é vs è vs e: The Three E-Sounds
Spot which of the three e-sounds a word uses from its accent — or lack of one.
é (accent aigu) is always closed /e/: short, tense, like the start of 'ay' in 'day' but cut off: été (summer).
è / ê (accent grave / circumflex) are always open /ɛ/: relaxed, like 'e' in 'bed': mère (mother), être (to be).
Unaccented e is either a schwa /ə/ mid-word (le (the)) or silent at the end of a word (ville (city), no e-sound at all).
EXCEPTION: when unaccented e is followed by a pronounced consonant that closes the syllable, it's neither schwa nor silent — it opens to /ɛ/, just like è: est (is), elle (she), mer (sea). (les and mes look similar but their final s is silent, leaving an open syllable pronounced /le/, /me/ — closed /e/, not /ɛ/.)
Trap for English speakers: don't add an English-style glide to é — été (summer) is not 'ay-tay', keep the vowel pure and short.
- été — summer — closed é
- être — to be — open ê
- café — coffee — closed é
- mère — mother — open è
- le — the — schwa
- ville — city — silent final e