French Consonant and Spelling Sounds: ch, j, gn, ç, tion, s/ss
Getting Started — Map Spelling to Sound
French spelling often differs from pronunciation. This page breaks down the most common consonant and spelling patterns so you can pronounce any new word correctly.
Background: French Pronunciation — Complete Sound Guide, Sections 5–6.
1. ch → “sh” (/ʃ/)
Always English sh. (A few Greek-origin words use /k/, like chorale).
| French | English | Type | Example | Example (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| chat | cat | [n] | Le chat dort. | The cat sleeps. |
| chien | dog | [n] | Mon chien est gentil. | My dog is kind. |
| chambre | room / bedroom | [n] | Ma chambre est petite. | My room is small. |
| chaud | hot | [adj] | Le café est chaud. | The coffee is hot. |
| bouche | mouth | [n] | Ferme la bouche. | Close your mouth. |
| dimanche | Sunday | [n] | On se repose dimanche. | We rest on Sunday. |
| chercher | to look for | [v] | Je cherche mes clés. | I’m looking for my keys. |
| marcher | to walk | [v] | J’aime marcher. | I like to walk. |
| chaussure | shoe | [n] | Mes chaussures sont neuves. | My shoes are new. |
2. j / ge / gi → “zh” (/ʒ/)
Soft voiced ‘zh’ (English measure sound). g before e/i/y is also ‘zh’.
| French | English | Type | Example | Example (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| je | I | [pron] | Je parle français. | I speak French. |
| jour | day | [n] | Un beau jour. | A beautiful day. |
| jaune | yellow | [adj] | Une fleur jaune. | A yellow flower. |
| bonjour | hello | [n] | Bonjour à tous. | Hello everyone. |
| manger | to eat | [v] | On va manger. | We will eat. |
| fromage | cheese | [n] | J’aime le fromage. | I like cheese. |
| âge | age | [n] | Quel âge as-tu? | How old are you? |
| argent | money | [n] | J’ai besoin d’argent. | I need money. |
| gens | people | [n] | Beaucoup de gens. | Many people. |
| rouge | red | [adj] | Un vin rouge. | A red wine. |
| voyager | to travel | [v] | J’aime voyager. | I like to travel. |
3. gn → “ny” (/ɲ/)
English canyon sound. One sound, not g + n.
| French | English | Type | Example | Example (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| montagne | mountain | [n] | J’aime la montagne. | I love the mountains. |
| oignon | onion | [n] | Un oignon pour la soupe. | An onion for the soup. |
| ligne | line | [n] | Quelle ligne? | Which line? |
| peigne | comb | [n] | Mon peigne est perdu. | My comb is lost. |
| signifier | to mean | [v] | Ça signifie quoi? | What does that mean? |
| vigne | vine / vineyard | [n] | Une belle vigne. | A beautiful vineyard. |
| montagneux | mountainous | [adj] | Terrain montagneux. | Mountainous terrain. |
| consigner | to put away | [v] | Je vais consigner. | I will put away. |
4. ll / ill → “y” (/j/) in most cases
Usually sounds like English ‘y’ (yes), not ‘l’.
| French | English | Type | Example | Example (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| fille | girl | [n] | La fille est jeune. | The girl is young. |
| famille | family | [n] | Ma famille est grande. | My family is big. |
| travailler | to work | [v] | Je travaille ici. | I work here. |
| merveille | wonder | [n] | C’est une merveille. | It’s a wonder. |
| conseil | advice | [n] | Un bon conseil. | Good advice. |
| soleil | sun | [n] | Le soleil est beau. | The sun is beautiful. |
| bouteille | bottle | [n] | Une bouteille d’eau. | A bottle of water. |
| oreille | ear | [n] | J’ai mal à l’oreille. | My ear hurts. |
Exception: ville, mille, tranquille keep the ‘l’ sound (veel, meel).
5. c + a/o/u → hard “k”
| French | English | Type | Example | Example (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| café | coffee | [n] | Un café, s’il vous plaît. | A coffee, please. |
| comme | like / as | [prep] | Comme moi. | Like me. |
| cours | course / class | [n] | J’ai un cours. | I have a class. |
| ici | here | [adv] | Ici c’est beau. | Here is beautiful. |
| école | school | [n] | Je vais à l’école. | I go to school. |
| croissant | croissant | [n] | Un croissant, s’il vous plaît. | A croissant, please. |
| couleur | color | [n] | Quelle couleur? | What color? |
| accourir | to come running | [v] | Il va accourir. | He will come running. |
6. c + e/i/y → soft “s”
| French | English | Type | Example | Example (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| cinéma | cinema | [n] | Je vais au cinéma. | I’m going to the cinema. |
| cent | hundred | [num] | Cent euros. | One hundred euros. |
| cerise | cherry | [n] | J’aime les cerises. | I like cherries. |
| ceinture | belt | [n] | Une ceinture en cuir. | A leather belt. |
| cyberespace | cyberspace | [n] | Dans le cyberespace. | In cyberspace. |
| cire | wax | [n] | Une bougie en cire. | A candle made of wax. |
7. ç (cedilla) → always “s”
| French | English | Type | Example | Example (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| garçon | boy / waiter | [n] | Un garçon intelligent. | An intelligent boy. |
| français | French | [adj/n] | Je suis français. | I am French. |
| façade | facade | [n] | La façade est belle. | The facade is beautiful. |
| leçon | lesson | [n] | Quelle leçon? | Which lesson? |
| commençer | to begin | [v] | Je commence demain. | I start tomorrow. |
| traçer | to trace | [v] | Je vais tracer. | I will trace. |
| déplacer | to move | [v] | Où ça? | Where to? |
8. qu → “k” (not “kw”)
The u is always silent.
| French | English | Type | Example | Example (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| qui | who | [pron] | Qui est là? | Who is there? |
| quatre | four | [num] | J’ai quatre frères. | I have four brothers. |
| banque | bank | [n] | Je vais à la banque. | I go to the bank. |
| question | question | [n] | Quelle question? | What question? |
| quelqu’un | someone | [pron] | Quelqu’un est là? | Is someone there? |
| quand | when | [adv] | Quand arrive-tu? | When do you arrive? |
| quarante | forty | [num] | Quarante euros. | Forty euros. |
| langue | language | [n] | Je parle la langue. | I speak the language. |
9. s between vowels → “z” (voiced)
| French | English | Type | Example | Example (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| maison | house | [n] | J’habite dans une maison. | I live in a house. |
| chose | thing | [n] | Quelle chose? | What thing? |
| musique | music | [n] | J’aime la musique. | I like music. |
| cousin | cousin | [n] | Mon cousin est gentil. | My cousin is kind. |
| rose | pink / rose | [n] | Une rose rouge. | A red rose. |
| résoudre | to solve | [v] | Je vais résoudre. | I will solve. |
| visite | visit | [n] | Une visite agréable. | A pleasant visit. |
10. ss (double s) → always “s” (unvoiced)
| French | English | Type | Example | Example (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| poisson | fish | [n] | Le poisson est bon. | The fish is good. |
| classe | class | [n] | Je suis en classe. | I’m in class. |
| adresse | address | [n] | Quelle est ton adresse? | What’s your address? |
| professeur | professor | [n] | Mon professeur est sympa. | My professor is nice. |
| passer | to pass | [v] | Je vais passer. | I will pass. |
| grossir | to gain weight | [v] | Je ne vais pas grossir. | I won’t gain weight. |
| chaussure | shoe | [n] | Mes chaussures sont neuves. | My shoes are new. |
Minimal pair: poisson (fish) vs poison (poison) — the only difference is ss vs. s!
11. -tion → “syon”
Always feminine, always ‘-syon’ ending.
| French | English | Type | Example | Example (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nation | nation | [n] | Quelle nation? | Which nation? |
| question | question | [n] | Quelle question? | What question? |
| station | station | [n] | La gare est près. | The station is near. |
| création | creation | [n] | Une belle création. | A beautiful creation. |
| solution | solution | [n] | Quelle solution? | What solution? |
| direction | direction | [n] | Quelle direction? | What direction? |
| intention | intention | [n] | Bonne intention. | Good intention. |
| fonction | function | [n] | Quelle fonction? | What function? |
12. h at the start → always silent
| French | English | Type | Example | Example (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| homme | man | [n] | Un homme intelligent. | An intelligent man. |
| hôtel | hotel | [n] | Je vais à l’hôtel. | I’m going to the hotel. |
| hier | yesterday | [adv] | Hier c’était dimanche. | Yesterday was Sunday. |
| habiter | to live | [v] | J’habite ici. | I live here. |
| hiver | winter | [n] | J’aime l’hiver. | I like winter. |
| histoire | story / history | [n] | Quelle histoire? | What story? |
| hésiter | to hesitate | [v] | Je vais hésiter. | I will hesitate. |
| huit | eight | [num] | J’ai huit ans. | I’m eight years old. |
Test yourself: poisson (fish) vs poison (poison), classe vs passe (to pass).
Remember: French spelling is often irregular for historical reasons. When in doubt, listen to a native recording.
FAQ
How do I pronounce French 'ch'?
Always 'sh' (English 'shoe'), never the 'ch' in 'chair'. chat = 'sha', chien = 'shyan'. A few Greek-origin words use /k/ (chorale).
When does a single 's' become 'z'?
When a single 's' is between two vowels, it becomes 'z' (maison, chose). Double 'ss' always stays a hard 's'. This is why poisson (fish) and poison (poison) are different words.
When is 'c' pronounced 'k' and when 'ss'?
c + a/o/u (or consonant) = hard 'k' (café, comme). c + e/i/y = soft 's' (cinéma, ici). The cedilla ç is always 's' (garçon).
How do I pronounce '-tion'?
'-tion' = 'shon' (French 'sh'+on), and it's always feminine: nation = 'nashon', question = 'kestyon'.