The rules for reading the French language seem very complicated. A pile of consonants and vowels, half of which cannot be read, an abundance of strange sounds, some dashes and sticks above each vowel (diacritics). But here are a few facts that will allow you to look at these difficulties in a different way.
It was the French language that chose the nobility of tsarist Russia as a must for any educated person. And the reasons were not only political. In this language, you can express the most "modern" thoughts. This is not a joke, and this is convinced by everyone who has begun to read the books of the writers of this country in the original. French is logical, elegant and deep. It is not surprising that many thinkers and philosophers spoke and wrote on it.
Knowing the rules of reading the French language, in 99% of cases you can read an unfamiliar word without a single mistake. This is impossible to say about English. Compared to French, it is simply riddled with exceptions.
The simplest reading rules in French
We list what you need to know for a start and what will allow you to move forward without fear.
1. Stress always (without exception) falls on the last syllable. Along with grasping, with nasal vowels this makes up a unique melody of speech.
The letters -s (as in dans, tapis), -t (as in enseignement, parlant), -d (as in second, phard), -z (as in assez), -x (as in aux), -p ( as in astap), -g at the end of words are not readable. Also, combinations of these letters are not pronounced. The letter r, in the combination -er, cannot be read at the end of words. For example, parler.
2. The letter "e" deserves a separate description. Pay attention to where it stands: in a closed or open syllable, under stress or not, whether it is at the end of a word. Of course, the rules for reading the French language, when you get to the pronunciation of vowels, will really take a long time to remember. For starters, it’s worth learning that if the stress falls on her and the syllable is closed, then it is read close to the Russian “e.” If the syllable is open, then the letter acquires a funny softness and reads like Russian "", as in the word honey, only a little differently - deeper. As an example, let’s use the widely used word regarder (see). It has two letters "e", which are read in different ways - because the first syllable is open, the last is closed.
3. In no case can the letter h be read; its task is to separate the vowels. In other cases, it is simply written. But the combination ch reads like "w" (in English it is pronounced as "h"). For example chance (chance), chacal (jackal). Other popular vowel combinations are: ph - sound "f", th - sound "t". For example, phare is a lighthouse, théorème is a theorem.
4. Nasal vowels are the salt and zest of the French language. They provide the characteristic and unique sound of this speech. Out of habit, they can seem rather complicated. However, their sonority undoubtedly compensates for all difficulties. They are pronounced in the nose, as if approaching the nasal "n", but not passing into it. The vowels in front of the letters n and m become nasal. There are four such vowels: i, a, o, u. These letters are never nasal before doubled nn and mm, or before other vowels.
5. The letter "c" behaves as hard as in English. As a rule, it reads like "k." But before the letters -e, -i, -y, it reads like "s." But if she has a ponytail, then it always reads like a s. For example, comme ça (com sa) - so.
These are far from all the rules for reading French. This is not even all of its main provisions. But do not try to storm the French language. Reading rules are best studied in small portions. The main difficulty for most students is not in the rules themselves, but in the fact that they do not correctly dose the information. Let's say the pronunciation of the letter "e" is better to devote one lesson as a whole, without being distracted by other sounds. By studying the rules of reading the French language in bulk, you run the risk of reaching the conclusion reached by more than one student: "it's too complicated."