the “es” at the end is silent)
- peuvent – /pœvɑ̃/ (the “ent” at the end are silent)
- dit – /di/ (“t” is silent letter)
- que – /kə/ (no silent letters)
- amours – /amuʁ/ (the “s” at the end is silent)
- moment – /mɔmɑ̃/ (the “t” at the end is silent)
- poussent – /pusɑ̃/ (the “s” and “t” at the end are silent)
- arbres – /aʁbʁ/ (the “es” at the end are silent)
A Short History of Silent Letters in French
A recent study estimated that 28 percent of French words end with silent letters. It doesn’t include all the silent letters at the beginnings and middles of French words.
If you have ever wondered why French has so many silent letters. Here’s why!
Originally pronounced in Old French, these letters have been abandoned as the language evolved. There are many letters in the alphabet that are pronounced the same way in French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish.
It is proof that the original Latin pronunciation is still in use today.
Common French Silent Letters
Generally, the final consonant is not pronounced in French, but there are many exceptions to this rule.
The three primary categories of silent letters in French consist of the silent E, silent H, and final consonants.
Some consonants are pronounced: (–c, -r, -f, -l, -k, -q, and -b)
Silent French Letter /e/
When the letter –e placed at the end of a word is after a consonant, it is not pronounced.
For example, the -e at the end of the word voiture (car) is normally not pronounced.
Here are some French words that have a silent “e” at the end, along with their IPA transcription where the letter that is silent:
- Table [tabl] – table
- Chaise [ʃɛz] – chair
- Livre [livʁ] – book
- Roue [ʁu] – wheel
- Voile [vwal] – sail
- Arbre [aʁbʁ] – tree
- Ample [ɑ̃pl] – loose
- Compte [kɔ̃t] – account
- Route [ʁut] – road
Silent French Letter /h/
The letter -h is usually found at the beginning of a word in French, like in these cases.
- Hôtel /o.tɛl/ – hotel
- Homme /ɔm/ – man
- Honoré /ɔ.nɔ.ʁe/
- Héros /e.ʁo/ hero
- Huit /ɥit/ -eight
French does not consider the letter -h silent if it is part of a letter combination like ch or ph.
It is important to note that the “h” may be aspirated in some cases, meaning it is pronounced normally like “h.” 😀 However, this is more common in foreign words, such as “hamburger” and “high-tech”.
Silent French Letter /s/
A final -s is added to most French words in the plural, but it is not pronounced.
- une étoile /yn etwal/ – star
- des étoiles /deze.twal/ – stars
- un livre /œ̃ livʁ/- book
- des livres /de livʁ/ – books
It’s the same for the final letters x, and z that are added to the plural nouns.
- un cheval /œ̃ ʃəval/ -> des chevaux /de ʃəvo/
- un chou /œ̃ ʃu/ -> des choux /de ʃu/
- un bijou /œ̃ biʒu/ -> des bijoux /de biʒu/
- un nez /œ̃ ne/ -> des nez /de ne/
- un prix /œ̃ pʁi/ -> des prix /de pʁi/
- un gaz /œ̃ ɡaz/ -> des gaz /de ɡaz/
- un quiz /œ̃ kwiz/ -> des quiz /de kwiz/
- un faux /œ̃ fo/ -> des faux /de fo/
When To Pronounce Final Consonants In French
Okay. So this post was about silent letters, and we learned that final letters are not pronounced in French (in most cases).
Now we are turning the other page, and taking a look at exceptions to this rule. There are certain cases where the final consonant is pronounced in French.
This is a non-extensive list of final consonants that are pronounced in French, and they end with letters (c,r,f,l).
Words ending with the letter /c/
When it comes to words ending with the letter “c”, the final “c” is usually silent, with some exceptions.
- arc /ɑrk/ – bow and arrow
- rock /rɔk/ – rock
- avec /a.vɛk /- with
- sac /sak/- bag
However, the vast majority of French words ending in “c” are pronounced without a final consonant sound.
Words ending with the letter /r/
Overall, words ending with the letter “r” in French are typically not pronounced with a final “r” sound.
The letter -r is pronounced in words like:
- cher: /ʃɛʁ/ (chair)
- finir: /finiʁ/ (finir)
However, in the final -er is usually pronounced /e/
- parler: /paʁ.le/ speak
- premier /pʁə.mjɛʁ/ first
Words ending with the letter /f/
The letter –f is pronounced in the following French words:
- neuf /nœf/ new
- oeuf /œf/ egg
Words ending with the letter /l/
The letter -l is pronounced at the end of the following words:
- avril /avʁil/ – avril
- nul /nyl/- zero
As for the exceptions, you should know that the final -l is usually silent after the letter -i like in:
- gentil /ʒɑ̃.til/ – kind
- outil /u.til/ – tool
What is the most common silent letter in French?
The most common silent letter in French is the letter “e” at the end of a word. This letter is often silent in French, particularly when it comes at the end of a word and is not followed by another vowel. For example, in the word “une” (meaning “one”), the “e” at the end is silent.
This is also true for many other words such as “parle” (meaning “speaks”), “belle” (meaning “beautiful”), and “gagne” (meaning “wins”), among many others.
To Pronounce or Not to Pronounce?
French pronunciation can seem at times like a Shakespearean question “To be or not to be”, or “To Pronounce or not to Pronounce”.
While it may seem like a challenge to learn, understanding silent letters is a crucial aspect of mastering French pronunciation. It takes time to get the hang of it, but with patience and perseverance, you’ll be able to tell which letters are silent and which ones are not.
So, there you have it – a guide to the silent letters in French.
Learn more about French Vowels
