9.3: The Vowel [ø] and [œ]- EU, Œ, ŒU

French OER - Pronunciation · LibreTexts

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    Objectif

    In this section, you will learn how to pronounce the vowel sound [ø].

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    In French, the vowel combinations eu and œu are pronounced [œ] or [ø]. Make a sound similar to the "u" in "hurt" with your lips slightly rounded, keeping your mouth somewhat open.

    The vowel [ø]

    The combinations eu and œu are pronounced [ø] when they are at the end of a word.

     

    bleu, peu, pneu, creux, deux

    vœu, œufs, nœud

    The vowel [œ]

    The combinations eu and œu are pronounced [œ] when they are before a consonant that is pronounced.

     

    heure, peur, heureux, beurre

    cœur, sœur, mœurs, œuf

    DAdditional Resources

    Read more about vowel sounds in French.

    This page titled 9.3: The Vowel [ø] and [œ]- EU, Œ, ŒU was last modified on Fri, 09 May 2025 21:55:27 GMT and is shared under a CC BY license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by William J. Carrasco and Shahrzad Zahedi.