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Macron outlines his vision for Europe to become an assertive global power as war in Ukraine rages on

French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech on Europe in the amphitheater of the Sorbonne University, Thursday, April 25 in Paris. 2024. French President Emmanuel Macron will outline his vision for Europe as a more assertive global power at the backdrop of war in Ukraine, security, and economic challenges in a speech ahead of pivotal election for the European Parliament in June. (Christophe Petit Tesson, Pool via AP)

French President Emmanuel Macron arrives to deliver a speech on Europe in the amphitheater of the Sorbonne University, Thursday, April 25 in Paris. 2024. French President Emmanuel Macron will outline his vision for Europe as a more assertive global power at the backdrop of war in Ukraine, security, and economic challenges in a speech ahead of pivotal election for the European Parliament in June. (Christophe Petit Tesson, Pool via AP)

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PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron warned Thursday that Europe could “die” if it fails to build its own robust defense as Russia’s war in Ukraine rages on, or if it fails to undertake major trade and economic reforms to compete with China and the U.S.

Macron urged Europeans to become more ambitious in a fast-changing world to face the challenges of war, fierce trade competition, energy scarcity, climate change and increasing authoritarianism.

In a nearly two-hour speech at Sorbonne University in Paris, Macron said that the continent is divided and “too slow and lacks ambition” at a time when the 27-member European Union needs to become a superpower, defend its own borders and speak with one voice if it wants to survive and thrive.

“Our Europe today is mortal,” Macron said. “It can die and that depends solely on our choices,” he added. He called on people to make those choices now because, “it’s today that Europe is between war and peace.”

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, now in its third year, is an existential threat and Europe isn’t armed enough to defend itself when “confronted by a power like Russia that has no inhibitions, no limits,” Macron said.

‘Our ability to ensure our security is at stake,” Macron said. “Russia mustn’t be allowed to win.”

Europe now has the “good fortune” of having the Biden administration’s commitment to supporting Ukraine, Macron said. But, in a year of key elections around Europe, in the U.S. and elsewhere, support may fragment or disappear entirely, he added.

“Europe must become capable of defending its interests, with its allies by our side whenever they are willing, and alone if necessary,” Macron said.

Strong armies, a European rapid intervention program and force, tanks, a missile shield and other weapons, produced in Europe, will need the support of “a joint diplomatic force that will speak with one voice and build bridges with Africa and Latin America,” the French leader said.

“Only then will Europe show that it’s not a United States’ lap dog, and that it also knows how to talk to other regions of the world,” he said.

France has been a firm supporter of Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression, and Macron has often clashed with other Western leaders as he has insisted that Europe must stand by the country at any cost. The French president alarmed European leaders by saying recently that sending Western troops into Ukraine to shore up its defenses shouldn’t be ruled out.

Referring to trade practices of China and the U.S., Macron said “the two world powers have decided not to respect the rules of global trade” by shoring up protections and subsides while Europe’s industry remains open and is stuck in overregulation.

“Let’s do the same, we are in competition,” Macron said.

“We must buy faster, we must produce more and we must buy more that is made in Europe. That is key,” Macron said.

Thursday’s speech came less than two months before a pivotal European Parliament election.

Macron, an avid advocate of a united and assertive Europe, also rallied support for his centrist Renaissance party before the June 6-9 vote as far-right parties lead the moderate coalitions in the polls. He called for safeguarding democratic values as the “authoritarian model” was becoming “more popular” across the continent.

The war in Ukraine and immigration are top priorities for European Union voters, according to polls. Far-right parties have gained support by criticizing Macron’s government policies on both issues. Macron acknowledged divisions on immigration policies, including on asylum and deportation rules for those who have arrived to Europe illegally.

He emphasized the need for an effective response and Europe-wide coordination for curbing illegal immigration, closer cooperation with immigrants’ countries of origin and a unified, relentless fight against human traffickers.

Macron criticized the idea of striking an agreement, as Britain as done, with countries in Africa and elsewhere to transfer immigrants there.

“This is a betrayal of our values that ultimately leads us to dependency on other counties,” Macron said.

The British government earlier this week approved a law allowing the deportation of some migrants who enter the country illegally to Rwanda.

Macron lost his majority in France’s most influential house of parliament, the National Assembly, after the 2022 election to the far-left coalition and the far-right National Rally party.

The social situation in France remains tense as Paris prepares to host the Olympic Games this summer, amid protests from teachers and police officers, and farmer demonstrations in recent weeks. The protests follow huge rallies last year against Macron’s ultimately successful proposal to increase the retirement age from 62 to 64.

Barbara Surk reported from Nice, France. Lorne Cook contributed to this report from Brussels.

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French Speaking Practice

Working on your French speaking skills can be harder than practising your reading ,  writing and  listening skills, but there are ways to boost your French speaking and we cover them below.

Our amazing team is working hard to provide you with French-speaking exercises with the same quality as our other types of exercises. If you're keen on understanding where you currently stand in your French journey, we recommend taking our French level test .

Create your free account today  to practise your French and be the first to hear when we release our very own French-speaking exercises!

If you’re looking to become more confident at speaking French , we recommend taking 1-on-1 lessons with a tutor on LanguaTalk.  View French tutors & book a 30-minute trial session here .

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• Online French Speaking Practice
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• Solo French Speaking Practice
• What Is Fluency?
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Speech in French. Plus, How to Write a Speech in French.

How to start, what to include.

Spearheaded by the French Academy, the people in France take their language very seriously. While Spanish radio announcers laugh at their language mistakes, their northern neighbors are terrified of getting something wrong. So even though you know you may be judged critically by a French audience, you can prepare a good presentation by following the rules of good speech writing. Once you break the process down into small steps, it isn't as frightening as it appears. ‌ Writing a speech in French follows the same basic rules as writing one in English: introduction, body of the speech and conclusion. ‌

‌ Begin by welcoming your audience ‌. "Bonjour (or bonsoir) mesdames et messieurs" will do nicely, as it is the expected French greeting.

‌ Apologize for not speaking French perfectly. ‌ Unless you are a bilingual Parisian who refers to french as français, it is a good idea to admit up-front that your language skills are not perfect. Your audience will sympathize more with you if you are honest.

‌ Start your speech in French with a topic sentence that indicates you are witty and well-versed in French literature. ‌ If you can't think of anything, use a quote from a known French writer bordered by quotation marks, such as Sarte, Renard or Voltaire.

‌ Outline what your speech is going to be about in your opening. ‌ Open with j’ai and let your French audience know where you are going with your speech. It is important to stick to your topic, as the French will expect you to deliver what you promise. This could be an example of indirect speech.

‌ Shy away from humor unless you are practically a native speaker and understand the subtle way the French use double innuendos. ‌ Slap-stick American jokes will alienate your audience and leave you looking like a bumpkin.

‌ Pull your speech together in your concluding paragraph ‌. Politely thank your audience for attending, and giving you the courtesy of listening to your speech. Remember that the French stress manners. This could be an example of direct speech.

‌ End your speech in French with a memorable line that links back to your topic sentence. ‌ If you can't think of anything, resort to repeating the quotation you started with, or using another equally as memorable phrase. Pay attention to verb tenses and french grammar.

‌ Edit your speech in French for common grammatical mistakes. ‌ Remember that the French language has masculine and feminine pronouns, so check to make sure you use "le" and "la" are correct. Try to alternate seamlessly between past tense, present tense, subjunctive, and infinitive. Double check conjugation.

‌ Pronunciation takes practice, especially with french words. ‌ Practice your reported speech out loud and sound out your french vocabulary in order to avoid stumbling. Beginning learners should spend extra time on this.

• Ask a native French speaker to check your speech to be sure you got everything right.

It takes time to learn French, so go easy on yourself but you still must sound professional.

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Jody Hanson began writing professionally in 1992 to help finance her second around-the-world trip. In addition to her academic books, she has written for "International Living," the "Sydney Courier" and the "Australian Woman's Forum." Hanson holds a Ph.D. in adult education from Greenwich University.

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Macron, Battling the Far Right at Home, Pushes for a Stronger Europe

In a major speech, France’s president returned to a familiar theme, warning that “Our Europe is mortal” if it does not become more self-sufficient.

By Roger Cohen and Aurelien Breeden

Challenged by the extreme right and perhaps more vulnerable than at any time in his presidency, Emmanuel Macron of France sought renewed momentum on Thursday through a sweeping speech on the need for a more assertive Europe, a theme that he has pressed with urgency since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The nearly two-hour speech reflected Mr. Macron’s conviction that only a reinforced and “sovereign” European Union — a “Europe power,” as he puts it — can save the continent from irrelevancy in an unstable world that is dominated by the United States and China and confronting wars in Europe and the Middle East.

“We must be lucid about the fact that our Europe is mortal,” Mr. Macron declared before an audience of government ministers, European ambassadors and other dignitaries. “It can die. It can die and whether it does depends entirely on our choices.”

The speech, at the Sorbonne University in Paris, was a follow-up to one that Mr. Macron gave in the same location in September 2017 . Then, Mr. Macron discussed the future of Europe as a young, recently elected and disruptive president still enjoying a political honeymoon.

Today, without an absolute majority in Parliament, and with his popularity falling after seven years in office, he has struggled over the past two years to give direction to his second term.

Coming less than two months before elections to the European Parliament on June 9, Mr. Macron’s decision to speak out was widely seen as a bid to bolster his centrist Renaissance party, which is placing a distant second in the latest polls behind the far-right National Rally party led by Jordan Bardella. Mr. Macron’s party is polling at about 17.5 percent of eligible voters; Mr. Bardella’s has about 30 percent.

Mr. Macron described a world at “a turning point,” in which a Europe that could no longer depend on America for its security, on Russia for its energy and on China for its industrial production must become more strategically autonomous, technologically innovative and militarily resilient.

“We are too slow and not ambitious enough,” he said, proposing that only through “power, prosperity and humanism” could Europe set out a distinctive model for the world, including by investing massively in its own defense industry, in green technology and in new fields like artificial intelligence.

Europe, he said, should “never be a vassal of the United States.”

“The ideas, on the whole, didn’t feel new,” said Georgina Wright, head of the Europe Program at the Institut Montaigne, a French think tank. “But there was a sense of urgency that wasn’t there in 2017.”

There have been significant advances toward greater European integration since Mr. Macron’s first speech, which was in some ways prescient. The Covid pandemic saw Germany break a longstanding taboo and back the issuing of European joint debt, and the war in Ukraine has spurred increased European spending on defense, something Mr. Macron has long called for to reduce reliance on American military power.

Always impatient with what he considers lazy thinking, as when he described NATO as suffering from “brain death” in 2019 because it had not adjusted to a changed world, Mr. Macron has irked some of his European partners with his bold declarations. Not everyone in Europe is convinced that it is Mr. Macron’s role to lead the 27-member union to a different future.

“The ideas themselves are gaining more traction” in European capitals, said Mujtaba Rahman, the managing director for Europe at Eurasia Group, a consultancy. But “the fact that Macron is the messenger often works to his disadvantage ,” he added.

Recently, the always difficult relationship between Mr. Macron and Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany has been roiled by disagreements. Mr. Scholz was incensed by Mr. Macron’s suggestion that the deployment of Western troops in Ukraine could not be ruled out , a statement the president said on Thursday that he “stands by absolutely.”

“The essential condition of our security is that Russia not win its war of aggression against Ukraine,” Mr. Macron said.

Despite their differences, Mr. Scholz’s first reaction to Thursday’s speech was positive. “Together, France and Germany want Europe to remain strong,” Mr. Scholz said on X , telling Mr. Macron that “your speech contains good ideas on how we can achieve this.”

Mr. Macron reiterated support for the creation of a European “rapid deployment” force of about 5,000 military personnel to respond to external crises, which is expected to be fully operational in 2025. He also called for the creation of a “European military academy” to improve coordination between European armies.

These are familiar themes from the president, who has struggled to overcome an image of aloofness. It was far from clear that his lofty visions, at a time of economic difficulty for many French people, would do anything to dent the popularity of Mr. Bardella, the far right’s 28-year-old prodigal son.

The longtime barrier against the far right coming to power, built around the broad conviction that it was a danger to the republic, has collapsed as the National Rally has become the largest single opposition force in Parliament.

Mr. Bardella’s themes — anti-immigration rhetoric, the need for greater security and the fight against inflation — have resonated with an anxious France.

“Never before have citizens been so far removed from the major decisions that have such a tangible impact on their daily lives,” Mr. Bardella said at a news conference on Thursday. He called Mr. Macron’s speech a “self-congratulatory session.”

Mr. Bardella, a member of the European Parliament, is the protégé of Marine Le Pen, the perennial far-right candidate for the presidency. His popularity has increased the chances that she may succeed Mr. Macron, who is term-limited, in 2027, or even that he become a presidential candidate himself.

Taking aim at the extreme right, Mr. Macron said that “liberal democracy is not a given” and that the rule of law, an independent press, free universities, the rights of minorities and the separation of powers were being “denied” in too many European countries. He celebrated Poland as an example of an E.U. member turning its back on illiberalism, after its recent election that saw a centrist victory over the governing nationalist party.

Mr. Macron also said that he hoped to see the right to abortion enshrined in the European Union’s charter of fundamental rights. France last month became the first country in the world to protect access to abortion in its Constitution .

Aides to Mr. Macron insisted that the Sorbonne was not a campaign stop for the French leader’s party but a way to influence the European Union’s overarching strategic agenda for the next five years, which is expected to be decided by E.U. leaders after the June elections.

Still, “if there is a 15-point gap on June 9, it will be seen as a major defeat for Macronism,” said Mr. Rahman, of Eurasia Group.

French voters often use European elections to vent against the government regardless of European issues, he said, adding that Mr. Macron’s speech “will probably have more impact in E.U. capitals than it will on the French electorate.”

Anxiety is widespread in Europe that former President Donald J. Trump could prevail in the American presidential election in November with an “America First” program and skepticism over NATO. For Mr. Macron, these developments have been a form of vindication of his seven-year-old warnings that Europe must master its own destiny.

Christopher F. Schuetze contributed reporting from Berlin.

Roger Cohen is the Paris Bureau chief for The Times, covering France and beyond. He has reported on wars in Lebanon, Bosnia and Ukraine, and between Israel and Gaza, in more than four decades as a journalist. At The Times, he has been a correspondent, foreign editor and columnist. More about Roger Cohen

Aurelien Breeden is a reporter for The Times in Paris, covering news from France. More about Aurelien Breeden

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The Mimic Method

Speak a Foreign Language Like a Native

French Pronunciation: The Ultimate Guide

January 23, 2017 By Idahosa 1 Comment

Most French pronunciation guides are really only about pronunciation rules for the language. They tend to fall short of teaching you how to actually hear and pronounce said sounds.

Here at The Mimic Method, our mission is to help bridge the cross-cultural gap between people and inspire real human connection. If you’re the kind of person who wants to make real long-term relationships in another language, this is the place for you. We do this by teach unique pronunciation method through mimicry.

By the end of this pronunciation guide, you should be familiar with most of the sounds associated with the different combinations of the French alphabet. You will even discover a few tricks to overcome things like the dreaded ‘throaty’ R sounds.

Although there are many rules and spellings, French is quite a regular language. Yet many times the letters and combinations of letters will sound different than how they are written. Luckily, except for a few words here and there, almost all French words will follow certain patterns and rules. Read on to learn more.

French Alphabet vs. Sounds

There are 26 scripted letters in the modern French alphabet. But there are at least 38 phonetic sounds in modern French speech. Although English and French have almost identical alphabets, the same characters do not always represent the same sound in both languages. The challenge will be to rewire the your brain so you can produce sounds for letters that sound different from what you’re used to.

The reason why there are more sounds than letters is that these sounds are used for the same combination of letters – or syllables – when spelled at different places in words. It is really a matter of hearing these patterns and incorporating them into your own speech.

The other reason has to do with regional dialects, which introduces new sounds to spoken speech. For instance, there is the Quebecois accent vs. Parisian French. And this pattern continues for other similarly spelled words in the dialect.

French Alphabet Chart

* These letters appear only in foreign words.

Note that the list of letters in the chart above is NOT indicative of all the sounds that go with them.  As said earlier, most guides just teach you things like the alphabet and make you miss out on the nuances of sounds which really give you better pronunciation. This traditional approach is a “learn by eye” approach. At The Mimic Method, we like to use a “learn by ear” approach to language learning.

But to make things easier for you, for the rest of this guide we’re going to be talking about French alphabet pronunciation as well as the sounds behind the patterns in the alphabet starting with the most important group – vowel sounds.

French Alphabet Pronunciation

French vowel letters, what is a vowel.

Vowels are created by completely opening the vocal tract and allowing air to flow out unobstructed. What determines the sound of a vowel is the position of your tongue within your mouth. To help in this process, you will first develop a physical awareness of your tongue’s location in your mouth.

The chart here is a Vowel Chart. A vowel chart plots the location of a vowel sound in your mouth.

The three vowel sounds on this page are the extremes in Vowel Height and Backness. In other words, the other vowel sounds for a given language are going to occur at some point between these three extremes.

You will rely mostly on your ear to do this. But it can help you a great deal by starting on the nearest English vowel and going in the right direction from there.

Do as the speaker in the audio file and alternate back and forth out loud to yourself: EEEE! —> UUUU! —> AAAA! —> UUUU! —> EEEE! —> UUUU! etc. Look at at the chart and try to create a mental connection between the visual directions on the chart and your tongue movement in the mouth.

There are two unique features which make the vowel sounds distinctively French .

• The tongue positions are more extreme
• Vowels sound crisper, shorter in length

Compared to other latin languages such as Spanish or Italian, French has a rich menu of vowel sounds. In French, there are actually more combinations of vowel letters than there are sounds – different combinations of letters and placement in a world will determine a unique sound.

Since we all speak our native languages without thinking about the movements in our mouth, you probably can’t feel what direction your tongue is moving when you speak. That’s why the first step is developing an awareness and control over your tongue’s movement . Let’s start by examining the French vowels in more detail.

Oral Vowels

French has two kinds of vowel sounds; Oral and Nasal. For now, we will start with the Oral vowels.

A Sounds – chat, moi, l à, pâte

This sound is similar to the A-sound we would use in English words like cat, pat, that . There’s also a Parisian version of this that is between this sound and the back of the mouth (think somewhere in between the words  shack  and  shock) . This sound is always spelled with either a or à. Note: The accent grave (à) does not change the pronunciation.

There is a secondary A-sound we would make in the American words pot, caught, poppa . An example in French is the word pâte.

These A sounds are towards the bottom-back part of our mouth. For this, our tongue needs to come further down and further forward than in English.

It’s common for people to have the tendency to close this vowel (as explained in the next section). So be sure to always exaggerate its openness by lowering your jaw as much as possible when saying this sound.

Try to exaggerate and lower your jaw as much as possible when creating the A vowel sounds.

E Sounds – les, pass é, tuer, grande

These sounds are more open (tongue lower in mouth) than the vowel sound in the English words hey, bay, say, lays. Typically, the E vowel in the words hey, bay, say, lay glide up near the I vowel. This does NOT occur in French (as explained in the next section).

The second E sound is the same sound as in American fair , Mary, pear, dare  and French words père, mère. The /ai/ diphthong in French usually has this sound as well.

The third E sound is the vowel sound in American duck, puck, putt, luck . French examples include brebis, gredin .

There is another instance of the sound E that is silent because it tends to disappear at the end of words or inside words. It usually is heard when dropping it would make words difficult to pronounce. Instead, the preceding consonant is pronounced (i.e., “grande” is gran-duh ).

Mimic my pronunciation of E so that you can feel the difference. Remember to keep your E vowels short and crisp.

I Sounds – il, qui, si

This sound has the exact same tongue position as the vowel sound in the English words see, knee, he, she. Typically, it is shorter in length than in English. Remember to keep your I vowel short and crisp. It helps to smile wide when creating this I vowel.

O Sounds – eau, mot

The primary O sound is more open (tongue lower in mouth) than the vowel sound in the English words no, so, go, toe. When this sound occurs in English, it glides towards the U vowel forming a diphthong. This does not happen in French. The English version is also rounded, meaning you will curl your lips at the end of the sound. Rounding does not occur in French.

The secondary O sound occurs in English words like dog, walk, small.

Remember to keep the O vowels short and relax your lips (do not round them too much).

U Sounds – roue, feu, choeur

The U vowel has the exact same tongue position as the vowel sound in the English words who, shoe, two, Sue.

When native speakers make this sound, it is shorter in length than in English. This sound is usually rounded in English, meaning you will curl your lips at the end of the sound. Rounding does NOT occur in French.

/ ∅ / is a more rounded version of the U sound and close to the uh sound heard in American fur. Try pronouncing this and then dropping the r (it may help to imitate a Boston accent). Typical French words would be feu, nerveux.

/œ/ is similar to American euh sound in girl, furl. You can learn this sound by beginning to pronounce furl but not adding the rl part. You will need to hear some real French pronunciation to adjust the sound however. Typical French words would be peur, leur, choeur.

/y/ is a rounded version of the I Vowel in French. To do this, try to say ‘eee’ and then keep that sound while rounding your lips.

Remember to keep these sounds short and crisp and keep your lips relaxed to avoid rounding the vowel (unless you are saying /y/, / ∅ /, /œ/)

Note: The vowel u is silent in cases of Q (qu).

So to review, here are five primary vowel characters of French:

Nasal Vowels

Nasal Vowels in French pronunciation generally sound unnatural to English speakers because the sounds don’t occur naturally in any English words. The closest we come is when we say ‘huh?’

These s ounds of French occur in an incredible variety of spellings so it is important to become aware of them.

You can find out where to make the nasal vowels based on an oral pair. This means that the sound pair is in the exact same spot, but the difference is that you nasalize it. If you make the oral vowel / ɔ / (dog, caught) and lower your velum to allow some air to pass through your nasal passage WITHOUT changing anything else in your speech organ, you will get the nasal counterpart – / ɔ̃ /.

In the audio files below, I show this by alternating between the nasal vowels and their oral counterparts. Listen and try to tune your ear to the difference. You can try to mimic the sounds yourself, but do not worry if you can’t get them perfect.

The key to nasal vowel articulation is relaxation. The challenge will be alternating between oral and nasal vowels with speed, precision and ease.

Once again, to not get frustrated if these sound French vs. English pronunciation differences are not 100% obvious to you yet. Motor and perception skills take time and practice to develop. Just like everything else in this primer, you should return to this page as often as you gain more practical experience with French pronunciation and sounds.

French Nasal Sounds Chart

Common french pronunciation errors.

As an English speaker you developed hearing and speaking patterns that clash with the French sound system. Fortunately, these tendencies are predictable and fixable once you become aware of them. With vowels, these five tendencies will account for 80% of your pronunciation errors so that’s why it is important to review them early on.

By understanding the things you’re inclined to do wrong, you can begin to make sense of these differences. Below, I categorize and explain all the major English vowel mispronunciation tendencies.

Gliding/Diphthongizing Vowels

In English, diphthongizing is a fancy word meaning we add an additional vowel at the end of words as we close our mouths. For O we glide it near to U as in the word “hello!” (He-lo->u). For E we glide near to I as in the word “Hey!” (He->i). This does not happen in French. These sounds are short and sweet with no additional vowels added on the end. The audio below demonstrates.

Rounding Vowels

When English speakers say the vowel U or O, they tend to curl their lips in at the end which alters the sound. In French, there is no rounding so your lips should never curl like this. To avoid doing this, you will want to keep these vowels short and crisp. Imitate the audio and try to build an awareness of this lip motion.

R-Coloring Vowels

As you will review later in this post, there is a French consonant sound known as The Uvular Consonant. In French writing, this sound is represented by the letter “r”. Very often in French, this sound occurs at the end of a syllable, after the vowel (e.g. AR, IR, UR, ER, and OR). This is called “R-coloring Vowels,” and it does not exist in French. R-coloring vastly alters the sound of a vowel. The main reason an English speaker would pronounce it this way in the first place is because she starts with a visual concept of the spelling. As a French learner, you may have a strong tendency as an English speaker to replace the French Uvular Consonant with the English /ɹ/ sound. Even more important, it is also one of the most common consonant speech sounds in the language. For now, just listen to the difference between a vowel that is followed by an uvular fricative and a vowel that is “r-colored.”

Replacing Nasal Vowels w/ Nasal Consonants

To review, you create nasal vowels so that air passes through both the mouth and nose. The resonation of air in the nasal cavity is what makes that unique acoustic quality that we perceive as nasal sound. We also have nasal consonants, which you create by completely blocking the oral passageway with either your tongue or lips, so that air passes only through the nose. For example, you make the /m/ consonant sound when you close your lips completely and let air escape through the nose. Similarly, you make the /n/ consonant when you place your tongue against the back of your gums and only let air escape through the nose.   In English, we don’t often produce nasal French vowels but we do produce nasal consonants like /m/ and /n/ quite often. As a result, when we hear nasalization in general, we have a tendency to perceive it as either an “n” or an “m” sound. So we have a tendency to create an /n/ or /m/ sound when trying to mimic nasal vowels. Always remember – your tongue and lips should be completely relaxed when making a French Nasal Vowel, and your mouth should always be open. You will have a tendency to replace a nasal vowel with a combination of an oral vowel + nasal consonant (e.g. you would turn “ɔ̃” into “ɔn.”  The track below demonstrates the difference.

As I’ve said, these five tendencies will account for 80% of your pronunciation errors. Develop an awareness of them now and you can drop them from your speech patterns quickly. Be sure to return this page regularly as you improve your pronunciation.

English to French Vowel Pronunciation Chart

French Consonant Letters

What is a consonant.

Unlike vowel sounds, you create consonant sounds by blocking air from coming out of your mouth. French spelling is very unique in that it uses a lot of consonant letters where there is actually no consonant sounds.

French Silent Letters

In French pronunciation (not in writing), final consonants are usually silent. As in English, in plural most French words add an S, but the last S in a word is not pronounced. (i.e.,  enfant  and its plural form enfants sound the same). Review the consonants list below to find out which sounds are actually silent in spoken French.

In this section, we’ll review some important differences between English and French consonants.

Consonants List

B (bé) – beurre, bon, brebis

As in English word  bear . It is essentially the same as the French B in  beurre, bon, brebis . Note that in French words like bombe, both b’s are pronounced because of the E vowel afterwards.

C (cé) –  leçon, ce, comment, encore

There is a soft C sound which sounds like S in the English word  palace.  In French, this soft C occurs before I, E or Y. Everywhere else, it will have a hard sound like K. Note that the  symbol “ç” is always pronounced as S in g arçon, leçon, façon .

D (dé) –  drap, dehors, du

D is very close to the American D in dog , but the tongue pushes a little harder against the teeth (using the blade of the tongue) when the D is used in French.

F (effe) – forêt, feu, folle

F is identical to English F in father .

G (gé) – gare, guerre, gourou, digue

There are a few different sounds behind the spelling of G in French.

The American G usually has two sounds as in garage . The second sound does not occur normally in French. For foreign words with this sound, they use DJ to fake the sound (djinn = genie). In short, [ ʒ ] ( vision ) before I, E or Y but [g] elsewhere.

H (ache) –  hein, ho, hui

In general, H is silent in French.

J (ji) – geai, gérant, juge, jamais

J is the ZH sound in English  pleasure , vision . French has two spellings for this sound. The simpler is the use of J as in Jean-Jacques . The messier one is with G. Whenever G is followed by an E, you use this sound.

K (ka) –  pique, calin, cou

K is the same as the K sound in English  khaki, flak . Like English, French has multiple spellings for the K sound. The rules are the same as in English: C before A, O, U is pronounced K. Very few French words use the letter K as they are from foreign words.

L (elle) – bal, folle, ville

L is similar to English L in lake, link . But the tongue is a bit further forward in French (they don’t swallow their l as much as we do). English actually has two “L” sounds: the “dark L” and the “True L.” In French, there is only the “True L.” A common tendency for English speakers is to use both as if they were speaking English. The difference is very subtle but this nuance is definitely helpful in sounding more like a native speaker.

Some tips for this consonant:

• Exaggerate by having your jaw as low as possible
• Give more love to the consonant, dwell on the L sound

M (emme) –  mère, môme, mener, nom

M is pronounced the same as from the English word  mom . French always spells this sound with M although nasalized Ms have a different sound. M is silent at the end of words and the preceding vowels are nasalized.

N (enne) –  neuf, parking, agneau, besoin

N is like the English words  new, another . The doubled up N is always pronounced this way (not nasalized). Single N following a consonant is usually nasalized.

NG is like English “ing” in smoking, parking . This is not a normal sound in French and occurs only in borrowed words like smoking, parking.

GN is not a common sound in English. It is the NYA sound in the word onion . It is always spelled GN.

N is silenced at the ends of words and the preceding vowels are nasalized.

P (pé) –  point, père, papier

P is similar to American P in spit, sputter but different from the American P in pit or putter . Americans put a puff of air (aspirate) with their Ps when starting a word. The French don’t do this. The difference is not critical for French (although it is for some other languages).

Q (qu) – quel, question, chaque 

Q is pronounced like K in the English words crown, karma, quick.  Q usually silences the U vowel if it follows afterward: so, the French word  question  (ke-styon) will differ from English (kwe-stion).

R (erre) – réfrigérateur, boire, pair

The French ‘R’ sounds are very unique and do not exist in English. The pronunciation varies from place to place, even in France. In the South it is trilled more like a Spanish R sound, but in the North/Paris it is produced with the tongue against your soft palate.

This is such an important sound, we have devoted a special portion of this guide if you scroll down below.

At the ends of words, R is silent unless the next word begins with a vowel.

S (esse) –  çe, cela, cinéma, cache, poisson

In French this is always the sound when a cedilla (ç) is used in the spelling. It is also the sound when either E or I follow a C.

It is also used for an S beginning a word or when the S is doubled (fosse, poisson).

When S is followed by an H it is like the American sound in show, fish, shall . Although this sound is always spelled with CH in French, sometimes the CH spelling is pronounced as a K sound. Such words are usually of Greek origin ( psychiatre, archange ) but you really just have to learn the proper pronunciation.

At the ends of words, S is silent unless the next word begins with a vowel.

T (té) – ta, trop, juste

For this T sound, the French push the tongue harder against the teeth (using the blade of the tongue) when pronouncing this consonant. Practice with word  trente . Don’t swallow the last T, make it very clear.

At the ends of words, T is silent unless the next word begins with a vowel.

V (vé) – avez, votre, avant

V is no different from English V.

W (double vé) – voir, quoi, toi, oui, huit

W is pronounced as in American water, willow. As noted above, foreign words with W are usually pronounced as we would but the sound is usually spelled in French with OU followed by a vowel or by OI preceded by a consonant.

There is a similar sound denoted by the symbol [ ɥ ] and is not found in English. You could start with the word wheat and try to round your lips for the ooo sound while saying the eee part of wheat . This will get you close to the French huit .

X (ixe) – deux, veux, peux

At the end of words, X is silent unless the next word begins with a vowel.

Y (i grec) – yeux, yaourt, fille, famille

This is the Y sound in American yellow. In French, this is usually found as Y plus a vowel. Sometimes it is spelled LL. Y is used mainly in loanwords but also in place names.

Z (zède) – pose, zoo, vous êtes

French uses Z for the spelling, but the letter S can also take on this Z sound if it is surrounded by vowels. At the end of words, Z is silent unless the next word begins with a vowel.

Rhotic Consonants

The most difficult movements to master are the Rhotic (French R) consonants. This sound does indeed exist in some dialects of English, but with limited usage.

As a French learner, you may have a strong tendency as an English speaker to replace the French /ɾ/ with the English /ɹ/ sound. Even more important, they are also one of the most common speech sounds in the language. As you saw in the vowel section, English speakers already have a tendency to “R-Color” in between vowel sounds as well.

Doing this wrong is perhaps the biggest giveaway of whether you have a bad accent. Acoustically, the English /ɹ/ sound is completely different from the French R /ɾ/. Yet this is still the most common pronunciation error that English speakers make. Persist in saying the English ‘r’ in your French, and you will NEVER achieve French fluency.

How to Make French ‘R’ Sounds

As a French learner, you may have a strong tendency as an English speaker to replace the French uvular consonants with the English /ɹ/ sound. These uvular sounds are not only non-existent in English, they are also the most common speech sound in the language. With French pronunciation, doing this is perhaps the biggest giveaway of whether you have a bad accent. Acoustically, the English /ɹ/ sound is completely different from the French Uvular consonants. Yet this is still the most common pronunciation error that English speakers make.

The uvula is the dangly thingy at the back of your mouth (no need to get technical here). You were probably fascinated by it as a child, and wondered if it served any other purpose than to wiggle whenever grown-ups snored. You articulate the French ‘r’ sounds at the Uvula. You make these sounds by raising the back-most part of the tongue UP to the uvula to restrict air flow. Even though the sound is called “uvular,” your tongue is actually the only active agent. Your real goal in reaching native-sounding French pronunciation is to build an awareness of the back-most part of your tongue and learn how to adjust it so that it comes in contact with the uvula.

In the audio file below I repeat the two velar sounds in English – /k/ and /g/. To create these sounds, you first raise the back of the tongue up to the velum and block air to build up pressure. Then you lower your tongue and release the pressure in a burst of air. The difference between /k/ and /g/ is that for one you are also vibrating your vocal chords.

Now that you have a basic idea of where the uvular lives, you just have to spend some time fooling around until you can pinpoint it in your own speech.  In the audio files below, I articulate all three of the uvular sounds relevant to French. Listen closely and try your best to mimic. Do not worry about getting the sound for now.

While feeling these sounds out, be sure to:

• Keep the front/middle of your tongue (what you can see in a mirror) completely relaxed at the bottom of your mouth.
• Keep the tip of your tongue resting against the back of your lower teeth/gumline.
• Do NOT pull your tongue back.
• Do NOT do any excess movements with your lips or tongue (make the uvular consonant in a single movement).

Differentiation

In French, there exists multiple versions of the uvular consonant even though they are all represented by the same letter “r.”

You are most likely to hear this in combination with one of the other voiceless consonants. Listen closely to the audio file below and try to mimic me as I articulate the following syllables: fχa….tχa….kχa….pχa.

Just like its voiceless brother, the voiced uvular fricative /ʁ/ always occurs in combination with other voiced consonants. You may have a tendency to do a voiceless /χ/ in these combos. Listen to the audio and try to mimic as I articulate: vʁa…dʁa…gʁa…bʁa.

The third sound is the voiced uvular approximant. Take the /w/ sound from the word “why.” This is an approximant sound because you bring your lips together, but not all the way. A bit further and you would have a /b/ or /p/ sound. So, a uvular approximant /ʁ*/ is when the back of your tongue moves close enough to the uvula but doesn’t touch it. The resulting sound is a softer version previous consonant /ʁ/.

The distinction you will struggle with most is between the voiced and voiceless fricative sounds. In the audio below, I alternate between these two sounds in isolation and in real French words. Listen and try to spot the differences.

Hopefully now you have a basic feel for the uvular consonant. Don’t worry if you were unable to do it on your first try. Like I said before, your motor skills take exposure and practice to develop. Just make sure to refer to this page whenever you are stuck.

As your familiarity with French sounds and the uvular consonants grow, you’ll eventually find it become automatic to reproduce these sounds when you speak French!

This covers all of the consonant letters in the French alphabet. As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, we need to ultimately look behind the letters on paper and figure out the actual sound they represent. Use the chart below to see how these sounds appear in both English and French speech.

French Intonation

How intonation works.

Intonation in French pronunciation has to do with the emphasis or stress of some syllables or words over others. If we keep the rhythm and phonemes the same for a phrase, a change in intonation will result in a change in meaning.

In the English phrase, “Great, we’re having steak for dinner again” I seem to be expressing a genuine feeling of excitement, but with a different tone it seems sarcastic and perhaps suggestive of the exact opposite meaning .

Most language programs focus exclusively on vocabulary and grammar and completely overlook the question of intonation. As a result, most language-learners maintain their native intonation patterns when speaking a foreign language.

Intonation is the most characteristic element of an accent . That’s why when people make fun of accents, they tend to exaggerate the intonation more than anything else.

I know many adults are embarrassed about speaking with a foreign intonation. Our personalities are closely linked to the intonation patterns of our voice, so completely changing them requires stepping out of our comfort zone.  You might feel “silly” stepping our of your comfort zone and sounding like someone else, but trust that you will look even sillier if you don’t.

French Intonation Patterns

The basic unit of French rhythm is by syllable. When compared to the English language, French has a more distinct sound and a flat intonation. The stress is mostly even except for the last syllable which is given a tad bit more of an emphasis. In general, the syllables in any sentence or phrase run together in a continuous unaccented stream until they reach the end and the final syllable is stressed because it is followed by a pause.

In any case one should try to produce a smooth flow of syllables when pronouncing French, and not to over-accentuate any words in the middle of a phrase.

Notice the difference in the stress between these two words: In English: im-POR-tant, while in French: ang–por-tahng.

French Pronunciation: The Conclusion

Becoming aware of the nuances of how to sound more like a native speaker is the first step towards fluency and flawless french pronunciation. And that prompts the question: Why do you want to learn French in the first place?

At The Mimic Method , we teach that the goal of learning a language is to connect with people and cultures. So that’s why we make the first step to learning a language about learning what the people actually sound like so you can sound like them, too.

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'Europe could die,' France's Macron says as he calls for stronger defense and economic reform

French President Emmanuel Macron appealed on Thursday for stronger, more integrated European defenses and said the continent must not become a vassal of the United States, as he outlined his vision for a more assertive European Union on the global stage.

With just three years left of his second and final term in office, and after losing his parliamentary majority in 2022, Macron, 46, wants to show his critics that he retains the energy and fresh thinking that helped propel him into the presidency in 2017 and that he has not become a lame duck leader.

“There is a risk our Europe could die. We are not equipped to face the risks,” Macron said in his speech at the Sorbonne University in Paris, warning that military, economic and other pressures could weaken and fragment the 27-nation E.U.

Macron said Russia must not be allowed to win in Ukraine , and he called for a boost in Europe’s cybersecurity capacity, closer defense ties with post-Brexit Britain , and the creation of a European academy to train high-ranking military personnel.

“There is no defense without a defense industry ... we’ve had decades of under-investment,” he said, adding that Europeans should give preference to buying European military equipment.

“We must produce more, we must produce faster, and we must produce as Europeans,” Macron said.

Europe “must show that it is never a vassal of the United States and that it also knows how to talk to all the other regions of the world”, he said.

Macron has long called for European “strategic autonomy” involving less reliance on the United States, a stance that has gained greater resonance in the face of former President Donald Trump’s renewed bid for the White House . Trump has often accused Europe of free loading on defense at the United States’ expense.

However, many E.U. officials believe there is currently no credible alternative to the U.S. military umbrella, and some suspect Macron of pushing French industrial interests.

Economic challenges

Macron said Europe also risks falling behind economically in a context where global free-trade rules are being challenged by major competitors, and he said it should aim to become a global leader in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, space, biotechnologies and renewable energy.

The E.U. should agree exemptions to its own competition rules so it can support firms in sectors such as AI and green energy in the face of “oversubsidies” by the United States and China , Macron said.

Europe needs less fragmented markets for energy, telecoms and financial services, and must also cut red tape, he added.

The French leader hopes his speech will have the same impact as a similar address at the Sorbonne he made seven years ago that prefigured some significant E.U. policy shifts.

Since then, much has changed, with major geopolitical challenges including the war in Gaza , Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and growing China-U.S. tensions.

Thursday’s speech was billed by Macron’s advisers as France’s contribution to the E.U.’s strategic agenda for the next five years. The agenda is due to be decided after the European elections, when E.U. leaders will haggle over the bloc’s top jobs.

Macron has seen his personal popularity tumble, while his centrist Renaissance party is trailing the far-right Rassemblement National (RN) in polls ahead of the June 6-9 European Parliament elections.

Another challenge for Macron is that in the European Parliament, his group, Renew, is now the third-biggest but could fall to fourth place, opinion polls show, which would further limit his influence.

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33 French Conversational Connectors For Smooth Spoken French

As you learn French and begin using longer sentences to express your ideas, you need to know the connectors in French that allow everything to flow together.

Connectors will turn disjointed phrases into joined up sentences, making your French sound more smooth, natural and fluent.

Let’s have a look at an example in English first:

Yesterday, I went for a walk in the park. I arrived at the park. It started raining. I didn’t have an umbrella. I was starting to feel hungry. I decided to take the bus home. I had wasted my day off. It’s always a bad idea to go out without an umbrella in spring. It serves me right.

Compare that with:

Yesterday, I went for a walk in the park. However , when I arrived at the park, it started raining, and unfortunately, I didn’t have an umbrella. Furthermore, I was starting to feel hungry, so I decided to take the bus home instead – but I had wasted my day off. In fact , it’s always a bad idea to go out in spring without an umbrella, so I guess it serves me right.

Which one sounds more natural? Of course it’s the second one. Why? Thanks to the connectors! 

So, to help you out and save you a bit of time, here’s my list of the most important French conversational connectors to get you started.

By the way, if sounding more fluent in French fast is one of your goals, I recommend French Uncovered, which teaches you through StoryLearning®.  Click here  to find out more and try out the method for free.

33 French Conversational Connectors

These are some of the very first words you will learn in French and are essential when forming even the simplest joined-up sentences.

Most of these words work just like their English counterparts.

#1 Et – And

• Example: Je ne veux pas y aller et c’est tout ! – I don’t want to go and that’s that!

#2 Mais – But

• Example: Je ne veux pas y aller, mais tu peux me convaincre – I don’t want to go, but you can convince me

#3 Parce que – Because

• Example: Je ne veux pas y aller parce que ça m’ennuie – I don’t want to go because it bores me

#4 Peut-être – Perhaps, Maybe

• Example: Peut-être qu'on peut y aller après-demain – Perhaps we can go the day after tomorrow

#5 Comme – As, Since

This word in French has several meanings, including “like” (as in “similar”) and “as” (“he’s dressed as a monk”). But here, as a connector, it means “as” or “since”, a meaning that is close to “because”.

• Example: Comme ça m’ennuie, je ne veux pas y aller – Since it bores me, I don’t want to go

#6 Donc – Therefore

This is a useful word and is very common – it’s slightly more formal than alors , which we’ll come to in a moment.

• Example: Je n’ai pas d’argent donc je ne veux pas y aller – I don’t have any money, therefore I don’t want to go
• Example: Je pense donc je suis – I think therefore I am

It's also used in the following expression:

• Example: Quoi donc ? – What then?

Multipurpose Connectors In French To Sound Like A Native

Here are a couple of words that are super-common in French and that have lots of meanings.

Learning how to use them correctly can help make your French sound much more natural. And because they have so many uses, they’re extremely useful words to know.

In fact, I could probably write a whole post just about number 7. But I'll just give you an overview for now!

#7 Alors – So, Then, Therefore

This is a word that can seemingly be made to mean almost anything.

But its primary sense is “so” or “therefore”. It’s often used instead of donc and sounds less formal – the difference between the two is similar to the difference between “so” and “therefore” in English.

Note that when it isn’t being used to connect two parts of a sentence, alors can be placed at the beginning or end of what you say.

In English, we use “so” at the start of the sentence or replace it with “then” – which can go at the start or at the end. See the third example below to see how this works.

• Je n’ai pas d’argent alors je ne veux pas y aller – I don’t have any money, so I don’t want to go
• Je ne le voulais pas alors pourquoi tu l’as acheté ? – I didn’t want it so why did you buy it?
• Alors pourquoi tu l’as acheté?/Pourquoi tu l’as acheté alors ? – So/then why did you buy it?/Why did you buy it then?

Alors can also be used when in English you might say “so” or “well”. And just like in English, it has the full range of nuances, depending on how and when you say it.

Here are just a couple of examples:

• Alors ? – So? Well? (with a rising, questioning intonation – could mean “what do you want?” “how did it go?” “did you find it?” etc. depending on the context)
• Alors ! – Well then! (with a falling intonation, kind of like “I told you so!”)
• Bah alors ! – Well then! There, there! (depending on how you say it, it could mean anything from “well what did you expect?” or “serves you right” to “there, there” said to comfort someone!)

#8 Quand Même – All The Same, Anyway

I remember hearing this expression a lot when I was first learning French. Then – and when I finally worked out how to use it myself, I felt that my French had suddenly made a big jump forward.

It’s such a typically French expression that’s more than just another vocabulary item. And sometimes its meaning defies translation.

The basic sense is something like “all the same”. But you'll hear it used in all kinds of situations with varying nuances. Check out these examples:

• Je ne veux pas y aller mais je vais y aller quand même – I don’t want to go but I will go all the same (the meaning is close to “anyway” – I will go even though I don’t want to)
• Il est quand même un bon jouer – He’s a good player all the same (perhaps some doubt has been expressed about the player’s abilities and the speaker accepts the point but wants to stress that he’s still a good player – ‘yes, sometimes he’s lazy, but he’s a good player all the same’)
• C’est cher mais c’est bon quand même ! – It’s expensive, but it’s good though! (here, the idea being expressed is that although the food is expensive, it’s very good so it’s worth the money)

Quand même can also be used alone as a kind of exclamation to express the idea that something is impressive or considerable.

• Example: C’était combien ? 1.300€. Quand même ! – How much was it? €1,300. Wow, not exactly cheap! (the meaning is that the price is quite considerable – try to imagine it being said with a Gallic rise of the eyebrows, a slight tilt of the head, a little exhalation and a facial “shrug”!)

Other Useful Connectors In French

Most of these words are similar to the English equivalents.

#9 Pourtant – Yet, Still

Similar to “yet” or “still” in English.

• Example: Il est pourtant venu – Yet he came/he still came/yet he still came
• Example: Et pourtant, il est quand même venu – And yet he still came

#10 Cepandant – However

• Example: Il est beau. Cepandant je le trouve très bête – He’s handsome. However, I find him very stupid

#11 (Tout) D’abord – First (Of All)

• Example: D’abord, je vais chercher mon manteau – First, I’m going to fetch my coat

#12 En Général – In General

• Example: En général, ils sont tous comme ça – In general, they’re all like that

#13 En fait – In fact, Actually

Also, see actuellement in the “False Friends” section at the end.

• Example: En fait, je préfère la bière – In fact, I prefer beer

#14 Quant à – As For, Concerning

• Example: Quant à mes amis, ils préfèrent le vin – As for my friends, they prefer wine

#15 D’ailleurs – Moreover, Furthermore

• Example: Non, je ne l’ai pas invité. Et d’ailleurs, je lui ai dit de ne pas venir – No, I didn’t invite him. And moreover, I told him not to come

#16 Au Contraire – On The Contrary

• Example: Au contraire, ce n’est pas du tout ce que je voulais dire – On the contrary, that’s not what I meant at all

#17 Malgré – Despite

• Example: Malgré tout, elle l’aime toujours – Despite everything, she still loves him

#18 Sinon – Otherwise

• Example: Tu lui diras. Sinon il va oublier – Tell him. Otherwise he’ll forget

#19 Dès Que – As Soon As

• Example: On va partir dès qu’il arrive – We’ll leave as soon as he arrives

#20 Quoique – Whatever

This expression is always followed by a subjunctive verb in French .

• Example: Il ne me croit pas, quoique je dise – He doesn’t believe me, whatever I say

#21 Sans Doute – Without

• Example: Sans doute, c’est pour ça – Without doubt, that’s why

#22 Par Contre – On The Other Hand

• Example: S’il fait beau, j’irai. Par contre, s’il pleut, je reste ici – If the weather is good, I’ll go. On the other hand, if it rains, I’ll stay here

#23 En Plus – Furthermore, Additionally, As Well

• Example: Il a volé mon portefeille, et en plus, il m’a insulté ! – He stole my wallet, and furthermore, he insulted me!

#24 Surtout – Above All

• Example: Et surtout, il ne faut pas le dire à personne ! – And above all, you mustn’t tell it to anyone!

#25 De Toute Façon – Anyway

• Example: De toute façon, je vais lui dire – I’m going to tell him anyway

Connectors In French For Expressing Your Opinion

These are words and phrases for when you need to express your opinion.

#26 Je Pense Que… – I Think That…

• Example: Je pense que tu as tort – I think you’re wrong

#27 À Mon Avis – In My Opinion

• Example: À mon avis, ce n’est pas le cas – In my opinion, that’s not the case

#28 Pour Moi – For Me

• Example: Pour moi, ce n’est pas la peine – For me, it’s not worth it

#29 Selon – According To

• Example: Selon mon professeur, ça se dit comme ça – According to my teacher, that’s how it’s said

Connectors In French: False Friend Alert!

To finish, here are a couple of connecting words that many English speakers get wrong – as do many French speakers when they use the English versions.

#31 and #32 are slightly different from English and are easy to confuse. The last is one of the most notorious false friends in the French language.

#30 En Effet – Indeed, Actually

This doesn’t quite mean ‘in effect’. It’s closer to ‘indeed’ or ‘actually’.

• Example: En effet, c’est tout à fait vrai ! – Indeed, it’s completely true!

#31 Finalement – In The End, After All

Be careful here – finalement doesn’t mean “finally” as in “he’s finally arrived”. The true meaning is “in the end” and is used, for example, when the final outcome is not what you expected.

• Example: Ah ! Alors finalement tu as décidé de venir ! – Ah! So you decided to come in the end!

#32 Enfin – Finally, At Last, At Least

If you want to say “finally”, the correct word is enfin – it expresses the idea that something you have been waiting for has finally happened.

• Example: Il a enfin réussi à vendre sa maison ! – He’s finally managed to sell his house!

It also has another meaning that is similar to “at least” in English.

• Example: Il a vendu sa maison. Enfin, c’est ce que j’ai entendu – He sold his house. At least, that’s what I heard

#33 Actuellement – At The Moment, Currently, Right Now

Actuellement DOES NOT mean “actually”! If you want to express “actually”, the closest French expression is en fait (in fact).

Actuellement means “currently” or “at the moment”, and this is why sometimes French people will say things like “I’m busy actually” – they really mean “I’m busy right now”.

• Example: Je ne suis pas disponible actuellement – I’m not available right now/currently

Connectors In French: A Quick Way To Improve Your French

Many of these words are invaluable since they can help you express yourself much more clearly and accurately.

Plus, there are no complicated grammar rules to learn. You can sound more natural and fluent with minimal effort.

En plus , by incorporating them into your active French vocabulary, you can make yourself sound much more like a native speaker.

Et finalement , that’s the goal that everyone is hoping to achieve!

This list is a great start point. But now it's over to you. As you read French and listen to French , notice these connectors. Observe how native people use them in their conversations. How do they pronounce them? Where and when do they use them.

This is great preparation for using them in your conversations with French speakers.

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8 Online French Pronunciation Tools to Perfect Your Accent

How  eez your French accent?

French is a notoriously difficult language for newbies to pronounce.

We’re here to help you fine-tune your accent and build strong pronunciation skills , no matter what French proficiency level you’re at.

Check out these eight online French pronunciation resources, with exercises for perfect pronunciation practice anytime, anywhere.

1. The Mimic Method

3. decode french, 4. le point du fle, 5. (how to) pronounce, 6. frenchpod101, 8. français interactif.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

In order to make yourself understood by real life French speakers across the francophone world, pronunciation is key. Indeed, incorrect pronunciation of a word—when you put the wrong emphasis on the wrong syllable , for example—can entirely confuse the other person (or provide them with a hearty, deep belly laugh!).

This list of online resources will help you perfect your French pronunciation. Before you know it, your French speech will be as smooth as butter and as sweet as honey. If you are in doubt, refresh yourself with these French pronunciation pointers . And when you’re ready to score some more A+ material, explore this blog post for apps that hone in on mastering French pronunciation.

When your phonetics are on point , you’ll feel confident and ready to strut your French stuff. 

You with me? Let’s go!

This thorough and innovative site created by Idahosa Ness (who, by the way, has learned six languages!) offers a way to speak French with a good accent. His approach prioritizes mimicry, which means you’ll hear and pronounce words first . Your ears, mouth and brain will be physically prepared to learn French quickly and naturally.

The Mimic Method uses musical techniques so that you’ll learn by ear rather than by sight. The mimic method takes seriously the idea that language is rooted in sound so there’s less of a focus on writing and more of a focus on learning words by hearing them. You’ll internalize grammar rules and patterns by habituating your ear to them, and refine your communication chops through conversation (and getting used to the sound of your voice in French).

Basically, this is how children learn languages. While it’s useful for anyone, this approach is great for younger beginners because it allows you to achieve conversational fluency before learning to read or write in the language.

Neat, right? Check out the detailed explanation of how it works here .

FluentU is an immersive language program that strives to help you improve your pronunciation by exposing you to authentic French videos like movie clips and music videos.

As you’re watching, you can hover your mouse over any word in the captions to see an in-context definition, a memorable picture and brief grammar information. Or, click on it to see an audio pronunciation and further examples of this word used in sentences and other videos.

From here, you can add the word to your flashcard deck to study later through personalized quizzes. These exercises include audio pronunciations as well as speaking questions, where you can speak your answer to practice your pronunciation.

This interactive site allows you to work on your French accent at your own pace with its wide array of exercises. It focuses on very specific French sounds and syllables so you can build your skills from the ground up.

There’s even a feature to  compare your pronunciation to native speakers using a voice recording application.

There are many voices in the French-speaking world, so another awesome thing about this site is that it lets you hear the variations in different francophone accents. This makes it a great site for those who are interested in traveling to parts of the francophone world beyond  l’hexagone  (the hexagon, the nickname for mainland France ).

This site contains thousands of links for teaching and learning French. Suitable for adults and young children alike, this is a comprehensive site for those starting from scratch .

You’ll find a whole section dedicated to pronunciation and phonetics , with guides to specific sounds, interactive exercises and more.

There’s also a vast array of audio dialogue recordings . They’re in the standard Parisian French accent , which is usually what those beginning their French learning adventure start with.

I love a good app. With this app for iOS you can easily check the pronunciation of a word or phrase and memorize it .

All you have to do is type in a word or phrase of your choosing and you’ll hear how a French native speaker would say the word. You can adjust the speed of the audio for intensive listening.

This app is especially a keeper thanks to the feature that allows you to  make a list of important or difficult words . 

FrenchPod101 is a popular language program with hundreds of audio and video lessons. It’s great for busy people who want to squeeze in some French practice on-the-go.

The hosts are language experts whose mission is to make French learning interesting and culturally relevant. So don’t expect dry, textbook-style lessons here.

You’ll get to hear and imitate French native speakers throughout the program, but there are also lots of lessons designed to improve your pronunciation of specific sounds.

Plus, there are vocabulary flashcards, PDF notes and even an online community where you can meet other language learners.

On Forvo, people can share pronunciations of words in their native language and listen to words pronounced by other speakers of other languages. Its mission is to improve spoken communication across cultures.

Today, Forvo touts itself as the largest pronunciation guide in the world, the place where you’ll find tons of words pronounced in French (as well as several other languages!) arranged by category. You can also easily search for specific words you’re having trouble with.

The site also contains an impressive compilation of travel phrases . It’s a great site for French learners of all levels, especially those who are learning on their own or those who don’t have access to native French speakers with whom to verify pronunciation quandaries.

Here’s   an incredible free stockpile of French language learning material. There are hundreds of videos, online lessons and exercises with answers, among many other tools.

For the purpose of pronunciation practice, there are interviews with French native speakers  as well as scenes of day-to-day interactions in France . The course material is based on the real experiences of University of Texas students who participated in the UT Summer Program in Lyon, France. So this is a great way to habituate your ear to the Lyonnaise accent .

This is an especially great site for high school and university students, especially those who are preparing to study abroad or participate in a language exchange.

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Translate Text and Listen Voice

French text-to-speech service, text to speech translator.

French text to speech

Language code: fr-FR

Use French ai voices for text-to-speech.

French is a rich language spoken widely in countries like France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Canada. It's globally recognized for its unique charm and phonetic intricacies. SpeechGen understands the depth and beauty of French and aims to convert written content into authentic speech.

The pronunciation features in French are distinct. The language contains nasal vowels, a variety of consonant combinations, and specific rhythmic patterns. Additionally, French grammar and sentence structures add to the language's uniqueness. All these factors influence how text gets converted into speech.

Language features

• Official language of 29 countries of the world: France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, some African countries and others
• 321 million people speak French, 80 million native speakers
• One of the official languages of the UN and UNESCO
• The second most popular language to learn in the world

How to Use:

• Input Text: Simply copy and paste your desired French text into the provided text box.
• Choose Voice: Select your preferred French Voice.
• Adjust Speech Parameters: Customize the audio output by modifying the pitch anf speed.
• Convert Text to Speech: Click on the big blue button to initiate the text-to-speech conversion process.
• Download Audio: Once the conversion is complete, download the resulting audio file in your preferred format (.mp3 or .wav).

Video: Neural Network Synthesizes French Voices

Applications.

• Language Learning: Improve your French listening and pronunciation skills by converting texts to audio for practice.
• Content Creation: Generate audio versions of your written content, such as blog posts or articles, to cater to a broader audience.
• E-Learning: Create engaging learning materials, such as audiobooks, podcasts, or educational videos, by incorporating high-quality French audio.
• Multitasking: Convert news articles, research papers, or other written content to audio for convenient consumption while commuting, exercising, or performing other tasks.

Get started today and experience the power of our French Text to Speech tool, designed to make your life easier while providing a high-quality, customizable audio experience.

Other Accents

• Walloon Belgian

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Free French Text to Speech & AI Voice Generator

How to create french text to speech, find a voice, select the model, enter text & adjust settings, generate audio.

Sophisticated French Eloquence

Contextual awareness, natural pauses, broad spectrum of voices, customizable accents, tone and emotional control, french ai voice applications, storytelling and audiobooks, marketing and branding, educational content, voice assistants and ivr, hear from our french users.

The voices are really amazing and very natural sounding. Even the voices for other languages are impressive. This allows us to do things with our educational content that would not have been possible in the past.

It's amazing to see that text to speech became that good. Write your text, select a voice and receive stunning and near-perfect results! Regenerating results will also give you different results (depending on the settings). The service supports 30+ languages, including Dutch (which is very rare). ElevenLabs has proved that it isn't impossible to have near-perfect text-to-speech 'Dutch'...

We use the tool daily for our content creation. Cloning our voices was incredibly simple. It's an easy-to-navigate platform that delivers exceptionally high quality. Voice cloning is just a matter of uploading an audio file, and you're ready to use the voice. We also build apps where we utilize the API from ElevenLabs; the API is very simple for developers to use. So, if you need a...

As an author I have written numerous books but have been limited by my inability to write them in other languages period now that I have found 11 labs, it has allowed me to create my own voice so that when writing them in different languages it's not someone else's voice but my own. That's certainly lends a level of authenticity that no other narrator can provide me.

ElevenLabs came to my notice from some Youtube videos that complained how this app was used to clone the US presidents voice. Apparently the app did its job very well. And that is the best thing about ElevenLabs. It does its job well. Converting text to speech is done very accurately. If you choose one of the 100s of voices available in the app, the quality of the output is superior to all...

Absolutely loving ElevenLabs for their spot-on voice generations! 🎉 Their pronunciation of Bahasa Indonesia is just fantastic - so natural and precise. It's been a game-changer for making tech and communication feel more authentic and easy. Big thumbs up! 👍

I have found ElevenLabs extremely useful in helping me create an audio book utilizing a clone of my own voice. The clone was super easy to create using audio clips from a previous audio book I recorded. And, I feel as though my cloned voice is pretty similar to my own. Using ElevenLabs has been a lot easier than sitting in front of a boom mic for hours on end. Bravo for a great AI product!

The variety of voices and the realness that expresses everything that is asked of it

I like that ElevenLabs uses cutting-edge AI and deep learning to create incredibly natural-sounding speech synthesis and text-to-speech. The voices generated are lifelike and emotive.

French AI Voice Generator

Engaging and relatable, versatile applications, high-quality audio, easy to use, cost-effective, consistency, frequently asked questions, what sets elevenlabs' french text to speech (tts) apart from conventional tts services.

Eleven Multilingual offers more than a basic text-to-speech service. It uses advanced AI and deep learning to create clear, emotionally engaging speech. It doesn't just translate words; it also captures the subtle aspects of language, like local accents and cultural context, making your content more relatable to a wide range of audiences.

Can I clone my voice to speak in multiple languages?

Yes! Our Professional Voice Cloning technology seamlessly integrates with Eleven Multilingual. Once you've created a digital replica of your voice, that voice can articulate content in all languages supported by our model. The beauty of this integration is that your voice retains its unique characteristics and accent, effectively letting you 'speak' languages you might not know, all while sounding just like you.

Can the French handle different regional accents?

Yes, our TTS technology can adapt to various regional French accents, providing flexibility for your content.

How much does it cost to use ElevenLabs' French text to speech?

Our pricing is based on the number of characters you generate. You can generate 10,000 characters for free every month. Find out more in our pricing page.

What is French text to speech?

Text to speech (TTS) is a technology that converts text into spoken audio. It's used to create voiceovers for a variety of content, including videos, audiobooks, and podcasts.

What is the best French text to speech online?

ElevenLabs offers the best French text to speech (TTS) online. Our AI-powered technology ensures clear, high-quality audio that's engaging and relatable. We are rated 4.8/5 on G2 and have millions of happy customers.

• French AI Voice Generator

Speechify French AI Voice Generator uses advanced AI text to speech technology, which allows video creators, podcasters, narrators, gaming developers, business professionals, and more to create lifelike generative French AI voice overs, saving time and money.

French Al Voice Generator is perfect for beginner content creators and pros alike.

Tapez ou collez quelque chose pour le convertir en parole...

Select Voice

• Recommended

Choose from 40+ languages

And 100+ high quality Al voices

Create a free account to continue.

• Convert any text into audio
• 50+ premium voices
• Added layer of security for your documents
• Save your files
• Faster listening speeds (1.1x & above)
• No limits or ads

Paste Web Link

Paste a web address link to get the contents of a webpage

• AI Voice Generator – Jan 24

Amazing French AI Voice Generator Examples

Create anything from chatbots & IVR messages to training videos, podcasts, documentaries and more.

What is Speech synthesis

The leafy forest

Booking confirmation details

Documentary

The roar of the Bengal tiger

Eldoria: The final quest.

Directory message

Cosmic Mysteries

Classic Ratatouille

TikTok for Business

The making of olive oil

Hire one, or all our French AI Voice Actors, for no extra cost

Fine tune our French text to speech voices, edit emotion, tone, speed, and more to get exactly what you need.

American English

British English

Natalie 5.0

Lifelike generative French AI voice overs

Speechify French AI Voice Generator offers natural-sounding French voices for a wide range of use cases, including audiobooks, promo videos, explainer videos, e-learning content, podcasts, and so much more. Here are just a few examples of how you can use Speechify French AI Voice Generator.

Realistic French AI voice generator

French AI Voice Over converts any text in natural sounding French and 50 other languages.

Maximize your productivity

Import scripts with one click and everything is perfectly formatted.

Share & Export

Share your project with your team with a share link. Export in multiple formats.

Scale Up Your French Voice Overs with the Best French AI Voice Over Generator

Watch your script come alive with text to speech. Content creators, you’re welcome.

Zero Learning Curve

Speechify French AI Voice Over Generator works right in your browser. With an easy to use interface, anyone can create a voice over in minutes.

When you need the help, access our video library for short tips and tricks.

Create French AI Voice Overs Instantly

Our French AI Voice Generator uses Artificial Intelligence technology to generate your voice overs instantly and you can fine tune the voice to get exactly what you need.

The most natural-sounding French voices

Our French voice actors sound more fluid and human-like than any other TTS AI reader so you can understand and remember more.

How French AI Voice Over Generator works

Using Speechify French Voice Over Generator is a breeze. It takes only a few minutes and you’ll be turning any text into natural-sounding Voice Over audio.

• Type in the French text you’d like to hear spoken
• Select a voice & listening speed
• Press “Generate”

$10B Public Company uses Speechify AI Voice Over for Earnings Call

On Feb 28, 2023, Endeavor (NYSE: EDR) made history by delivering its annual earnings call using an AI voice over from Speechify.

The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) uses Speechify Voice Over to create a video for its Digital Acceleration Campaign, partnering with the UN.

A more sustainable and more inclusive future for all is on the horizon, thanks to recent advances in digital technology.

See Sample Voice Overs

See samples of natural-sounding ai generated voices that sound just like human voices. The use cases are plenty and range from AI political ads, explainer videos, eLearning, podcasts, and even audiobooks you’ve authored and download the audio file in high quality lossless formats.

AI Political Ads

Create AI driven political ads in minutes and get your message out quickly. Even your interns can do this.

Product Launches

Voice overs that are ready for the big stage and the spotlight. Engage the world with beautiful presentations.

Turn any book you’ve written into an audiobook. Dust off those drafts and bring your stories to life. 

Frequently asked questions

Everything to know about AI Voice Generator

Can I try Speechify French AI voice generator for free?

Yes, Speechify French AI Voice Generator offers a free plan, so you can try it before you commit to a premium plan.

What other languages does Speechify AI voice generator support?

Speechify AI Voice Generator supports over 100 languages, including English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, Arabic, Hindi, Tamil, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Ukrainian, and more.

What is an AI voice?

An AI voice refers to a synthesized or generated vocal output produced by artificial intelligence algorithms in the form of French AI voice generator characters, simulating human-like speech patterns for various applications such as virtual assistants, narration, and voice overs.

What is an AI French voice generator?

An AI French voice generator, such as Speechify AI voice generator text to speech, is a technology that utilizes artificial intelligence algorithms to convert text into realistic and natural-sounding human-like speech.

Which is the best French AI voice generator?

There are many top quality French AI voice generators in the market these days and the quality of the voices are more or less on the same quality level. So, choosing the best AI voice generator by just the quality of voices is not the best way to go about it. The best way to look at it is by evaluating the company, the feature set, the roadmap, how quickly they are iterating, the pricing, and the customer support. If you look at all these aspects, Speechify is the best French AI voice generator in the market. If you search for “ai voice generator free” you’ll see quite a few options, but Speechify is the leader in this industry.

Is there a free French AI voice generator?

Yes. Speechify is the best free French AI voice generator. Just create an account and begin using our premium AI voice studio for free!

What is the French AI voice generator everyone is using?

The top Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, content creators, and influencers use Speechify AI Voice Studio.

Can I make an AI version of my own voice in French?

Yes you can, with Speechify voice studio you get more than just voice overs, you can clone your own voice and then use your voice for French AI voice overs. Our AI Dubbing & Cloning products integrate seamlessly with our Voiceover product. There is even an AI voice generator Spongebob tool somewhere out there. While Speechify does not provide this functionality, it goes to show you how versatile this technology is.

Is Speechify voice over different from the text to speech reader?

Yes, Speechify French Voice Over is different from Speechify Text to Speech Reader and they’re two different subscriptions. Speechify’s Text to Speech Reader is an app that reads any text aloud in a natural-sounding voice and can be used to read books, articles, PDFs, emails—whatever you’re reading. Voice Over allows users to create high-quality, human-sounding voice overs for their own content, such as podcasts, videos and audiobooks. Voice Over provides a variety of professional voice actors and offers advanced editing and customization features to help users create the perfect voice over for their content.

What’s the ROI of Speechify French AI voice generator?

French Voice actors regularly cost $200+ for just a minute of audio. Speechify can easily save any business $10,000+ per month. The Speechify Voice Over will also improve the quality and impact of your audio content, which leads to better engagement with your target audience and increased revenue opportunities.

How long can I use the free plan?

As long as you want and it has full functionality. This free plan is designed to give users a taste of our product’s capabilities and to help them decide if they want to upgrade to a paid plan. Once you’re ready to start sharing what you’ve built with the outside world and you need to download your work to an mp3, you can upgrade your plan to Voice Over Pro or reach out to our sales team for enterprise pricing.

Do I have commercial rights with Speechify AI voice over?

Yes! Speechify Voice Over is meant for creators, businesses, and anyone who wants to put their content out into the world. With Voice Over you own the audio output and commercial rights in perpetuity to use for your own projects.

Speechify Studio Pricing

Get our entire suite of AI studio products bundled into one transparent price.

Pricing Plans

Simple way to get started

$0 per month forever

• No Downloads
• AI Voice Over
• Video, Slide, and Image support
• Try all 200+ voices
• All 20+ languages & accents
• Support adding pauses
• 10 minutes of voice generation
• Support adjusting pronunciation
• Support uploading of .txt, .docx, .srt scripts, as well as Youtube URLs

The basics for individuals

$69 per month / user

Everything in Free

• Download as video, audio, or text
• Video and audio Dubbing
• Video and audio Transcription
• 50 hours of voice generation per user/year
• 12 hours of Dubbing per user/year
• 50 hours of Transcription per user/year
• Commercial usage rights
• 8000+ licensed soundtracks
• Thousands of Stock Images & Videos

MOST POPULAR

Professional

For professionals and teams

$99 per month / user

Everything in Basic

• Voice Cloning
• 100 hours of voice generation per user/year
• 36 hours of Dubbing per user/year
• 100 hours Video and Audio Transcription
• 1 hour of AI Avatar Video/year

Customizable capability based on your business needs

Everything in Professional

• Multiple seats
• 1,000+ hours of voice generation per user/year
• 500+ hours of Dubbing per user/year
• 1,000+ hours Video and Audio Transcription
• 20+ hours of AI Avatar Video/year
• White Glove Procurement Assistance
• Dedicated Customer Success Manager
• Share, Editing, Commenting & Enterprise Collaboration Features
• Custom Invoices
• SOC2 Compliant
• Company-wide on-boarding & Training

AI voice generator use cases

French social media marketing.

Create or edit TikToks, Instagram Reels, posts, YouTube videos or YouTube Shorts. No more waiting for a video editor to create your video. Get your message out early and get quick results. Video content creation is a breeze and works right in your browser.

French Audiobook and E-Learning Narration

French AI voice overs are used to narrate audiobooks you’ve authored and e-learning modules, providing a cost-effective and efficient alternative to human narrators. They offer consistent voice quality and can easily adapt to different genres or educational content. Quickly convert text to audio with lifelike custom voices, even your own voice, with our built in voice cloning feature with real-time previews.

Customer Service and Virtual Assistants

In customer service, French AI voice overs power virtual assistants and chatbots, offering a more natural and engaging interaction for users. They can handle routine queries, guide users through processes, and provide information 24/7 without human intervention.

French Video Game and Animation Character Voices

French AI voice overs can bring characters in video games and animated films to life. AI speech generators allow for a wide range of voices and can be easily modified to suit different characters, from fantasy creatures to realistic human characters.

Product Demos

Quickly create product demo videos and publish them to your site or social media. Gone are the days where creating a great demo took time. Now you can get your demo out there in minutes. Our text to speech technology offers high quality voices, even AI avatars to help explain your product features in an engaging manner.

Marketing and Advertising

In the marketing and advertising industry, AI voice overs are used for creating commercials, product videos, and promotional content. They offer flexibility in terms of voice styles and can be tailored to target specific demographics.

Accessibility Features for the Visually Impaired

French AI voice overs play a crucial role in making content accessible to visually impaired individuals. They can be used to read out text from websites, apps, and digital documents, enabling easier navigation and access to information for those with visual impairments.

Automated Customer Service and Call Routing in IVR Systems

French AI voice overs are increasingly employed in IVR systems used by businesses for automated customer service. These systems can handle a high volume of incoming calls, providing callers with clear, natural-sounding voice prompts. Best of all, you can create these messages in minutes!

Multilingual Voice overs

For those looking to scale their multilingual video or audio strategy, easily convert your script to over 50 languages. From Italian, and Japanese, to Hindi, Portuguese, or even Korean. Grow your global audience with human-like voices with inflections and emotion.

French AI Voice Over for Corporate Training Videos

Quickly create a library of training videos that are easily editable. Simply tweak the script and with our speech synthesis engine, you can generate a new training video in minutes. Choose from high quality voices that sound professional, even edit the voice to best match your brand.

Speechify AI Voice Over Generator online reviews

It’s so easy to control and to use with any podcast or project for school.

Incredible!

This is incredible! The quality of the voices you offer is unmatched compared to the other services I’ve been experimenting with.

This application and its features are amazing. I like how the voices sound less robotic, and how efficiently and quickly the voice overs can be edited and generated.

I love that the voice over recognizes punctuation and enunciates with such clarity.

Better than Murf

Way better than Murf! It actually sounds realistic.

Sound natural

Great voice over software overall. lots of customization for emphasis and making it sound more natural. It’s sounding not so robotic and more and more human to me.

Absolutely stunning

This is the best service I’ve used so far! Absolutely stunning.

This is so perfect. This is exactly what I was looking for. It contains all the features. Thank you so much. Truly appreciate it.

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French Text To Speech

Easily convert text to speech in Metropolitan French, and 90 more languages. Try our Metropolitan French text to speech free online. No registration required. Create Audio

Use our French text to speech voices to easily create voiceovers and narration for the Francophone market. Narakeet has the best French text to speech voices online. Turn French text to speech to MP3 files or MP4 videos online, or use Narakeet as a French text to speech converter for your articles and audiobooks.

Natural reader French TTS voices provided by Narakeet are lifelike, realistic, and based on AI technology to help you create amazing audio using French accent voice generators in minutes, much faster than recording the audio yourself. With French pronunciation generators in many regional accents, you can easily read French text out loud, and make French text to speech content such as French voice over for videos, text to speech French narration.

French pronunciation generator

Narakeet has 25 Metropolitan French text to speech male and female voices, and many more in other regional French variants . Play the video below (with sound) for a quick demo.

Text To Speech French Voices

In addition to these voices, Narakeet has 700 text-to-speech voices in 90 languages .

For more options (uploading Word documents, voice speed/volume controls, working with Powerpoint files or Markdown scripts), check out our Tools .

Additional French Text to Speech voices

For more regional French text-to-speech variants, check out the following pages:

• Canadian French text to speech voices
• Belgian French text to speech voices
• Swiss French text to speech voices

French accent generator

Turn French voice over scripts easily into audio files or video clips with Narakeet. Here are just some of the creative things you can make in minutes, without having to hire French voice talent.

• Text to speech Français language lessons
• French audiobooks with text
• Text to Speech French accent YouTube videos
• French TTS audio content
• Text to Speech French MP3 files
• French pronunciation text to speech MP4 videos
• Text to speech robot French audio files
• French accent text to speech video clips
• Text to speech French online explainer videos
• French pronunciation online text to speech
• Text reader French audio versions of blog posts
• TTS French audio files
• Text to voice French help files
• Read French text online while learning the language using a French accent voice generator
• Text to French speech dubbing
• French voice over scripts with a French narrator voice generator

Narakeet helps you create text to speech voiceovers , turn Powerpoint presentations and Markdown scripts into engaging videos. It is under active development, so things change frequently. Keep up to date: RSS , Slack , Twitter , YouTube , Facebook , Instagram , TikTok

French translation of 'speech'

Browse Collins English collocations speech

Video: pronunciation of speech.

Examples of 'speech' in a sentence speech

Trends of speech.

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Browse alphabetically speech

• speculative bubble
• speculative investment
• speech bubble
• speech command
• All ENGLISH words that begin with 'S'

Related terms of speech

• free speech
• hate speech
• budget speech
• direct speech
• View more related words

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Indian PM Narendra Modi accused of ‘anti-Muslim hate speech’

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been accused of hate speech targeting Muslims after he referred to them as “infiltrators” during an election campaign rally.