Vowel Sounds [y] vs [u]
The letters u and û are pronounced [y] roughly similar to the vowel sound of pew but shorter and without the diphthong.
menu
menu
sûr
sure
culture
culture
nu
naked
su
to know (past participle)
bu
to drink (past participle)
lu
to read (past participle)
rue
street
dessus
top
The letter combination ou is pronounced [u].
nous
we
vous
you (formal)
jour
day
loup
wolf
joue
cheek
fou
crazy
roux
red-head
doux
sweet
où
where
dessous
underneath
For English speakers, pronouncing [y] et [u] clearly can be a challenge.
tu le jures
you swear it
tout le jour
all day long
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