L

French consonant

The letter L is usually pronounced similarly to L in English, except that it’s dental rather than alveolar (see consonant lesson, "place of articulation"). Phonetic symbol: [l].

French sound files Par exemple…
the letter l
la laitue   lettuce
laver   to wash
blond   blond

However, in most words with a vowel plus IL, L is pronounced like a Y. Phonetic symbol: [j].

French sound files Par exemple…
l’ail   garlic
le soleil   sun

LL may be pronounced either way – learn more.

French sound files Par exemple…
mille   thousand
la fille   girl

 Related lessons

Learn Spanish En español

Learn Italian In italiano

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French pronunciation

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