Speak French: How to pronounce the vowel sounds ‘ou’ and ‘u’

Read on:

• Learn the difference between the vowels ‘ou’ and ‘u’ in French
• Discover a simple way to pronounce the ‘u’ sound even if it doesn’t exist in your language
• Find out how to get a 14-day free trial of IMMERSE's award-winning French conversation app with unlimited access to live classes, community events, games, and AI-powered conversation practice

One of the most difficult distinctions for native English speakers to make when learning French is between the vowel sounds ‘ou’ and ‘u’.  The ‘ou’ sound exists in English (in words such as food, true, and moose).  The ‘u’ sound?  It’s a bit more complicated…

Our expert instructor Emily shows you a simple trick for learning to say the ‘u’ sound.’

Fun Fact about the vowels in French

Knowing how to pronounce French vowels correctly is super important because saying a vowel wrong can change the meaning of a word.  

For example, pouce means “thumb,” and puce means “flea.” 

The only difference is the vowel sound, so if you’re not careful you may ask someone how to get to the marché aux pouces (“thumb market”) instead of how to get to the marché aux puces (“flea market”). 

You’d probably have more fun at the flea market! 😄

Pro Tip

So, how do you make the French ‘u’ sound?  To start, make the vowel sound “ee” just like you do when you say “cheese.”  

Now, move your lips forward into a small “o” shape - but don’t change the position of your teeth, tongue, or jaw.  Et voilà - you’re now one step closer to sounding like a native speaker.

It’s as simple as that!

Don’t stop here! 

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IMMERSE is an award-winning virtual reality French app available on Mac, PC, or Quest 2 where you can join live events, take small-group classes with expert instructors, play games, and practice with AI-powered conversation partners. Learn French in over 40 highly interactive, authentic scenes, like a doctor’s office and a restaurant, all from the comfort of your own home.

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