Learn French - Diphthongs

Pronunciation

ai
like "i" in "fight", like "ay" in "hay" (at the end of a word)

ail
like "i" in "fight"

ais
like "ea" in "bread" (at the end of a word)

au, eau
like "ow" in "blow"

an
nasal; kind of like "ahng", but without the hard "g" at the end

eu
between "ew" in "dew" and "ur" in "burp"; written eu in transcriptions

œ
more or less like "eu", slighlty more "open"

er (end of a word)
like "e" in "deja vu"

ez
like "e" in "deja vu"

en, em
nasal; same as "an"

in
nasal; like "ang" in "Tang", but without the hard "g" at the end

oi
like "wa" in "walk"

oin
nasal; like "wang", but without the hard "g" at the end

ou
like "oo" in "food"

on
nasal; like "ong" in "long", but without the hard "g" at the end

oui
like "wee" in "week"

ui
like "wee" in "week", but with the tongue forward

un
nasal; like "ung" in "hung", but without the hard "g" at the end

ch
like "sh" in "bush"

gn
like "ny" in "canyon". This is particularly difficult (even for little French kids) when followed by oi, as in baignoire (beh-NYWAR) "bathtub"

ill
like "y" in "three years", with some exceptions (ville is veel)

ll
like "l"

ph
like "f" in "fun"

tch
like "ch" in "chew" (but kind of rare)

th
like "t" in "tin"

tr
"t" followed by a short gargle