How to Pronounce the French Words Au and Eau

Many languages, including French, have words that are spelled differently yet pronounced the same way. Two of the most common of these words in French are  eau  and  au. Eau  is a noun meaning water in English, and  au  is the definite article the. These letters also function as a common vowel combination, producing the same phonetic sound. Pronunciation Guide The French vowel combinations in eau (singular) and eaux (plural) are pronounced like the closed  O sound, similar to the English pronunciation of eau in eau de cologne but more elongated. The French letter combinations ​au  (singular) and aux (plural)  are pronounced exactly the same way. Its important to master this sound because it appears in so many French words. When pronouncing the sound, the lips are pursed to actually form the shape of an o. This physical component is key to correct French pronunciation. Remember, to speak in French, you have to open your mouth—much more than we do in English. So allez-y. (Go ahead.) Click on the links below to hear the words pronounced in French:   Ã‚  Ã‚  eau  Ã‚  (water)  Ã‚  Ã‚  beau  Ã‚  (handsome, beautiful)  Ã‚  Ã‚  cadeau  Ã‚  (gift)  Ã‚  Ã‚  agneau  Ã‚  (lamb) Listen closely: The g is not pronounced, so you must say ah-nyo.)  Ã‚  Ã‚  beaucoup  Ã‚  (a lot)  Ã‚  Ã‚  bureau  Ã‚  (office, desk)  Ã‚  Ã‚  chapeau  Ã‚  Ã‚  (hat) Expand Your Vocabulary The vowel combinations eau, eaux, au, and aux in the words below  are pronounced exactly the same as in the words above. Click on any of the links above to remind yourself exactly how these letter combinations are pronounced. As  you recall, they are all pronounced exactly the same. gà ¢teau (cake)bateau (boat)chà ¢teaux (castles)auto (car)mauvais (bad)chaud (hot)cauchemar (nightmare)restaurant (restaurant)chevaux (horses)journaux (newspapers) Examples: Je vais  au  restaurant.   Im going to the restaurant.Je mets mon beau chapeau sur le bateau qui flotte sur leau et qui part au Portugal oà ¹ il fait chaud. I put my beautiful hat on the boat which floats on the water and which is leaving for Portugal where it is hot.