Silent Final Consonants & the CaReFuL Rule
Most French final consonants are silent — learn the four letters that usually aren't.
Most final consonants in French are silent: D, S, T, X, Z at the end of a word are NOT pronounced: petit (small), gris (grey).
The four letters that usually ARE pronounced at word-end spell the mnemonic CaReFuL: C, R, F, L: avec (with), bonjour (hello), neuf (nine), hôtel (hotel).
Trap for English speakers: English pronounces nearly every final consonant, so the instinct is to sound out the final letter of every French word — resist it unless the letter is C, R, F, or L.
- petit — small — silent final T
- avec — with — pronounced final C
- gris — grey — silent final S
- neuf — nine — pronounced final F
- nez — nose — silent final Z
- hôtel — hotel — pronounced final L