What Is the Pronunciation for O in French

As you study French, you will find that there are many ways to pronounce the letter O. It is a very useful vowel and takes on different sounds depending on its accent, where it is in a syllable, and what letters are next to it. It sounds complicated  but is relatively easy once you break it down. This French lesson will guide you through the correct pronunciation of O in its many uses. How to Pronounce the French O The French letter O is pronounced one of two ways: The closed O is pronounced like the O in cold.The open O sounds more or less like the O in the English word ton. The rules for determining which pronunciation to use are fairly complicated, so only the most important ones are listed here. When in doubt, always check in the dictionary. When the O has an accent cironflexe - à ´ -, its a closed O.When the O is the last sound of the syllable as in  trop, mot, and  hà ©ros, its a closed O.When the O is followed by a consonant sound as in  notre and  tà ©là ©phone, its an open O. That is  unless the consonant sound is a Z sound as in  rose and  chose, in which case its a closed O. The letter combinations AU and EAU are also pronounced like a closed O. Practice With These Words Its time to put your understanding of the O in French to the test. Review the rules above as you examine and try to pronounce each word. Remember that theyre not necessarily like the English words, so be careful with the first two. Once you think you have the correct pronunciation, click on the word to see if youre right. These are simple words to add to your French vocabulary, so take as much time as you need. bol  (bowl)bottes  (boots)rose  (pink)dos  (back) Letter Combinations The O is much like the I in French in that these two vowels are rather complex. With both, the sound changes as they are paired with other letters. If you see an O in any of these combinations, youll know how to pronounce it if you take the time to study this list. IO  - Pronounced [yo] with  a closed O sound as used in  attention!  (Watch out!  Warning!) and  un  million  (one million)OE  - Often pronounced similarly to EU, which is much like the U in full. However, this ones tricky and may require a dictionary.Å’IL  - A form of EUI that is used at the beginning of a word,  it sounds  like the OO in good followed by a Y sound.OI  -  Pronounced [wa].ON  - Called the nasal O, it is pronounced [o(n)]. The  O  is pronounced like  Ãƒ ´ (see above) and the (n) has the nasal sound. For instance,  onze  (eleven) and  un  citron  (lemon).OU  - Sounds like the OU in soup.OUIL  -  Pronounced [uj].