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Lesson Transcript

Hi everyone.
Welcome to The Ultimate French Pronunciation Guide.
In this series, you'll master French pronunciation. Proper pronunciation is essential in French, and in this series, you'll learn it in a fast, comprehensive, and easy way.
In this first lesson of the series, you'll learn about the building blocks of the French pronunciation system that will help you in future lessons.
The letters used in French are the same as the letters you use in English, with the only exception of a few accents on some of the letters.
But be careful not to fall into a very common trap: as you're learning to *speak* correctly, you shouldn't concern yourself with all the letters. That's right -- forget them! You care about the *sounds* of French and here they are:
There are 23 consonant sounds, and 16 vowel sounds. You can form every single word in French by using these sounds.
Still seem complicated? Well how about this: of the 23 consonant sounds in French, you *already know* 20 of them. That's right, if you are a native English speaker then you already make these sounds every day.
You can also ignore 6 of the vowel sounds for the same reason.
The only thing standing between you and perfect French pronunciation are 3 new consonant and 10 new vowel sounds. You can handle that!
Now let me introduce Mailys, who will be helping you to master these new sounds.
Mailys will be giving you native pronunciation examples for you to imitate. But for this first lesson, just sit back and listen to the unique sounds of French:
In the next lesson, we'll look at the top 5 pronunciation mistakes French learners make. You'll want to make sure not to fall into these common traps.
After that, we'll begin going through the vowels and consonants of French. This is your chance to learn how to correctly say all of the words you just heard.
We'll finish up the series by covering some special topics that will really make your French sound natural!
To close this lesson, here's a question for you.
Why is it important to spend time on learning proper pronunciation, even if you're already an advanced speaker?
You will be understood, and this will help you build more confidence as you communicate in French. For beginners, you're creating a strong foundation to build on. And for more advanced students, this is your chance to improve your accent and lose any bad habits you may have picked up.
What is the hardest part of French pronunciation? Tell us about it in the comments.
See you in the next Ultimate French Pronunciation Guide lesson!

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