For Francophiles, the word "Bastille" is likely to conjure up memories (or dreams) of fireworks and military parades, because the idea of la Bastille is inherently linked to 14 July - at least for English speakers. Chez les Français, not so much. Here are 7 things you should know about la Bastille: the holiday, the prison, and the word itself. 
The letter a has two different pronunciations in French, but one of them is disappearing. 
One of the most common questions from French students is, "How can I perfect my French accent?" Like many language learning questions, this one doesn't have a simple answer. 
While French has the same alphabet as English, some of the letters have little decorations that can make them look and sound very different. In French, accents are essential: they're there for a reason, so you must include them when writing. A1 - Beginning French • accents • spelling
While French uses the same 26-letter alphabet as English, it decorates half a dozen of them with diacritical marks, aka accents. The purpose of these accents varies, but they are always required when writing and typing. Take an in-depth look at accents: what they mean, how to use them, and how to type them on any computer, tablet, or phone.
In French, E is the only letter that can be modified with l'accent aigu, the acute accent. With the accent, it may be called either e accent aigu or simply é, pronounced [e]. As indicated by the latter, the acute accent changes the vowel's pronunciation to [e]. 
In English, you can emphasize an important word or syllable by pronouncing it more loudly, as in "It's magNIFicent!" That's not the case in French, which uses the affective accent instead. B2 - Upper-Intermediate French
The letter combination ai has two different pronunciations for verbs, though this is a matter of some debate. 
The pronunciation of the letter combinations ail and aill is somewhat tricky to explain in writing. 
If you want to read and write in French, one of the first things you should learn is the alphabet. If you're wondering how many letters there are, you're in luck: French has the same 26 letters as English. Unfortunately, most of the names of letters are pronounced differently, as are many of the sounds. Bonjour !
Lawless French is a free website.
Please disable your ad-blocker
or
donate to support my work.
BONUS
Donate US$5 / month to unlock
le Mot du jour.
Prononciation