Mastering French vowel sounds: ‘ou’ and ‘u’ made easy

French pronunciation can be both fascinating and tricky, especially when it comes to vowel sounds like ou and u.

These two sounds might seem similar at first, but being able to distinguish between them will greatly help to improve your French pronunciation and comprehension, as well as your spelling.

The Coffee Break French Show is a podcast series of bite-sized, friendly conversations in which we demystify tricky French language topics. In the latest episode, Mark and Max break down how to pronounce ou and u in simple terms.

In this article, we are going to look at the tips they give us to be able to produce these sounds accurately, and we will also provide some words and exercises to practise.

Continue reading to find out more.

How to say ‘ou’

Max gives his tips for pronouncing ou:

Lips slightly forward

Begin by pushing your lips slightly forward.

Round your mouth

Keep your mouth in a rounded shape.

Tongue placement

Place your tongue towards the back of your mouth, but don’t let it touch your teeth.

Here are some examples of words that have this sound:

nous
we / us

vous
you (formal / plural)

bonjour
hello

How to say ‘u’

Max’s tips for pronouncing u are:

Lips slightly forward

Like ou, push your lips slightly forward.

Round your mouth

Maintain the rounded shape of your mouth.

Tongue placement

Unlike ou, this time let your tongue gently touch your bottom teeth while making the sound.

Some examples of words that have this sound:

tu
you (informal singular)

j’ai lu
I read / I have read

j’ai vu
I saw / I have seen

j’ai bu
I drank / I have drunk

Let’s practise!

Now that you know the basics, let’s practise to improve your pronunciation. In the podcast episode, Max tells us four top tips for you to get a good grasp of this pronunciation:

1. Repeat the sounds

   Start by saying ou and u separately, repeating each sound five times. Pay close attention to your lip and tongue positions.

2. Spelling matters

   Get familiar with how these sounds are spelled in French. This is one example of where French spelling makes perfect sense – you’ll always find ou and u representing these sounds. The pronunciation of these two sounds is the same even if there is an accent in the word, for example où (“where”) and dû (the past participle of devoir). The only small additional detail to watch out for is one word that sounds exactly like u: eu, the past participle of avoir. This is used in compound tenses like the passé composé, such as in j’ai eu (“I have had”).

3. Use them in sentences

   Try incorporating these sounds into everyday phrases and sentences. For example, try saying:

   nourriture
   food

   tout va bien
   everything is going well

   tu vas bien
   you are well

   Tu l’as lu ?
   Have you read it?

   Manges-tu du mangetout ?
   Do you eat mangetout / snow peas?

   This will help you practise using these sounds naturally.

4. Spot the difference

   To really grasp the nuances, work with minimal pairs – these are words that differ by just one sound. Here are some examples to practise with:

   hutte / août
   Hutte means “hut”, while août means “August”.

   du / doux
   Du means “of the” / “some” / “from the” / “any”, while doux means “sweet”.

   puce / pouce
   Puce means “flea” / “computer chip”, while pouce means “thumb”.

   bulle / boule
   Bulle means “bubble”, while boule means “ball”.

   tu le jures / tout le jour
   Tu le jures means “you swear it”, while tout le jour means “all day”.

   la mûre / l’amour
   La mûre means “the blackberry”, while l’amour means “love”.

A visual summary

In conclusion

Mastering the pronunciation of ou and u in French is a journey that gets easier with practice. By understanding the basics of lip and tongue positions, using these sounds in sentences, and practising with minimal pairs, you’ll soon find yourself speaking French with more confidence.

If you found this post interesting, make sure to listen to the full episode with Mark and Max on The Coffee Break French Show. In this series of chats between our language experts, we look at a range of topics for French learners, so make sure to subscribe to our podcast feed and our channel on YouTube.

Plus! To get regular free French lessons in your inbox, you can sign up for our short (coffee-break-sized) email lessons that will help you improve your French. You will also hear from Mark, the founder of Coffee Break Languages, giving advice for language learners at any level. Sign up below!

So, embrace the charm of French pronunciation, one vowel sound at a time.

Bonne chance and happy Coffee Breaking!

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