French · Food & drink
How to pronounce lait in French
lait
Milk
French of France · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
lait is pronounced /lɛ/ in French. In lait: The final written t is not sounded in this isolated-word reference. Finish with the last sound shown in /lɛ/. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
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Find the sounds in lait
The reference transcription for lait is /lɛ/. Read adjacent consonants together without inserting extra vowels. French prominence belongs to the spoken phrase. Do not impose a heavy English-style stress on every isolated word.
1.The final written t
In lait: The final written t is not sounded in this isolated-word reference. Finish with the last sound shown in /lɛ/.
Watch out: Connected speech can differ, especially where liaison is possible. Do not generalize this word’s ending to every French word.
2.The open /ɛ/ vowel
In lait: Keep the vowel open, like the vowel in many pronunciations of English “bed”, without a final glide.
Watch out: Avoid turning this vowel into English “ay”.
Hear it in context
Tu mets du lait dans ton café ?
Do you put milk in your coffee?
Listen once, say it aloud, then replay at 1.00×. Keep the word connected to the surrounding sentence rather than giving every syllable equal weight.
Pronunciation and variety
lait is presented using French of France. Regional accents and connected speech can change details. The isolated word and the example let you compare the dictionary form with a short spoken context.
The English-style respelling is approximate. Use the IPA and recording together for vowel quality and consonants that do not have an exact English equivalent.
Meaning and everyday use
Questions about lait
How do you pronounce lait?
lait is pronounced /lɛ/ in French. In lait: The final written t is not sounded in this isolated-word reference. Finish with the last sound shown in /lɛ/. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
What should I listen for first?
In lait: The final written t is not sounded in this isolated-word reference. Finish with the last sound shown in /lɛ/. Start at 0.75×, then return to 1.00× to hear the natural rhythm.
