La prononciation des consonnes en fin de mots

When learning a new language, one has to learn how to pronounce certain things differently and some things might be easier than others! For us French speakers, the “h” as well as the “th” may be an issue when learning English, while the “j” could be a struggle while learning Spanish.

When learning French, particularly for English speakers, knowing when or when not to pronounce a consonant at the end of a word can become a real challenge.

Let’s take for example the words “il” (he) and “ils” (they masculine). While you can obviously see a difference between both words on paper, they sound exactly the same out loud. Both will be pronounced “eel” [il].

Unfortunately, there aren’t any foolproof rule which clearly underlines when you should or should not pronounce consonants at the end of a word. There are a few pointer though that you may use when in doubt :

1. It is not usual to pronounce “s”, “d”, “p”, “x” or “t” at the end of words. It is in this respect better to assume, when in doubt, that such letters will be “muette” (mute).

Ex: amis, lourd, loup, mieux, muet.

2. The consonants “l”, “c” and “f” are normally pronounced.

Ex: bal, chef, bac.

3. First group verbs (ending in -er) have an “r” muet when the “r” in verbs ending in -ir have to be pronounced.

Ex : Parler [parle] vs Finir [finir]

I hope these few pointers have helped you regarding the pronounciation of consonants at the end of french words. One thing to remember though, the more you practice and the more you will find the pronounciation of french words easier. You just have to not give up !