French · A1 · Pronunciation & alphabet
The French Alphabet: How to Spell Your Name Aloud
French uses the same 26 basic letters as English, but the letter names differ. Practise spelling a name as a separate skill from reading a word. Pay special attention to e, i, g, j, u and y, because their French names can lead English speakers to write the wrong letter.
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Examples
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Y, i grec. | Y, literally “Greek i”. |
| Ç, c cédille. | C with a cedilla. |
| N comme Nina. | N as in Nina. |
The useful contrasts
French i sounds like the vowel in English see. French u uses a similar tongue position, with rounded lips. The name of j starts with the soft sound in the middle of measure. The name of g starts with the same sound but uses a different vowel. Listen to each pair before trying a long spelling.
At a counter
Comment ça s’écrit ? means How do you spell that? Answer with the letters one by one. If the name contains é, say e accent aigu. For è, say e accent grave. Add a small pause between letters so the person writing has time to catch up.
Try it
Someone asks you to spell “Léa”. Say the letters and name the accent.
Show answer
L, e accent aigu, a.
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