In this lesson, you will learn the following letters and letter combinations: e, è, ê, ai, ei, l.
E, e, È, è, Ê, ê, Ai, ai, Ei, ei = [ɛ] (like in “bed”)
The grave accent ( `__) over the letter e indicates that it is pronounced as [ɛ]. The capital letter È is more commonly written as E.
The circumflex accent ( ˆ_) over the letter e indicates that it is pronounced as [ɛ] (before a consonant – as [ɛ:]). The capital letter Ê is more commonly written as E.
The letter combinations ai and ei are pronounced as a single sound [ɛ].
The letter e is pronounced as [ɛ] in a syllable ending with a consonant sound, as well as in the letter combination et at the end of words. The verb est (is, exists, is located) is pronounced as [ɛ].
est [ɛ], fer [fɛr], mer [mɛr], terre [tɛr], verre [vɛr], mère [mɛr], père [pɛr], frère [frɛr], tête [tɛt], fête [fɛt], prête [prɛt], bête [bɛt], rêve [rɛv], être [ɛtr], ma [ma], mai [mɛ], air [ɛr], faire [fɛr], affaire [afɛr], ta [ta]
L, l = [l] (like in “elephant”)
là [la] – there
elle [ɛl] – she, it (used for French feminine nouns)
belle [bɛl] – beautiful (used with French feminine nouns)
bal [bal] – ball (dance)
balle [bal] – bullet
table [tabl] – table
tel [tɛl] – such (used with French masculine nouns)
pêle-mêle [pɛ:lmɛ:l] – disorder
la [la] – the (definite article for feminine singular nouns)
laine [lɛn] – wool
mal [mal] – pain; badly
malle [mal] – suitcase
malade [malad] – sick, ill
lettre [lɛtr] – letter
lèvre [lɛ:vr] – lip
natal [natal] – native (used with French masculine nouns)
naval [naval] – naval (used with French masculine nouns)