Learning French: Connexion readers share 12 more tricky words - can you pronounce them?

Following on from our article featuring 12 challenging everyday French words, Connexion readers have shared their own (albeit more obscure) suggestions to add to the list.

Whether purchasing a déshumidificateur or pointing out a moissonneuse-batteuse, we break down how to pronounce these words correctly. 

1. Grenouille (Frog)

A classic! If you mastered the pronunciation of écureuil from our initial list then you will be a pro at pronouncing the throaty French rolled "r". Try saying this a few times in a row and you may feel as though you have embodied a croaking frog. Finally, the cluster of vowels with a double ‘L’ (-ouille) may look intimidating but it is actually quite simple. It creates a “wee” sound. 

Pronunciation: [Greun-wee]

Suggested by RA. 

2. Courroie (Strap)

This less common word refers to a strap or mechanical belt. It begins with -cou which can be created by pouting your lips into an ‘O’ shape and saying “coo”. The following syllable takes us back to the tricky -roi sound: a rolled “r” joined onto a “wa”.

Pronunciation: [Coo-rwa]

3. Déshumidificateur (Dehumidifier)

The French word for dehumidifier could catch you out because it has one more syllable than the English version. If you split it up into seven chunks, then the word becomes more manageable. Remember that the acute accent is added to the first letter ‘E’, so you will need to elongate the sound from “de” to “day”. 

Pronunciation: [Day-soo-mee-dee-fee-cat-eur]

4. Météorologue (Meteorologist)

The same rule applies here concerning the elongated acute accents. The word begins with a familiar term: météo (weather). It then morphes into a rolled “r, and the more simple “log” sound. The -ue at the end of the word are silent. 

Pronunciation: [May-tay-oh-roh-log]

Suggested by JK.

5. Serrurerie (Locksmith)

Serrurerie is a challenging word to say quickly, with its jumble of vowels and rolled “r” sounds. Thankfully, you should not have to use it too often. The first syllable is simple (-seh). Then you should focus on the back of your throat and keep your tongue in the same position to get through the repeated “r’s”

Pronunciation: [Seh-reu-reh-ree]

Suggested by SK. 

6. Réfrigérateur (Refrigerator)

While this word may be visually similar to the English translation, you need to pay special attention to the length of each vowel sound.

“More than six years after I came to live here I still pause momentarily before saying it. Luckily its diminutive, ‘frigo’ has slid into use in almost all sentences which might contain réfrigérateur, and anyone can say ‘frigo’!”, said Connexion reader TJ.

Pronunciation: [Ray-free-jay-rat-eur]

7. Beaucoup (much)

As seen with courroie, English speakers often struggle to pronounce the -cou sound, especially when differentiating between -cou and -cul (ass). With -cou, try to keep your jaw and tongue relaxed. For -cul, imagine pursing your lips slightly. Take extra care when saying beaucoup as you could fall into the trap of accidentally complementing someone’s behind. 

Pronunciation: [Boh-coo] vs [Boh-kew]

8. Queue (Tail) 

The repeated -ue is what makes this word appear complicated. It becomes a lot more simple when you realise that the second -ue is silent. 

Pronunciation: [Keuh]

9. Pays (Country)

The French word for country features a sliding vowel, making it slightly different to the English pronunciation of ‘pays’. You need to emphasise the -ee sound, created by the letter ‘Y’. Remember that in this case, the ‘S’ is silent. 

Pronunciation: [Pay-ee]

Suggested by MW. 

10. Poule (Hen)

“I had a very funny time at the school gate when I told my friends it was getting colder and I had put on my chicken. The "U" sound is a real struggle for me. Poule or pull?”, wrote Connexion reader AH.

The -ou vs -u battle continues. In this case it makes the difference between poule (hen) and pull (sweater). 

Pronunciation: [Poo-leh] vs [Pewl]

11. Fourrure (Fur)

Another word featuring -ou and -u, just to make sure you have really mastered these sounds. 

Pronunciation: [Foo-rew-reh]

12. Moissonneuse-batteuse (Combine harvester)

This word is actually quite fun to say but its length makes it tricky to remember. Break it down and repeat a few times to engrain the pattern into your brain. Remember, in this instance the final ‘E’ on each of these stems indicates that we must pronounce the “s”. 

Pronunciation: [Mwa-seh-news-bat-ews]

Suggested by DT. 

Try this tongue-twister tale…

Mon pays est comme un réfrigérateur. Il fait si froid que même les grenouilles et les poules portent des pulls. Le météorologue annonce beaucoup de pluie, alors j'ai acheté un déshumidificateur et une écharpe en fourrure comme la queue d'un écureuil.

My country is like a refrigerator. It is so cold that even the frogs and chickens wear sweaters. The meteorologist says a lot of rain is forecast, so I bought a dehumidifier and a fur scarf like a squirrel's tail.

If you have any additional challenging words you would like to suggest, or if you have any other Learning French suggestions, let us know at: feedback@connexionfrance.com