Table of Content
Introduction
Even if you’re familiar with the Latin or Roman alphabet, knowing the names of the letters in the language you’re studying is essential, especially when you need to spell something out. So, let’s dive right into it and study the French alphabet!
Before we dive into the pronunciation guide, let’s explore two essential tools: the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet, known today as the NATO phonetic alphabet. These standardized systems help us accurately represent and communicate the sounds of spoken language, ensuring clarity and precision in linguistic and communication contexts.
Native Audio Recordings
Letters of the alphabet in French
NATO alphabet read in French
French Alphabet Phonetic Table
The first column of the table below contains each letter of the alphabet, both capital and lowercase. If you’re an English speaker, that won’t be difficult because they’re the same. Next, you’ll find the IPA transcription of how the letter is read. Then, we’ve included the NATO alphabet followed by the IPA phonemes, as some letters have multiple phonetic variations, just like in English. Lastly, we’ve provided a French word as an example. Make sure to listen to the recordings by a native speaker above and to follow along.
| Letter | IPA | Nato | IPA sound | Word |
| A q | [a] | Alfa | /a/ | Abeille |
| B b | [be] | Bravo | /b/ | Bébé |
| C c | [se] | Charlie | /s/, /k/ | Cerise Corps |
| D d | [de] | Delta | /d/ | Dent |
| E e | [ə] | Echo | /ə/, /e/ | Esprit |
| F f | [ɛf] | Foxtrot | /f/ | Fée |
| G g | [ʒe] | Golf | /ʒe/, /g/ | Gène Grand |
| H h | [aʃ] | Hotel | Silent | Hôpital |
| I i | [i] | India | /i/ | Image |
| J j | [ʒi] | Juliette | /ʒ/ | Jean |
| K k | [ka] | Kilo | /k/ | Kiffer |
| L l | [ɛl] | Lima | /l/ | Lapin |
| M m | [ɛm] | Mike | /m/ | Maman |
| N n | [ɛn] | Novembre | /n/ | Nord |
| O o | [o] | Oscar | /o/ | Oreille |
| P p | [pe] | Papa | /p/ | Parent |
| Q q | [ky] | Québec | /k/ | Quoi |
| R r | [ɛʁ] | Romeo | /ʁ/ | Râler |
| S s | [ɛs] | Sierra | /s/, /z/ | Sel |
| T t | [te] | Tango | /t/ | Tête |
| U u | [y] | Uniform | /y/ | Urbain |
| V v | [ve] | Victor | /v/ | Ville |
| W w | [dubləve] | Whiskey | /w/, /v/ | Wagon |
| X x | [iks] | X-ray | /ks/, /gz/ | Xylème |
| Y y | [iɡʁɛk] | Yankee | /i/ | Yacht |
| Z z | [zɛd] | Zulu | /z/ | Zèbre |
Conclusion
Voilà! We’ve unveiled the mysteries of the French alphabet together. Take your time to familiarize yourself with each letter, practice their sounds, and soon you’ll be spelling out French words with confidence. Learning a new alphabet is like unlocking a secret code – and you are well on your way to mastering it!
Are you comfortable with the letters in French? Next, let’s study the diacritics!
Did you know that the French language has a total of 19 different vowel sounds? That is a lot! Learn more →