How to Pronounce French Numbers
IPA and Audio Guide
Updated 17 April 2026
French number pronunciation presents three main challenges: nasal vowels (un, vingt, cent), liaison rules where final consonants are pronounced before vowels, and the vigesimal 70-99 range where compound words must be broken into syllables. This guide covers all three with IPA transcriptions and audio for each key number.
Three Patterns to Master
1. Nasal Vowels
Un /oe~/, vingt /vɛ̃/, cent /sɑ̃/, and onze /ɔ̃z/ all contain nasal vowels where air passes through the nose. Practice by pinching your nose while saying the word - if the sound changes, you are producing the nasal correctly.
un - /oe~/
vingt - /vɛ̃/
cent - /sɑ̃/
2. Liaison (Linking)
Silent final consonants are pronounced before vowel-initial words. Cinq amis = /sɛ̃k‿ami/, not /sɛ̃ ami/. Dix euros = /diz‿oeʁo/. Neuf heures = /noev‿oer/ (special: v not f).
cinq amis - /sɛ̃k‿ami/
six euros - /siz‿oeʁo/
neuf heures - /noev‿oer/
3. Silent Finals
Many number-final consonants are silent when not in liaison. Deux /doe/ (x silent), trois /tʁwa/ (s silent), sept /sɛt/ (p silent), dix /dis/ (x = /s/ sound). Context changes everything.
deux - /doe/
trois - /tʁwa/
sept - /sɛt/
Key Numbers: IPA and Audio
| # | French | IPA | Notes | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | zero | /ze.ro/ | Accent on the e. | |
| 1 | un | /oe~/ | Nasal vowel. Feminine: une /yn/. | |
| 2 | deux | /doe/ | The x is silent. | |
| 3 | trois | /tʁwa/ | Rolled r. The s is silent. | |
| 4 | quatre | /katʁ/ | The e is nearly silent. | |
| 5 | cinq | /sɛ̃k/ | Before a vowel: /sɛ̃k‿a/ (cinq amis). Before consonant: /sɛ̃/ (cinq livres). | |
| 6 | six | /sis/ | Before a vowel: /siz‿/. Alone: /sis/. | |
| 7 | sept | /sɛt/ | The p is silent. The t is pronounced. | |
| 8 | huit | /ɥit/ | The h is aspirate - no liaison before vowel. | |
| 9 | neuf | /noef/ | Before "heures" or "ans": /noev‿/ (neuf heures). | |
| 10 | dix | /dis/ | Before vowel: /diz‿/. Alone or before consonant: /dis/. | |
| 11 | onze | /ɔ̃z/ | H aspirate: pas d'onze, le onze. | |
| 12 | douze | /duz/ | ||
| 13 | treize | /tʁɛz/ | ||
| 14 | quatorze | /katɔʁz/ | ||
| 15 | quinze | /kɛ̃z/ | Nasal vowel in -in-. | |
| 16 | seize | /sɛz/ | ||
| 17 | dix-sept | /dis.sɛt/ | ||
| 18 | dix-huit | /diz.ɥit/ | Liaison: dix-z-huit. | |
| 19 | dix-neuf | /diz.noef/ | Liaison before neuf. | |
| 20 | vingt | /vɛ̃/ | The t is silent alone. In 21-29 the t is pronounced: vingt-et-un /vɛ̃.t.e.oe~/ | |
| 80 | quatre-vingts | /katʁ.vɛ̃/ | The ts are silent. Before a vowel, the liaison t in vingt is pronounced. | |
| 100 | cent | /sɑ̃/ | Nasal a. The t is silent. | |
| 1000 | mille | /mil/ |
Common Pronunciation Mistakes
Avoid: Pronouncing the t in "vingt" when alone
Vingt = /vɛ̃/ alone. The t is silent. But vingt-et-un uses a t sound: /vɛ̃.t.e.oe~/.
Avoid: Saying "sink" for cinq
Cinq = /sɛ̃k/. The vowel is nasal (/ɛ̃/), not the English short i. The k is pronounced.
Avoid: Rolling the r too hard in trois, quatre
French r is a uvular fricative /ʁ/ made at the back of the throat, not a tongue-tip roll. Practice saying "k" then letting air through while keeping that tongue position.
Avoid: Treating "neuf" always as /noef/
Before heures and ans: neuf heures = /noev‿oer/, neuf ans = /noev‿ɑ̃/. The f becomes v in liaison in these specific contexts.
FAQ
Why does "cinq" sound different before vowels?
French liaison rules require the normally silent final consonant of a word to be pronounced when the next word starts with a vowel sound. Cinq /sɛ̃k/ becomes /sɛ̃k‿amis/ before amis. This happens with many French numbers: six, dix, deux, trois, and vingt all have different forms before vowels vs consonants.
Why does "neuf" change before "heures"?
Neuf /noef/ changes the f to v (/v/) before "heures" (hours) and "ans" (years): neuf heures /noev‿oer/ and neuf ans /noev‿ɑ̃/. This is a fixed liaison exception - neuf keeps its v only in these two contexts.
How do you pronounce quatre-vingt-dix-sept (97)?
Approximately /katʁ.vɛ̃.dis.sɛt/. Break it into parts: quatre /katʁ/ + vingt /vɛ̃/ + dix /dis/ + sept /sɛt/. The word boundary between dix and sept creates a slight pause. Most French speakers say it fluidly without sharp breaks between the segments.
What is a nasal vowel in French numbers?
French has nasal vowels where air passes through both the mouth and nose. In numbers: un /oe~/ (1), vingt /vɛ̃/ (20), cent /sɑ̃/ (100), and mille uses a clear /i/ not nasal. Nasal vowels are one of the hardest aspects for English speakers because English does not use them phonemically.