MinimalPairs
Lessons

Minimal pair · French (France)

French /y/ vs /ø//y/ / /ø/

Learn to hear the difference between y and ø in French words.

Practice these sounds
/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 injus
/ø/

A close-mid, rounded vowel

A front vowel with rounded lips. This vowel is not schwa.

As injeu

WHAT TO LISTEN FOR

A small change.
A different word.

Jus/jeu, du/deux and cru/creux compare close /y/ with close-mid /ø/. All targets are the final vowel, and both categories are front and rounded.

Listen for the target sound in each word.

A common trap

The spelling eu has more than one French pronunciation. These examples use /ø/, not the open-mid /œ/ in peur and not schwa.

Sound examples

Tap to hear each word
jus
/ʒy/juice
du
/dy/some, masculine partitive article
cru
/kʁy/raw
tu
/ty/you, informal singular
vu
/vy/seen
rue
/ʁy/street
bu
/by/drunk, past participle of drink
jeu
/ʒø/game
deux
/dø/two
creux
/kʁø/hollow
queue
/kø/tail; queue
nœud
/nø/knot
feu
/fø/fire

13 words. Words stay hidden during practice unless you choose to reveal them.

Now, let your ears decide.

Can you hear the difference? Listen to two examples, then decide which sound you hear in a new word. Get feedback after every answer.

Practice these sounds

Keep the sound. Change the word.

Listen to the complete vowel after different word beginnings. The consonant cluster in cru/creux is shared by both members and is not the answer cue.

Explore all French contrasts
🌐 English