Minimal pair · French (France)
French /u/ vs /y//u/ / /y/
Learn to hear the difference between u and y in French words.
Practice these sounds/u/
A back, rounded vowel
The tongue is high and farther back, with rounded lips.
As intout
/y/
A front, rounded vowel
The tongue is high and farther forward, with rounded lips. It is one vowel, not a separate y sound plus a vowel.
As intu
WHAT TO LISTEN FOR
A small change.
A different word.
Tout and tu share /t/, vous and vu share /v/, and roue and rue share the French r. The rounded vowel is the contrast each time.
Listen for the target sound in each word.
A common trap
Do not add a separate y sound before the vowel in tu. French /y/ is one vowel; ou and u are different spellings for different vowels.
Sound examples
Tap to hear each wordtout
/tu/all; everythingvous
/vu/you, formal or pluralroue
/ʁu/wheelbout
/bu/end; tipdessous
/dəsu/underneathégout
/eɡu/a sewerécrou
/ekʁu/a nut used with a screw or boltbouche
/buʃ/a mouthjoute
/ʒut/a contest or verbal sparring matchbouleau
/bulo/a birch treetu
/ty/you, informal singularvu
/vy/seenrue
/ʁy/streetbu
/by/drunk, past participle of drinkdessus
/dəsy/on topaigu
/eɡy/sharp or pointedécru
/ekʁy/unbleached, describing clothbûche
/byʃ/a log for a firejute
/ʒyt/jute fibre used in sacks and ropebulot
/bylo/a whelk shellfish20 words. Words stay hidden during practice unless you choose to reveal them.