French Introduction to French Syllabus

Introduction to French syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Introduction to French in French, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Understanding the French Alphabet

   3 topics

   • Learn the pronunciation of each letter
   • Practice the French accents
   • Familiarize with the French phonetic system
2. 2

   Basic French Greetings and Expressions

   3 topics

   • Learn common greetings
   • Practice polite expressions
   • Use greetings in simple conversations

Introduction to French flashcards for French

18 of 50 cards from the Introduction to French deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. How many letters are in the French alphabet, and does it use the same set as English?

   The French alphabet has 26 letters, the same Latin letters as English. The difference lies in pronunciation and the use of diacritical marks (accents).

2. How is the letter 'e' pronounced when it has no accent and stands at the end of a word?

   An unaccented final 'e' is usually silent (e.g., 'tasse'). Elsewhere it often sounds like a soft 'uh' schwa (e.g., 'le').

3. How is the French letter 'h' pronounced?

   The letter 'h' is always silent in French. It is never aspirated as a sound, though it can be 'aspirate h' (blocking liaison) or 'mute h' (allowing liaison) grammatically.

4. How is the letter 'r' pronounced in standard French?

   The French 'r' is a guttural sound produced at the back of the throat (uvular), not the rolled or retroflex 'r' of English or Spanish.

5. How are the letters 'ou' pronounced together in French?

   'ou' is pronounced like the English 'oo' in 'food' (a close back rounded vowel), as in 'vous' (you).

6. What sound does the letter combination 'ch' make in French?

   'ch' is pronounced 'sh' (like English 'shoe'), as in 'chat' (cat), not 'ch' as in 'church'.

7. How is the letter 'j' pronounced in French?

   French 'j' makes a soft 'zh' sound (like the 's' in 'measure'), as in 'jour' (day).

8. What is the pronunciation of the letter 'g' before 'e' or 'i' versus before 'a', 'o', 'u'?

   Before 'e' or 'i', 'g' is soft ('zh', as in 'girafe'). Before 'a', 'o', 'u', it is hard ('g' as in 'gare').

9. How is the letter 'c' pronounced before different vowels?

   Before 'e' or 'i', 'c' is soft ('s', as in 'ciel'). Before 'a', 'o', 'u', it is hard ('k', as in 'car').

10. What are the five accent marks used in French?

    The five accents are: accent aigu (é), accent grave (è, à, ù), accent circonflexe (ê, â, î, ô, û), tréma/diaeresis (ë, ï, ü), and cédille (ç).

11. What does the accent aigu (´) do, and on which vowel does it appear?

    The accent aigu appears only on 'e' (é) and gives it a closed sound like 'ay' in 'day', as in 'été' (summer).

12. What sound does the accent grave (`) give to 'e', and what is its role on 'a' and 'u'?

    On 'è' it gives an open 'eh' sound (as in 'père'). On 'à' and 'ù' it does not change pronunciation but distinguishes words (e.g., 'a' vs 'à', 'ou' vs 'où').

13. What is the function of the accent circonflexe (ˆ)?

    The circumflex often marks a historically dropped letter (usually 's', e.g., 'forêt' from 'forest'). It can lengthen or change vowel quality and sometimes distinguishes homophones (e.g., 'sur' vs 'sûr').

14. What does the cédille (ç) indicate?

    The cédille under a 'c' (ç) makes it soft ('s' sound) before 'a', 'o', or 'u', as in 'français' and 'garçon'. It is never used before 'e' or 'i'.

15. What does the tréma (¨) signify when placed over a vowel?

    The tréma indicates that a vowel is pronounced separately from the preceding vowel rather than blended, as in 'naïf' (na-eef) and 'Noël' (No-el).

16. What is a nasal vowel in French, and give an example?

    A nasal vowel is produced by letting air flow through the nose, occurring when a vowel is followed by 'm' or 'n' in the same syllable. Example: 'bon' (good), 'vin' (wine), 'blanc' (white). The 'n'/'m' itself is not fully pronounced.

17. What is 'liaison' in French phonetics?

    Liaison is the pronunciation of a normally silent final consonant when the next word begins with a vowel or mute 'h'. Example: 'les amis' is pronounced 'lay-zami'.

18. What is 'élision' in French?

    Élision is the dropping of a final vowel (usually 'e' or 'a') before a word starting with a vowel or mute 'h', marked by an apostrophe. Example: 'le ami' becomes 'l'ami'; 'je ai' becomes 'j'ai'.

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