How do you pronounce é and è in French?

A little pronunciation guide showing the difference between é and è

The accent over the letter é is called an acute accent.
The accent over the letter è is called a grave accent.

You pronounce the two letters in slightly different ways.

é — like the vowel sound in the word “pay”
è — like the e in the word “fed”

So, you pronounce délicieux and très like this:

délicieux = day-lee-SIEUGH
très = treh

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Let’s practise

Have a go at pronouncing these words in French:

1. médecin (doctor)

2. marché (market)

3. scène (scene)

4. pièce (room / coin)

5. lèvre (lip)

6. première (first)

7. déjà (already)

8. parlé (spoken)

9. météo (weather)

10. frère (brother)

11. été (summer)

12. mère (mother)

13. déjeuner (lunch)

14. bière (beer)

15. trouvé (found)

Answers

1. “mayd-SAN(g)”

2. “mahr-SHAY”

3. “sen”

4. “pee-ESS”

5. “leh-vreugh”

6. “preugh-mee-AIR”

7. “day-JSHAH”

8. “pahr-LAY”

9. “may-tay-OH”

10. “frair”

11. “ay-TAY”

12. “mair”

13. “day-jsheugh-NAY”

14. “bee-AIR”

15. “troo-VAY”