Free Course Image French Pronunciation Course: Master Vowels, Nasals and the French R

Free online courseFrench Pronunciation Course: Master Vowels, Nasals and the French R

Duration of the online course: 1 hours and 43 minutes

New

Free French pronunciation course: master vowels, nasal sounds, and the French R, plus spelling-to-sound tips for clearer speaking.

In this free course, learn about

  • Core Oral Vowels (Front & Back)
  • Front Rounded Vowels (/y/, /ø/, /œ/) and Contrasts
  • Nasal Vowels (Introduction, Individual Sounds, and Recognition)
  • The French R (Production and Practice)
  • Spelling-to-Sound Rules and Common Letter Patterns

Course Description

Improve your French accent with this free online pronunciation course focused on the sounds that most often challenge learners. Designed for anyone studying French, it builds a clear understanding of how French vowels are produced and how small differences in mouth position can change meaning.

You will work through the core vowel groups, including front unrounded and back rounded vowels, then move into front rounded vowels with practical contrasts that help you hear and produce distinctions more confidently. The course also guides you through French nasal vowels, showing how to avoid common mix-ups between nasal and oral pronunciation and how to sharpen your listening skills for real-world comprehension.

A dedicated section targets the French R, with explanations and practice to help you develop a more natural sound. You will also connect pronunciation to spelling patterns, so you can predict how words are said when you see them in writing. This includes guidance on word-final consonants and frequent letter and spelling combinations used in French.

Ideal for beginners who want strong foundations and for intermediate learners looking to correct fossilized mistakes, this French course fits well into self-study and supports speaking confidence, clearer listening, and more accurate reading aloud.

Course content

  • Video class: 1.1 Introduction: The French Vowel System 03m
  • Exercise: How is the French vowel system divided in terms of oral vs. nasal vowels?
  • Video class: 1.2 Front Unrounded Vowels /i/, /e/, /?/, /a/ 00m
  • Exercise: Which change in mouth position helps move from e to a in the vowel chart sequence?
  • Video class: 1.3 Back Rounded Vowels /u/, /o/, /?/ 00m
  • Exercise: How should you position your mouth and lips to produce the French vowel sound u?
  • Video class: 2.1 Front Rounded Vowels Intro and /y/ 05m
  • Exercise: When pronouncing the French vowel U (as contrasted with OU/O), what key instruction helps you produce the correct sound?
  • Video class: 2.2 /ø/ 03m
  • Video class: 2.3 /œ/ 01m
  • Video class: 2.4 Contrast /ø/-/œ/ (jeu-jeune) and Review 04m
  • Exercise: How can you produce the French vowel u (the sound that doesn’t exist in English) according to the mouth/lip instructions?
  • Video class: 3.1 Introduction to Nasal Vowels a-o-e 01m
  • Exercise: Which description matches the third nasal vowel in French pronunciation?
  • Video class: 3.2 Nasal e 03m
  • Video class: 3.3 Nasal a 03m
  • Exercise: When pronouncing the vowel sound a in the middle of a word spelled with n or m, what should you focus on?
  • Video class: 3.4 Nasal o 04m
  • Exercise: How should your mouth and lips be positioned to produce the French vowel sound /ø/ (as contrasted with /a/)?
  • Video class: 3.5 Contrasts: Nasal a-o-e 01m
  • Exercise: Why is it important to distinguish the three French nasal vowels in minimal pairs like vol, vont, and vin?
  • Video class: 3.6 Nasal Vowel or Oral Vowel? 12m
  • Exercise: How can spelling indicate whether the nasal ending is pronounced as “-an” (nasal vowel without a pronounced N) or as “-ane/-enne” with a pronounced N?
  • Video class: 4.1 French /R/ 04m
  • Exercise: What is a key technique for producing the French R sound during practice?
  • Video class: 4.2 French /R/ Practice 05m
  • Video class: 5.1 Spelling 02m
  • Video class: 5.2 Word-final Consonants 12m
  • Exercise: In French, what spelling clue usually indicates that a final consonant should be pronounced?
  • Video class: 5.3 The Letter a 02m
  • Exercise: How is the letter a pronounced in French most of the time?
  • Video class: 5.4 The Letter e Without an Accent Mark 04m
  • Exercise: How is the letter e usually pronounced when it is followed by two consonants (not including the special consonant+r case)?
  • Video class: 5.5 The Spelling ion 04m
  • Exercise: In French, how is the ending -tion generally pronounced when it is preceded by a vowel (e.g., pétition)?
  • Video class: 5.6 The Spellings -s- and -ss- 02m
  • Exercise: In French pronunciation, how does the sound of s usually differ between one s and two ss?
  • Video class: 5.7 The Letters oi and oin 06m
  • Exercise: In French pronunciation, how is the letter combination oi generally pronounced?
  • Video class: 5.8 The Letter y 03m
  • Exercise: How is the letter Y pronounced when it comes right after a consonant?
  • Video class: 5.9 ? The Spellings -ille and -il 04m
  • Exercise: In many common words, how is the letter combination i-l or i-l-l-e pronounced when it follows a vowel (e.g., in travail or soleil)?
  • Video class: 5.10 The Spelling qu- 01m
  • Exercise: In most French words, how is the letter combination qu pronounced?
  • Video class: 5.11 The Spelling -gn- 01m
  • Exercise: In French pronunciation, which sound is most commonly produced by the letter combination en (as in champagne)?

This free course includes:

1 hours and 43 minutes of online video course

Digital certificate of course completion (Free)

Exercises to train your knowledge

100% free, from content to certificate

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