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French alphabet - Definition and Overview |
| Related Words: Ita, Art, Beginning, Blueprint, Characterization, Chart, Choreography, Commencement, Demonstration, Diagram, Drama, Drawing, Elements |
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The French alphabet is based on the Latin alphabet. It uses the standard 26 letters:
| Letter | Letter name (IPA)
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| A | /a/
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| B | /be/
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| C | /se/
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| D | /de/
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| E | /ø/
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| F | /ɛf/
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| G | /ʒə/
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| H | /aʃ/
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| I | /i/
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| J | /ʒi/
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| K | /ka/
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| L | /ɛl/
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| M | /ɛm/
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| N | /ɛn/
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| O | /o/
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| P | /pe/
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| Q | /ky/
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| R | /ɛʁ/
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| S | /ɛs/
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| T | /te/
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| U | /y/
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| V | /ve/
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| W | /dublə ve/ (double-V)
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| X | /iks/
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| Y | /igʁɛk/ (I-grec)
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| Z | /zɛd/ (zède)
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A special combination is almost always ligatured:
Œ
However, writing 'oe' instead of a ligatured 'œ' does not present comprehension problems: few pairs of words, if any, differ only by such a ligature; and it was customary with old typewriters and old computers to write 'oe' instead of the often inexistent '' character. A few words like 'moelleux' have 'oe' written without a ligature.
Notes:
- 'W' is rarely used except in loan words or regional words, 'ou' is used to represent the /w/ sound;
- vowels are A, E, I, O, U, sometimes Y;
- semi-vowels are Y, rarely W (except regionally, for instance in Belgium);
- usual diacritic marks are acute ( ´ ), grave ( ` ), circumflex ( ˆ ), diaeresis (called tréma in French) ( ¨ ), and the cedilla ( ¸ ). The most frequent combinations are: à â ç é è ê ë î ï ô û ù ü. Diacritics have no impact on alphabetical order.
See also
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