Quand j’ai commencé à donner des cours de français, j’ai remarqué que l’alphabet phonétique international (API) actuellement proposé pour le français ne correspondait pas à ma propre prononciation. C’est pourquoi, au fil des ans, j’ai affiné ce système afin de mieux refléter les sons du français courant tel qu’il est parlé en Île-de-France.

Je tiens à préciser que je ne suis ni linguiste ni diplômé en linguistique. Je m’intéresse simplement à la phonologie. Si vous êtes linguiste ou passionné de phonologie et que vous n’êtes pas d’accord avec certains points de ma version de l’API pour le français, n’hésitez pas à me contacter et de me faire part de vos observations. Je serais ravi d’en discuter avec vous.

Consonants

IPA	Common spellings	Examples	IPA	English	Equivalents
b	b bb	base	[baz]	basis	Like “b” in “boy”
d	d dd	dent	[dɒ̃]	tooth	Like “d” in “dad”
f	f ff ph	effet	[efɛ]	effect	Like “f” in “full”
ɡ	g	ego	[eɡo]	ego	Like “g” in “gorilla”
k k̟	c ch cqu k q qu	école	[ekɔ̟l]	school	Like “s” in “sky”
l	l ll	bol	[bɔ̟l]	bowl	Like “l” in “life”
m	m mm	mai	[mɛ]	may	Like “m” in “mom”
n	n nn	nom	[nõ]	name	Like “n” in “name”
ɲ [nj]	gn	montagne	[mõtanj]	mountain	Like “n” in “venue”
ŋ	ng	marketing	[maχk̟etʲʰiŋ]	marketing	Like “ng” in “marketing“
p	p pp	papa	[papa]	dad	Like “p” in “spy”
ʁ [ʁ, ʁ̞]	r rr	grain	[ɡʁɐ̃]	grain
ʁ [χ, χ̞]	r	projet	[pχoʒɛ]	plan, project
s	ç c s ss	leçon	[lɵsõ]	lesson	Like “ss” in “lesson”
ʃ	ch	chat	[ʃa]	cat	Like “sh” in “shoes”
t tʲʰ	t tt	temps	[tɒ̃]	time	Like “t” in “stay”
v	v	ville	[vil]	town, city	Like “v” in “voice”
z	s ss z	Asie	[azi]	Asia	Like “z” in “zoo”
ʒ	g ge j	pigeon	[piʒõ]	pigeon	Like “s” in “measure”

Approximants

IPA	Common spellings	Examples	IPA	English	Equivalents
j	i ï y	mafia	[mafja]	mafia	Like “y” in “yes”
w	ou w	oui	[wi]	yes	Like “w” in “well”
ɥ	u	cuisine	[k̟ɥizin]	cuisine, cooking	Like /y/ (see below), but pronounced as a glide (has a shorter duration).

Oral Vowels

IPA	Common spellings	Examples	IPA	English	Equivalents
i	i î ï y	île	[il]	island	Like “y” in “happy“
y	u û	futur	[fytʲʰyχ̞]	future	Like [i] (“y” in “happy“) with rounded lips
e	e é	âgé	[aʒe]	old	Between [i] and [ɛ], Similar to Scottish English “a” in “face”
ø	eu œu	bleu	[blø]	blue	Like [e] with rounded lips
ɛ	ai aî e è ê ë ei	air	[ɛχ̞]	air	Like “e” in “bed”
œ	eu œu	bœuf	[bœf]	beef	Like [ɛ] (“e” in “bed”) with rounded lips
a	a à â	bar	[baχ̞]	bar	Like “a” in Southern Standard British English “trap”
ə [ɵ]	e	melon	[mɵlõ]	melon	Like “oo” in Southern Standard British English “foot”
u	ou où oû	soupe	[sup]	soup	Similar to “ou” in Standard American English “soup”
o	eau au o ô	hôte	[ot]	host	Like “o” in “north”
ɔ [ɔ̟]	o ô	effort	[efɔ̟χ̞]	effort	Similar to “o” in Southern Standard British English “lot”, but slightly more front.

Nasal vowels

IPA	Common spellings	Examples		English	Equivalents
ɑ̃ [ɒ̃]	am an em en	camp	[kɒ̃]	camp	Similar to the second “o” in Standard Canadian English “Toronto”, but nasalised
ɛ̃ [ɐ̃]	aim ain em en eim ein im in ym yn um un	humain	[ymɐ̃]	human	Similar to “e” in Standard Australian English “water”, but nasalised
ɔ̃ [õ]	om on	coton	[kotõ]	cotton	Like [o] (“o” in “north”) but nasalised

Consonants

Approximants

Oral Vowels

Nasal vowels

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