How do I know which letters to pronounce? I don't hear the end of most French words!

Question

French pronunciation questions about silent letters

Answer 1

In French, the final sound is generally on the last syllable not on the last consonant or vowel, this is why you don't hear the final letter. However there are exceptions like the word "avec" which means "with" or the word "bol" which means "bowl". A final consonant can be heard if the next word starts with a vowel if you say for example: "Un petit arbre" in English" a small tree". The "T" sound is heard on the liaison, but in French language only the final letters L,C,F and R are pronounced.

I would advise to memorize those four letters I mention above to see if the word ends with one of them to know if you can pronounce them or not. The word LuCiFeR that contains the all four letters can help in this. And listen to short stories, podcast, movies and repeat after them. With those exercises, you should become skillful.

Answer 2

Generally speaking, you do NOT pronounce the final letter of a French word. However, there are exceptions; you do pronounce the final letter if it is C, R, F, or L.

To help you remember, think of the word “CaReFuL.” You don't pronounce the consonants of “careful”!

Examples:

1. chat = /sha/ (not T sound!)
2. parle /parl/ (no E sound!)

BUT:

1. bac = /bahk/

However this is ONLY a rule of thumb. As you advance, you'll need to take other things into consideration!