Vowel Sounds & Nasal Vowels

French has a rich system of vowel sounds — far more than English. While English has around 5 vowel letters, French uses the same letters (plus accent marks and combinations) to produce approximately 15 distinct vowel sounds, including the famous nasal vowels. This lesson covers every French vowel sound you need to know.

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Oral Vowels

Oral vowels are sounds where air flows only through the mouth. French has approximately 11 oral vowel sounds.

The "A" Sounds

Sound	Spelling	Example	Meaning	Pronunciation
/a/	a, à, â	chat	cat	"ah" (front)
/ɑ/	â (in some dialects)	pâte	dough	"ah" (back, longer)

In modern standard French, the distinction between front /a/ and back /ɑ/ is disappearing. Most speakers use a single "ah" sound for both.

The "E" Sounds

French has three different "e" sounds, and distinguishing them is crucial: