How To Learn French Step by Step

Step 1.
Start by learning French sounds

The French alphabet has the same letters as English, with the exception that certain letters
have accents. As you can see from the table below, they are pronounced differently from
English letters. However, as you begin to learn French, pay attention to the sounds, not to
the letters.
There are 23 consonants and 16 vowel sounds in French. If you are an English speaker,
you already know 20 consonants and 6 vowels. So, you are left with 3 new consonants and
10 vowels.
To learn how to speak French correctly, you can schedule a private lesson with one of the
native French tutors on Preply. A chosen expert will show you how to imitate and repeat the
sounds correctly, point out all your mistakes and provide you with some tips and tricks to
make a learning process as effective as possible.
All lessons are provided via the user-friendly video chat, which will help you save your time
and efforts. Just find your perfect tutor on Preply and start your journey to French
proficiency. It’s super simple!
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Step 2. Consider basic pronunciation rules

French pronunciation can be confusing for beginners. First of all, the language has sounds
which are not represented in English. Additionally, it’s full of intricacies like multiple sounds
for one letter and numerous exceptions to basically all rules. Patterns of pronunciation need
to be learned individually. Here is a brief overview of the general rules of pronunciation to
help you start French learning:
 One of the most prominent peculiarities is that all vowels in a word need to be
pronounced, whereas in English we tend to “swallow” particular sounds like in the
word “comfortable.”
 Part of the charm of French is in its stress. Unlike English, where stress may fall
on any syllable, in French, it’s always on the last pronounced syllable. As you teach
yourself French, it would be advisable to take a separate lesson in French syllable
stress. But if you need additional help to grasp French pronunciation, you can
always find a qualified teacher to explain this rule to you.
 Final consonants are usually silent, except “c”, “f” and “l” which are generally
pronounced.
 If a word ends with a consonant and the next begins with a vowel or a silent “h”
then the final consonant joins the following vowel.
 French has nasal sounds. They are indicated by vowel + “n” or “m”, where vowel
becomes nasal and “n” or “m” is not pronounced.
 A combination of letters results in different sounds. Many of them have their
equivalent in English. So, how can you learn French on your own if the sounds and
pronunciations are so difficult to master? The best way is to find a comprehensive
guide on letter combination and sounds to read and then memorize the
rules. Tongue twisters are a fun way to perfect your pronunciation.
Step 3. Activate your vocabulary by learning basic

words and phrases
The best way to learn French step-by-step is by starting with basic words, phrases, and
numbers. Beginners usually start practicing with words that will help them with meeting
people, asking basic questions and introducing themselves. You can start French language
learning with these useful phrases.
Greetings and useful phrases:
 Bon jour! (bohn-jhoor) — Hello!
 Bon soir! (bohN-swahr!) — Good evening!
 Au revoir! (ohr-vwahr!) — Goodbye!
 S’il vous plaît.(seel vooh pleh.) — Please.
 Je vous en prie. (zhuh vooh-zahN pree.) — You’re welcome!
 Merci. (mehr-see) — Thank you.
 Pardon/Excusez-moi. (pahr-dohN/eks-kew-zey-mwah.) — Excuse me.
Useful questions to learn basic French:
 Est-ce que vous parlez anglais? (ehs-kuh vooh pahr-ley ahN-gleh?) — Do you
speak English?
 Comment allez-vous? (koh-mahN-tah-ley-vooh?) — How are you?
 Comment vous appelez-vous? (koh-mahN vooh-zah-pley-vooh?) — What’s your

name?
 Quelle heure est-il? (kehl uhr eh-teel?) — What time is it?
 Où est-ce que je peux trouver..? (ooh ehs-kuh zhuh puh trooh-vey….?) — Where
can I find . . .?
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Check out the article “Memorization Techniques for Language Learners” to find the best
way of learning new words. Learn a language quicker with Preply!
Step 4. Make lists of basic pronouns, nouns, and verbs

Building up your French vocabulary starts with basic words. Learning them will let you talk
about people, places, and things around you. Wondering how to learn French fast? The best
approach here is to categorize nouns by topic and to create targeted lists. This way you will
be able to cover one topic at a time, which is a proven and effective method of learning new
words. For example, you could start with learning pronouns:
 je — I
 tu — you (informal)
 il — he
 elle — she
 on — it
 nous — we
 vous — you (formal)
 ils — they (masc.)
 elles — they (fem.)
Pay attention to French numbers. You will need them for shopping, money exchange, and
transportation when traveling to France. It’s always a good idea to learn basic verbs and
nouns, as you can start using them and thus proactively immerse yourself into the language
right away.

Step 5. Master grammar basics
Learning essential words is merely the first step you must make on your path to becoming
fluent. To express your ideas clearly, it is important to structure sentences in a proper way.
There is no single and easiest way to learn French when it comes to grammar. You could
start with these essential grammar rules:
 Gender of nouns. A noun is either masculine or feminine.

 The use of articles. French 3 articles “la” for masculine nouns and “le” for the
feminine. There are also indefinite articles “un” and “une” for masculine and feminine
nouns, respectively. Zero article in English as in “some water” is indicated with the
article “de”.
 Verb Conjugation. The verb in French changes based on the subject’s gender and
number. There are common rules as well as exceptions, including irregular verbs
conjugations.
 Verb Tenses. In French, there are 12 actively used verb tenses. The verb changes
its form based on the tense.

Step 6. Surround yourself with all things French

Proactively incorporate the language into your everyday life with:
Books. It’s almost impossible to master a language without embracing the works of writing.
Even if you can’t handle Proust or Hugo now, it doesn’t mean you should ignore reading
altogether.
All tips for learning French are unanimous in this regard — beginners should start small, for
example with following simple books which are available on Amazon.
 “Le Petit Prince” de Antoine Saint-Exupery

 “Mon Père est Femme” de Ménage de Saphia Azeddine
 “Le Petit Nicolas” de René Goscinny
Audio. French-language books are a fun and convenient way to enrich your vocabulary,
especially if you combine them with audio. Beginners can use a ton of audio resources
like Bien Dire. With only a set of earphones, you can listen to podcasts in French and learn
how to speak French when you’re out and about, at work, gym or even during a lunch or
coffee break.
Movies. Movies are a great tool for learning foreign languages. If you love watching movies
in your free time, why not watch them in French? This activity will help you better
understand the communication patterns of the language and thus grasp the culture. An
additional benefit of watching movies is that they can stimulate your brain to think in
French.
Beginners are recommended to watch movies with subtitles in the target language. Also,
don’t hesitate to pause and repeat some phrases. A comprehensive list of
movies for learning French easily will come in handy.
A brief afterword
The best way to learn a language is through speaking it regularly. Speak French whenever
you can and work your way up through all skills — reading, listening, and writing. Don’t
forget to do weekly recaps of the learned material.
Learning a language by yourself can be a challenging task to cope with. Finding a

professional tutor will help you to study more effectively. With Preply, you can browse a
database of qualified French tutors and choose one that suits you the most. A preferred
expert will create a study plan according to your level and help you stick to it.
Learning a language via one-on-one lessons is a surefire way to your language proficiency.
So why not to give it a try?

How To Learn French Step by Step

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What are the basic steps to learn French sounds?

What are the basic steps to learn French sounds?

What are some useful French phrases for greetings and basic questions?

What are some useful French phrases for greetings and basic questions?

Step 1.

Start by learning French sounds

Find online tutor

Step 2. Consider basic pronunciation rules

Step 3. Activate your vocabulary by learning basic

Greetings and useful phrases:

 Bon jour! (bohn-jhoor) — Hello!

 Bon soir! (bohN-swahr!) — Good evening!

 Au revoir! (ohr-vwahr!) — Goodbye!

 S’il vous plaît.(seel vooh pleh.) — Please.

 Je vous en prie. (zhuh vooh-zahN pree.) — You’re welcome!

 Merci. (mehr-see) — Thank you.

 Pardon/Excusez-moi. (pahr-dohN/eks-kew-zey-mwah.) — Excuse me.

Useful questions to learn basic French:

 Comment allez-vous? (koh-mahN-tah-ley-vooh?) — How are you?

 Comment vous appelez-vous? (koh-mahN vooh-zah-pley-vooh?) — What’s your

 Quelle heure est-il? (kehl uhr eh-teel?) — What time is it?

Step 4. Make lists of basic pronouns, nouns, and verbs

 vous — you (formal)

 ils — they (masc.)

 elles — they (fem.)

 Gender of nouns. A noun is either masculine or feminine.

Step 6. Surround yourself with all things French

 “Le Petit Prince” de Antoine Saint-Exupery

Learning a language by yourself can be a challenging task to cope with. Finding a

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