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A Complete Guide to
French Alphabet &
Writing System
Apr 8, 2024

Dear language enthusiasts and aspiring

Francophiles, if you want to learn the language of
love, understanding the French writing system
is an essential step on your journey.

In this post, we’re going to take a closer look at the

French alphabet and writing system. From accents
and capitalization to handwriting styles, we’ll cover
everything you need to know to improve your
writing skills in French. So, let’s get started!

Alphabet

First things first, let’s talk about the French

alphabet. Like English, the French alphabet has 26
letters, but there are some di"erences in
pronunciation and spelling. Here are some
examples:

French has nasal vowels, represented by letters

such as “an,” “en,” “in,” “on,” and “un.” These
vowels are pronounced through the nose, as in
words like “champagne” and “vin” (meaning
“wine”).

The French “u” sound is unique and may be

challenging for English speakers. It is produced by
rounding the lips tightly while pronouncing the
sound, as in words like “lune” (meaning “moon”) or
“sur” (meaning “on” or “over”).

The letter “w” is not used very often in French, and

is typically only used in loanwords.

Additionally, the letter “y” is considered a vowel in

French and is often used in combinations with
other vowels, such as in the word “payé” (paid).

Last, but not least, English stresses individual

syllables, but French has a more even distribution
of stress across words and phrases. This may end
up in di"erent rhythmic patterns and emphasis in
speech.

Silent Letters (less lettres muettes)

One of the most di#cult aspects of learning

French is spelling words and the silent letters don’t
make it easier. They have a long history that we
won’t get into, but here’s an infographic with
the silent letters in French

The letter “e” is often silent at the end of words. In

general, it does not receive a distinct sound but
rather modifies the pronunciation of the
preceding vowel. For example:

“parle” (speak): pronounced “parl” (without the

final “e”)

“chante” (sing): pronounced “chant” (without the

final “e”)

The letter “h” is always silent in French, regardless

of its position in a word. It has no sound
associated with it. Examples include:

“heure” (hour): pronounced “eur”

“homme” (man): pronounced “om”

The letter “s” is sometimes silent at the end of

words and in certain consonant clusters. It a"ects
the pronunciation of the vowel preceding it. For
example:

“plus” (more): pronounced “plu” (without the

final “s”)
“dans” (in): pronounced “dan” (without the final
“s”)

The letter “x” is usually silent at the end of words

and does not have a specific pronunciation. It
often marks the plural form of nouns. Examples
include:

“cheveux” (hair): pronounced “chev”

“oiseaux” (birds): pronounced “wazo”

The letter “t” is silent when it follows the letter “s”

and precedes another consonant. The preceding
vowel is pronounced as if the “t” were not there.
For example:

“temps” (time): pronounced “tah” (without the

“m” sound)
“buste” (bust): pronounced “buss” (without the
“t” sound)

The letter “p” is silent when it appears at the

beginning of certain words, particularly those
borrowed from Greek. Examples include:

“psychologie” (psychology): pronounced “see-

koh-loh-zhee”
“ptérodactyle” (pterodactyl): pronounced “teh-
ro-dak-teel”

The letter “z” is silent in a few select words. For

instance:

“nez” (nose): pronounced “nay” (without the final

“z”)
“chez” (at someone’s place): pronounced “shay”
(without the final “z”)

Remember that liaisons (linking sounds between

words) and the surrounding context can both
influence how French words are pronounced. So,
while these letters are silent, they frequently
influence spoken French’s overall sound and flow.

Reasons Why Silent letters Are Quite Useful:

Disambiguation and
Di"erentiation

Silent letters can help di"erentiate between

homonyms, which are words with the same
pronunciation but di"erent meanings.

The words “sans” (without) and “sang” (blood)

are pronounced the same way. However, the
silent “s” in “sans” sets it apart from “sang.”

This subtle spelling distinction prevents confusion

and ensures clarity in written communication.

Word Recognition and Spelling

Silent letters help with word recognition and

spelling. Even though they are not pronounced,
their presence in a word usually provides visual
cues to help identify familiar patterns. As French
readers and writers become accustomed to the
conventions of silent letters, this improves reading
comprehension and spelling.

Grammatical Functions

Silent letters can indicate verb tenses or plural

forms, among other things. For example, the
silent “s” in “manges” (you eat) refers to
the second-person singular form of the verb
“manger” (to eat). By retaining the silent letter,
French maintains grammatical consistency.

Accents

The accents can change the pronunciation and

meaning of words, and it’s important to learn how
to use them correctly.

For example, the word “pâté” (pâté) has a

circumflex accent over the “a” to indicate a
change in pronunciation from “pa” to “pah”. Let’s
take a closer look at each of these accents and
their usage.

Acute Accent (l’accent aigu ) (é): This accent is

used to indicate a “sharp” or “high” sound in
French. It is often used to di"erentiate between
words that would otherwise be spelled the
same but have di"erent meanings.
For example, the word “été” means “summer” in
French, while “eté” (without the accent) means
“was.”

Grave accent (l’accent grave) (è): This accent is

used to indicate a “low” or “open” sound in
French. It is often used to indicate the
pronunciation of the letter “e” in a word.
For example, the word “père” (father) is
pronounced with an “e” sound like in “bed”
because of the grave accent.

Circumflex accent (l’accent circonflexe) (ê): This

accent is used to indicate a change in
the pronunciation of a vowel. It can also be used
to di"erentiate between words that would
otherwise be spelled the same but have di"erent
meanings.
For example, the word “forêt” means “forest” in
French, while “foret” (without the accent) means
“drill bit.”

Diacritics and Cedilla: The cedilla (la cédille) (ç) is

a hook-like symbol that appears beneath the letter
“c” to indicate that it is pronounced as an “s”
sound, rather than a hard “k” sound.

For example, the word “garçon” (boy) is

pronounced “gar-son” with a soft “s” sound,
thanks to the cedilla. Without the cedilla, the
word would be pronounced “gar-kon” with a
hard “k” sound.

The diaeresis (le tréma) (ë) is two dots that

appear above a vowel to indicate that it should be
pronounced separately from the preceding vowel,
rather than as a single sound.

For example, the word “naïve” (naive) is

pronounced “na-eev” with two separate vowel
sounds, thanks to the diaeresis. Without the
diaeresis, the word would be pronounced “na-iv”
with a single vowel sound.

Handwriting

Handwriting styles: There are many di"erent

styles of French handwriting, ranging from
traditional cursive to more modern and simplified
scripts. Some of the most popular styles
include “Cursive Française,” “Écriture
Calligraphique Française” and “Écriture
Imprimée.”

More details about the di"erent styles of

French handwriting:

Cursive Française

This is the traditional French cursive style that is

commonly taught in schools. It features connected
letters with loops and flourishes and is known for
its elegance and sophistication.

French cursive can be quite di"erent from English

cursive. The slant and loops in the letters
of English cursive, also known
as “italic” or “looped handwriting,” are more
prominent. It has a consistent slant of around 45
degrees, and the connections between letters are
usually more angular. This writing style is suitable
for legibility and e#ciency, allowing for faster
writing.

French cursive, known as “écriture

cursive” or “écriture liée,” on the other hand,
has a slightly di"erent appearance. It emphasizes
on the smooth and continuous flow of the pen
and the rounded and flowing
connections between letters rather than the
slant. French cursive often features
extra loops and curves, leading to an elegant and
graceful script.

Écriture Calligraphique
Française

French calligraphy, called “écriture calligraphique

française,” is a special way of writing that’s very
artistic and neat. It’s also important in French
culture and di"erent from regular handwriting,
especially American cursive.

In French calligraphy, the writing looks smooth

and pretty. Instead of sharp angles like in
American cursive, French calligraphy has rounded
and flowing lines. It’s all about making the letters
look graceful and connected.

People who do French calligraphy, called

“calligraphes,” pay a lot of attention to how they
write. They focus on making each letter look just
right, with fancy loops and swirls. It’s like turning
writing into a beautiful picture.

Écriture Imprimée

Imprimée handwriting, also known as “imprimée,”

is a style of writing that’s clear, simple, and easy to
read. Unlike cursive writing where letters are
connected, each letter in imprimée handwriting
stands alone.

In imprimée handwriting, the letters are formed in

a simple and consistent way. Each letter is distinct
and easy to recognize. This makes it perfect for
learning to read and write, especially for young
students.

This style of handwriting is commonly used in

France, especially in schools and o#cial
documents. It’s similar to printed text in books and
newspapers, making it straightforward for
everyone to understand.

Capitalization

Capitalizing the first letter of a

sentence

Just like in English, the first letter of the first word

in a sentence is capitalized in French.

Capitalizing proper nouns

In French, proper nouns (names of specific people,

places, and things) are capitalized.

For example, “Paris” and “Louis” would both be

capitalized in French.

Capitalizing titles

In French, titles such as “Monsieur” (Mr.),

“Madame” (Mrs.), and “Mademoiselle” (Miss) are
capitalized when used as forms of address.

For example, “Bonjour, Monsieur Dupont”

(Hello, Mr. Dupont) or “Excusez-moi, Madame
Lefèvre” (Excuse me, Mrs. Lefèvre). These titles
are capitalized because they are considered
proper nouns.

It is important to note, however, that the titles

“monsieur” and “madame” are not capitalized
when used as general terms rather than
specific forms of address.

“Il parle français, monsieur” (He speaks French, sir)

or “Elle est une madame très gentille” (She is a
very kind lady). Because the titles are not being
used to address someone directly in these cases,
they are not capitalized.

Adjectives Derived from Proper

Nouns

In French, adjectives derived from proper nouns

are not capitalized.

For example, “français” (French) and “américain”

(American) are not capitalized even though they
are derived from proper nouns “France” and
“America”. However, if an adjective derived from
a proper noun begins a sentence, it should be
capitalized (e.g., “Français est ma langue
préférée” – “French is my favorite language”).

Capitalizing Acronyms

In French, acronyms are usually capitalized, with

each letter of the acronym being capitalized.

For example, “OTAN” (NATO) and “UNESCO”

(UNESCO).

Capitalizing First Names and

Family Names

First names and family names are capitalized.

For example, “Jean Dupont” and “Marie Lefèvre”

would be written with capitalized first letters.

Punctuation

In terms of punctuation, French usage is generally

similar to that of English. However, there are some
di"erences to be aware of. For instance:

Quotation marks

In French, quotation marks are placed outside any

punctuation marks.

For example: Elle m’a demandé : “Comment ça

va ?” (She asked me, “How are you?”).

Colon and Semi-Colon

In French, the colon and semi-colon are often used

more frequently than in English. A colon is used to
introduce a list, explanation, or quote, while a
semi-colon is used to separate two related but
independent clauses.

For example: Je vais acheter des fruits : des

pommes, des bananes et des oranges. (I’m going
to buy some fruit: apples, bananas, and
oranges.) / J’aime le café ; je ne bois pas de thé.
(I like co"ee; I don’t drink tea.)

Ellipsis

French uses the same three-dot ellipsis as English

to indicate an omission or pause.

For example: Je ne sais pas… (I don’t know…).

Ligatures

French writing often employs ligatures, which are

special characters that combine two or more
letters into one. The most common ligatures in
French are “æ” and “œ,” which are used to
combine the letters “a” and “e” or “o” and “e,”
respectively.

Ligatures are not always used in modern French

writing, but they can add a traditional and elegant
touch to a piece of writing.

Writing Conventions

French writing often follows specific conventions,

such as using specific greetings and sign-o"s in
formal letters. It’s important to be aware of these
conventions when writing in French, especially in
more formal settings.

Specific Greetings and Sign-O"s

in Formal Letters

When writing formal letters in French, it is

customary to use specific greetings and sign-o"s.

Greetings

Common formal greetings include “Cher

Monsieur” (Dear Sir), “Chère Madame” (Dear
Madam), or “Chers Collègues” (Dear Colleagues).
The choice of greeting depends on the recipient
and the nature of the letter.

Sign-O"s

Formal sign-o"s often include phrases like

“Veuillez agréer, Monsieur/Madame, l’expression
de mes sentiments distingués” (Yours faithfully),
“Je vous prie d’agréer, Monsieur/Madame, mes
salutations distinguées” (Yours sincerely), or
“Cordialement” (Kind regards). These phrases
express politeness and respect.

Use of Formal Language and

Politeness

In formal writing, it is important to use polite and

respectful language. This includes using the
appropriate pronouns (“vous” for “you” instead of
“tu”) and employing formal verb conjugations.
Politeness markers such as “s’il vous plaît” (please)
and “merci beaucoup” (thank you very much) are
also commonly used.

Avoiding Contractions and

Abbreviations

In formal writing, it is preferred to avoid

contractions and abbreviations.

For example, instead of using “c’est” (it is) or “j’ai”

(I have), one would use the non-contracted
forms “ce est” and “je ai.”

Spacing