Quick Study: Pronunciation

Question 1

What are the five French diacritical marks?

Answer 1

• accent aigu - é*
• accent grave - à*
• accent circonflexe - î*
• cédille - ç*
• tréma - ü*

Question 2

How is the accent aigu used?

Answer 2

It is used to open up the sound of a closed “e.”

• café*
• répétez*
• vérité*

Question 3

What are the three ways in which an accent grave is used?

Answer 3

1. On an open “e” at the end of a syllable or before a final “s.”
   * mère*
   * très*
2. To differentiate two homonyms.
   * où* (where) and ou (or)
   * à* (to, in, at) and a (has)
   * là* (there) and la (the)
3. On the vowel “a” in words such as deçà, déjà, delà, voilà.

Question 4

What are the three ways in which an accent circonflexe is used?

Answer 4

1. To indicate that a formerly used vowel or an “s” has been dropped.
   * batîr (bastir), tête (teste), âge (eage)*
2. To elongate the sound of certain vowels.
   * extrême, cône*
3. To differentiate two homonyms.
   * dû* (past participle of devoir) and du (contraction of de + le)
   * crû* (past participle of croître) and cru (past participle of croire)
   * mûr* (ripe) and mur (wall)

Question 5

How is the cedille used?

Answer 5

It is used beneath the letter “c” when it precedes the vowels “a”, “o”, or “u” to give it an “s” sound.

façade, leçon, français

Question 6

How is the tréma used?

Answer 6

It is placed about the vowels “e”, “i”, or “u” to indicate that they are pronounced independently of any preceding or following vowel sound.

Haïti, Noël