French pronunciation
The French letter combination OU is normally pronounced as a single vowel similar to ou in the English word "you" except it doesn’t diphthong into [w] at the end. IPA spelling: [u].
This sound can be difficult for English speakers to distinguish from the French letter U – see OU vs U.
| Par exemple… |
| ou sound | ||
| le cou | neck | |
| douze | twelve | |
| ou | or | |
| pour | for | |
| vous | you | |
When followed by another vowel, ou is pronounced as the semi-vowel [w]*
| Par exemple… |
| ouest | west | |
| oui | yes |
* Except in the letter combination ouil.
Related lessons
- Letters: O | U
- OU vs U
- French vowels
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