French consonant
The letter G has two pronunciations:
- Soft G (in front of E, I, or Y) – pronounced like the g in "massage," identical to the French J. Phonetic symbol: [ʒ]
- Hard G (in front of A, O, U, or a consonant) – pronounced like the g in "gold." Phonetic symbol: [g]
See vowel lesson "Effect on consonants: hard vs soft" for more info.
- When G precedes a soft vowel but needs a hard pronunciation, U is added to make it hard, e.g., guérir.
- When G precedes a hard vowel but needs a soft pronunciation, as for spelling change verbs, E is added to make it soft, e.g., mangeons.
the letter g | ||
la gare | train station | |
grand | big, tall | |
guérir | to cure | |
gérer | to manage | |
nous mangeons | we eat |
- Letter combinations: GN | NG
- Introduction to consonants
- Introduction to vowels
- French alphabet
- Spelling change verbs
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