How to Pronounce the French Alphabet (Letter by Letter)

Good news: French uses the same 26 letters as English. The catch is that the names of the letters sound quite different, and a handful are genuinely tricky for English speakers. Learning them is worth it — you'll be able to spell your name over the phone, follow when someone spells a word, and sharpen your overall pronunciation. Here's the whole alphabet with an easy English guide, plus the letters that trip people up and the accent marks you'll need.

The French alphabet with English pronunciation

Read across: the letter, its French name, and an approximate English sound.

The tricky letters to watch

A few letters catch English speakers out almost every time:

• E — a soft "uh", not "ee". This one matters everywhere in French.

• G vs J — they're nearly swapped from English. G is "zhay", J is "zhee".

• H — called "ash", and in words it's usually silent.

• R — that famous soft sound made at the back of the throat, not the rolled or hard English r.

• U — round your lips as if to say "oo" but try to say "ee". There's no English equivalent — it just takes practice.

• W — literally "double V" (double vé), since W is rare in French.

• Y — "i grec", meaning "Greek i".

Accent marks you'll need

French also adds accents, which you'll hear named when spelling out loud:

How to spell out loud in French

To spell a word, just name each letter, adding accents as you go. For example, "café": cé — a — eff — e accent aigu. And to ask someone to spell something: « Vous pouvez épeler, s'il vous plaît ? » — "Can you spell that, please?"

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the French alphabet the same as English? Yes — it has the same 26 letters. Only the letter names sound different, and French adds accent marks (like é, è, ç) on top of the basic letters.

Which French letters are hardest to pronounce? For English speakers, the trickiest are R (a soft throat sound), U (rounded lips, no English equivalent), E (a soft "uh"), and the G/J pair, which sound nearly swapped compared with English.

How do you say "Y" in French? Y is called i grec, which means "Greek i". It sounds roughly like "ee-grek".

How do I spell my name in French? Name each letter using its French sound, and say any accents aloud (for example, e accent aigu for é). Practising with your own name and email address is a great way to learn the alphabet fast.

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